How to Make a Phone and Smartwatch Hidden Wireless Charging Station

I made a walnut hidden wireless charging station to charge my phone and smartwatch at the same time!
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Materials I used:
3/4" Thick Walnut Lumber: amzn.to/3pRJRhk
Wireless Charger: amzn.to/3kVByx9
Zero4U USB Hub (no pogo pins): amzn.to/2UTiXr7
USB C Extension Cable: amzn.to/3lX9Bq2
JST-XH 2.54mm Female Connector: amzn.to/31hEBbL
USB-A Right Angle Extension Cable: amzn.to/2URe7dU
USB-A to USB-C Cable: amzn.to/3nJXi0X
2+ Amp Wall Charger: amzn.to/3pSbwPb
Double Sided Tape: amzn.to/3nKDURm
1/4" Plywood (for making router templates)
Superglue: amzn.to/39d2lmF
Wood Glue: amzn.to/3kYEjhc
Disk Magnets: amzn.to/3md7YoA
Satin Polyurethane Spray: amzn.to/363GdZI
Heat Shrink Tubing: amzn.to/3q38Qy3
Mini Screws (hold on usb hub): amzn.to/2V1LhaH
Zip Ties: amzn.to/3r8Ly9P
Tools I used:
Dust Mask: amzn.to/37PqxsM
Speed Square: amzn.to/2WeReC1
Router: amzn.to/3tgYo86
Router 3/8" Pattern Bit: amzn.to/3sBCY4Z
Router Circle Cutting Jig: amzn.to/38ZrctE
Bench Vise: amzn.to/2M1GftM
Nylon Vise Jaw Covers: amzn.to/3qxtOVp
Spring Loaded Centerpunch: amzn.to/3gBNBPM
Portable Drill: amzn.to/3qxstxH
Forstner Bits: amzn.to/3rddGc7
Chisels: amzn.to/3oHw5MA
Miter Saw: amzn.to/2Yw3sHp
Quick Grip Bar Clamps: amzn.to/3gBjPKM
Wood Glue Brush: amzn.to/2IF0RGQ
Circle Marking Template: amzn.to/3ak9RL9
Table Saw: amzn.to/3qKvrjp
Band Saw: amzn.to/39wvdG6
Rotary Tool: amzn.to/2LDvDl2
Drill Press: amzn.to/3bTPKWQ
Drill Press Vise: amzn.to/3tcIWJW
Bench Sander: amzn.to/2Krfm1I
Router Table: amzn.to/3r9Ilqu
Random Orbital Sander: amzn.to/35Uluam
Mini Screwdriver: amzn.to/2Mcckzv
Wire Strippers: amzn.to/3gClqjJ
Soldering Iron: amzn.to/39AgeuU
Soldering Helping Hands Vise: amzn.to/3akirJR
Heat Gun: amzn.to/3amKbxG
Hot Glue Gun: amzn.to/3ctqO8E
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Music:
www.epidemicso...

[@prasanthkc6983]

LOVE IT!!! brilliant! I will definitely try this out real soon! That's a sub from me...Just please balance the music audio and your speaking audio...

[@igortodorovic6463]

Oh..I didn't realize I was watching an actual professional job lol. I thought this was gonna be super simple but you're a master at this dude. Awesome job

[@ProjectBilld]

Haha thanks! Welcome to the channel! I basically have ambitious expectations for what I want things to end up like and then just figure them out. It can be difficult for sure but it's super gratifying to have a complex idea become real

[@igortodorovic6463]

@@ProjectBilld oh trust me you've blew my expectations. I'm ocd with the things I make trying to make them as close to flawless as possible and you did a perfect job so good!

[@AntonPogonin]

Incredible build. You could also incorporate an extra qi charger for galaxy buds. All in all, great build!

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! Good idea, and if I ever make/design a new one I'll keep that in mind!

[@naeem.rahbar]

Please make a video which supports galaxy buds, galaxy watch and Galaxy phone. All 3 in one and an extra USB or Type C pin.

[@williamporter7935]

Late to the party. Excellent video and extremely well produced (lighting, camera angles, ability to see the work etc) With the 3/4” walnut and the 1/8” left for the top would there be sufficient room to route a larger rectangle around all the electronics and then either tack/screw or magnetically hold on a base plate to cover the electronics? I want to make similar for my GF but worried one of my kids may flip it, notice all the cool wires etc and start trying to pull it apart. A recessed base would look clean and keep little eyes confused. Just not sure the USB board will allow sufficient clearance. If not I suppose a 1/8 piece of walnut cut to around 1/8-1/4” smaller on all sides and mounted (causing a 1/8” “lift” around the edges) could work and not look horrible🤔

[@ProjectBilld]

When I started designing the dock I was thinking I'd put a base plate on too but I left it off because of clearance issues. Not saying it can't be done but I think you'd have to change my design to make it work. The USB ports/cables make the hub thicker than I'd like. If you could find a piece of 7/8 or 1 inch thick walnut that might work better for you

[@stevem8ck]

Great video and thanks for sharing. I’m curious of the amount of heat that phone charger gives off on the board over night. Is it pretty significant or barely any? I’ve never taken one apart and am curious on the heat it generates outside of its shell while charging. Thanks again 🙏🏻

[@ProjectBilld]

Don't know an exact amount but it's nothing crazy. Still using it every night with no problems

[@drippyfool]

A little tip: When wiring USB, make sure to wire the Power wires, AND the 2 Data lines (data+ and data-). A lot of devices nowadays require the data lines to tell the device what kind of cord it is, otherwise it won't accept power. Found that out while wiring up USB ports to my car.

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks for the tip Matthew! I have read of that but haven't encountered that myself (yet)

[@friendlywizard]

came for the father's day gift inspo, stayed for the routing work - awesome stuff!

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! That was a fun project

[@czarek46]

Great build. Well planned and beautifully executed. Subscribed.

[@georgeerasmus7051]

Super impressed that you did this all without CNC. Definitely thought it’s a CNC project when I saw the Thumbnail

[@ProjectBilld]

Well that certainly would have been easier haha. I'd love to have a cnc one day but don't have the space right now to make it work

[@brentjenkinsdesigns]

It may have tried you in many ways, it certainly doesn't look like it tried you at all and imo that's the same as perfection! Great job bro!

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! Still one of my favorite projects I've done

[@adamd2064]

Awesome video and I'll be stealing this idea, lol. Video tip though, try and match your voice and music volume a bit closer. If you have the volume set so I can hear you talk, the music blasts and I have to turn it way down

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! I've gotten that same feedback from a few people so definitely something to improve going forward

[@karthikeyanpalani8113]

Hi Bill, can you tell me what diameter hole or bit to use for the iWatch charger. If you can add a written description, it would be nice. That is really an awesome work there.

[@ProjectBilld]

Sorry for the late reply! The hole for the charger is 1 3/8". However, I have a galaxy watch and not an apple watch so it may be different for you

[@kyleaegis5613]

Love the concept and the results. Does anyone else feel the music is significantly louder than the voice clips?

[@ProjectBilld]

Thank you! Is it all of the voice clips, or just the ones where I am speaking to the camera, or just the ones where I'm voicing over and there's audio underneath?

[@kyleaegis5613]

@@ProjectBilld The audio volume is low when you're talking to the camera and usually louder during voiceover. Some of the voiceover clips seem lower volume than others. Music seems to be louder than all other audio. There's a bit of echo and overall low quality audio when you're talking to the camera.

[@kyleaegis5613]

@@ProjectBilld 8:28 has a noticable volume jump after about 2 seconds.

[@ProjectBilld]

Thank you for the detailed feedback! It is very helpful. I was only using my phones mic when talking to the camera, so I knew that one wasn't great. I've since upgraded to a real camera and a wireless mic, so future videos should be significantly improved. The rest is more of an editing thing so I will revisit and keep in mind when I'm next editing.

[@kyleaegis5613]

@@ProjectBilld As you probably know, audio quality is often considered the most important part of videos. Consistent volume is paramount. It is a great video but I found myself having to keep the volume so low that I could barely hear you half the time and the music was still overpowering. You'll get the hang of it and you already got a better mic. Looking forward to future content!

[@Fost3r11]

Awesome work. This video is great. Would love to see a set of plans for this. Subscribed. Keep up the great work!

[@MrBennyBooBooBoo]

Bill - You rocked this project. Such a cool build! Beautiful, functional, and ability to mod in the future. I'm subscribed.

[@ProjectBilld]

Thank you! Got lots more unique things coming in the future!

[@beauroode]

Nice work young man!!! Beautiful project! I’m impressed!

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks!

[@dougsayles9484]

just found this awsome work what size was the board

[@ProjectBilld]

The boards I used should be linked in the video description. Dimension drawings can be found on my website which is also linked there

[@davidcochran934]

Just came across this and I like the design. Going to try and do it on the cnc instead of using a router. You are much better with a router than I am.

[@ProjectBilld]

Nice! If I had a cnc I would have absolutely used it, would have been a lot faster and easier! Be sure if to check out the plans for dimensions if you haven't already

[@ex3meryu]

Nice Projekt, please use some microfon for the Video.

[@TheLazzanova61]

A wireless charger for smartphone and smartwatch + stand for headphone... That ought to be a nice DIY project...

[@llamaloversunite]

Omgggggg. I love this. Do you have any 3d modeling plans or something like that?

[@ProjectBilld]

I do not at this time. It's been many years since I last used cad but I have thought about getting back into it and would likely make plans for old videos like this

[@mhieronymus]

That’s a work of art! Good work

[@ProjectBilld]

Thank you! That means a lot to hear it called art

[@paulquinn5260]

What a great build. Might try it myself. Paul 🇬🇧

[@ProjectBilld]

Let me know if you have any questions!

[@FabiofsqQueiroz]

Amazing job guy! Thanks for details. You have ecellent tools, congrats!

[@davekimball3610]

Cool stand! Looks great. Just be sure to not hang a mechanical watch on that stand as the magnet would be harmful to the mechanical movement.

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! I don't have a mechanical watch but that makes sense and is good to know

[@michael7324]

Great job. I subscribed on this project alone.

[@feryjory]

Great video, fantastic final product but could you please work on your audio quality for your video, the background music was way too loud and you could use a good quality microphone for your audio, but overall loved the product 😀

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! And yes that video does have some audio issues. I've fixed things in my newer videos!

[@wizzysnizzard]

I need to know, what baseplate for your router is that?

[@ProjectBilld]

It came with the milescraft circle guide kit

[@spideral]

Wow! This is a beautiful build! Well done sir.

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks!

[@michaelsmith4961]

Nice design, I like it a lot. If I can offer some constructive criticism on the video, your music is quite a bit louder than your voice over, so I had to play around a lot with volume to hear you and not hurt my ears

[@ProjectBilld]

Yeah it's an old video, before I knew any better. I'd fix it if I could, but I can't do anything about it without deleting and reposting the video entirely

[@bodyguardinizz]

awesome job mate! you had few sound issues but, i hope you got them fixed!

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! I have fixed my audio issues in my newer videos

[@rileybeingessner228]

Where did you get the base for your handheld ryobi router? I want to get started in making templates and obviously using them , the one you use looks perfect.

[@ProjectBilld]

The base is part of the circle cutting jig I used in the video. There's a link to the specific one in the video description

[@paul6497]

Great video, but the audio needs some work. The music in some sections was too loud. But overall great job!

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! It's an old video that I learned a lot from. I'd fix the audio if there was any way to without deleting and re-uploading

[@jessicawright2912]

This is perfect for what I want! Although I do not have the tools of skills to make this myself. Do you do commission pieces??

[@ProjectBilld]

I typically don't as it takes away from spending time on making new content. I've had lots of people ask me about making one of these and I think they'd end up being much too expensive given the amount of time I'd have to put into each one

[@jessicawright2912]

@@ProjectBilld shame but thank you for the reply 😁

[@gregariouswoodworks1270]

Really cool build. Thanks for the idea

[@ProjectBilld]

You're welcome!

[@danielcarter6158]

Very cool project, and I like your techniques. Nice to see the chisel work.

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! I don't consider using chisels a strength of mine but they sure are nice when you do need them

[@kholofelomaloma]

I know right? The actual handwork is spectacular. I came here looking for how to make a wireless charger... like the actual charger using copper cable and how to calculate how much amperes to produce per area and number of turns and whatnot, but I ended up watching the entire video.... amazed at his wood-craftsmanship. I thought to myself, if he were to build that here in South Africa, he could easily sell that station for a few thousand rands (R not $)

[@texasapv3757]

Good job man this is a really premium product.

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks!

[@fraforgt-350r2]

I have a really thick phone case and I tried something like this before and it didn’t work well for me. It either didn’t charge or charged very slowly and I cut as much out of desk as possible. So my solution is to instead inlay the charger flush on the top of the desk and then fill around the edges with filler/epoxy. Then i can either paint or apply a very thin veneer over it

[@ProjectBilld]

Yep a thick phone case can certainly make it difficult! Glad you found a solution to it

[@johnschindhelm1940]

Great video and great job on the build!!!

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks!

[@slob5041]

that's real slick, love it.

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks!

[@lic.reneaguirre4309]

So great man, you deserve my like thumb up it is so clever on you, thank you for bring us your talent, In fact I suscribe on your space for more intelligent techniques !

[@ProjectBilld]

Thank you for the kind words, I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@davidmason1461]

Can you link the jst connector that works for this usb hub? I think the link provided is wrong.

[@ProjectBilld]

Yep, just fixed it. Thanks for pointing that out!

[@davidmason1461]

Thank you. I’m going to try building this. Would you be good enough to provide the approximate height and width of the watch stand as well as the thickness of where the watch charger sits? I like the proportions you have. Thanks!

[@ProjectBilld]

The watch stand part removed from the base is about 3 3/8 tall, 2 5/16 wide and 1 5/8 deep. It's 1/2 inch thick on the angle where the charger sits. I am going to make 3d plans for it at some point but no idea when I'll have the free time to do that. In the meantime happy to answer questions about it

[@davidmason1461]

@@ProjectBilld Amazing. Thank you!

[@Infuraid]

what a cool idea I might have to try this

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks!

[@niteshbhedi453]

Sir any advice where to start to learn such type of craftsmanship ?

[@ProjectBilld]

Start with small, doable projects and collect tools as you go. Any skill I showed in the video was learned over many years. Try to find a teacher in your area if possible. I've learned a whole lot on my own but always great to have someone you can reach out to when you get stuck. And most important, make (safe) mistakes! I've screwed up a ton over the years but that's how I get better. I made 2 prototypes of this dock before figuring out the final product you saw in the video

[@darylholtrop443]

nice build. Where did you get the router base

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! The router base came with the circle cutting jig I used. It's linked in the video description

[@coolinken]

Very cool.

[@AlfredGuimaz]

Awesome job totally dig it.

[@ProjectBilld]

Thank you

[@lonhetrick]

great video! thank you. any chance you could provide links to the electronics you used?

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! I'll try to get around to adding links soon and let you know once I have

[@ProjectBilld]

I've added links for the electronics in the video description. Haven't done links for all the tools and other materials yet but if there's something else you need a link to let me know!

[@lonhetrick]

@@ProjectBilld Thanks very much!

[@heyimamaker]

Awesome, it's really nice and clean!

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks!

[@kholofelomaloma]

Great and amazing project.... For me to do that at home, I need to have all of those tools lool

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! The tool collection has been growing over many years haha

[@Herbert0Wafula]

Impressive dude impressive

[@pixellord1]

Great job man!

[@ProjectBilld]

Thank you!

[@GHz.Gaming]

your encridible ❤️

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks!

[@GHz.Gaming]

@@ProjectBilld bro i want to cenect you i need

[@GHz.Gaming]

@@ProjectBilld bro i want to cennect you i need it 🙏

[@johnm2482]

Nice build Can you tell me where you got your base for your Ryobi router? I need a bigger one...

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! That large circular base came with the Milescraft circle cutting jig I used in the video

[@johnm2482]

Project Billd Ok thanks Looks like they are all out of stock so I will have to try elsewhere.

[@ctrichell]

How thin does the wood have to be? I can’t get it to charge. It says it’s charging but after 3 hours it’s still on the same %. I am charging an iPhone 11.

[@ProjectBilld]

I went down to about 1/8 of an inch thin. I tested a bunch of different thicknesses before making it and that was the thickest that worked reliably for me. It could vary by the species of wood too

[@edc120912]

Great wood working

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! I really enjoyed making the phone and watch charger, I still use it every night

[@guisimo]

Where can i get one of those cutting machines? Or Howe is it called?

[@ProjectBilld]

The tool that I cut the pockets with? That's called a router. If you meant something else, let me know!

[@ricardorios5653]

@@ProjectBilld what type of router bits did you use?

[@ProjectBilld]

Hi there, the pattern router bit I used is linked in the video description. I also used a few different size straight bits to cut the slots for the watch charger wire, you can see those sizes in the plans that are on my website (also linked in the video description)

[@arentgrimmius282]

very nice

[@aviram6491]

Kool job man

[@fredoswego]

some Qi chargers must be way under powered. I was attempting something similar using a inexpensive Anker Qi disk and I had the wood thinned out to the point I could easily push my finger through it and I still couldn't get a connection with my phone in its normal case.

[@ProjectBilld]

Definitely sounds like it was underpowered. Can vary with the phone, case, species of wood, etc. Lots of variables to account for

[@amwind1]

Nice job!!

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks!

[@Ojikes]

Of course ill follow, awesome job.

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks!

[@ElCidPhysics90]

Very nice.

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks!

[@ElCidPhysics90]

@@ProjectBilld you’re welcome

[@blakenorthrup]

Very nice build man! Will be making this. Thanks, and sub'd

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks, I'd love to see it when you're done!

[@blakenorthrup]

@@ProjectBilld For sure!

[@Mongkey007]

you sure you don't want to sell these on etsy or something? lol. great work

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks! If I ever get a cnc I'll consider selling them but until then I've got plenty to keep me busy

[@VimalSaifudin]

Awesome !!!

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks!

[@davidlarson2534]

Nice project, well executed. Your volume needs work. You assume people enjoy that kind of music, specially at that obnoxious volume level.

[@midwestselfreliance2519]

what size fostner bit did you use

[@ProjectBilld]

1 3/8 inch for the watch charger hole and 1/2 inch for the magnet holes

[@midwestselfreliance2519]

@@ProjectBilld thank you

[@cheguevara3179]

amazing

[@epichockey4863]

Nice build what are the dimensions?

[@ProjectBilld]

The base is 10 by 6 and 3/4 thick. The top of the watch holder is about 3 inches above that when it's attached to the base

[@epichockey4863]

Perfect thank you

[@derekpeterson8005]

Very cool build. The thumbs up after everything you do is obnoxious

[@ProjectBilld]

Lol I actually agree with you. I've stopped doing that in newer videos

[@ProjectBilld]

Update June 2021: Hey Team Billd! Just dropping by to let you know that there are now FREE supplemental project plans available for this project. You can download them from my website here: projectbilld.com/blog/phone-and-smartwatch-hidden-wireless-charging-station

[@soarebv]

cool

[@TraeHall]

Is this for sell

[@ProjectBilld]

No, not at this time

[@Kloran27]

Nice video. Music is WAY too loud.

[@ProjectBilld]

Yeah this one was a while ago and the music has been fixed in newer videos!

[@jon-lm2oy]

Should have hid the watch charger aswell.

[@ivanflores6521]

Would you be willing to make one to sell?

[@ProjectBilld]

Thanks for watching and commenting! But unfortunately I'd need a cnc to be able to make them fast enough to sell for a reasonable price. In the past I did some napkin math and even if I optimized the manual production and was able to sell the thing for let's say $200 after factoring in the cost of materials I'd only be looking at about making $4 an hour in labor costs and those were with pretty optimistic estimates.

[@Guroonicus]

Excellent video. eliminate the loud music. Forces people to lower volume, then when your talking ......cant hear the talking!!

[@ceelosvee]

well when you have all those tools and equipment...... but when you have only basic tools....

[@ProjectBilld]

You do simpler projects and work your way up. We all start somewhere

[@evi.V]

I love your videos but its annoying to watch when you have to keep adjusting the volume every time you make a commentary. The music is usually too loud. The voice over is fine. The issues is just from the beginning of the video (especially when you have headphones on)

[@ProjectBilld]

I understand completely! I rewatched this video recently and you're right, the audio levels are all over the place. It was a combination of poor editing settings and a bad mic, it should be fixed in any videos newer than this one

[@MistrZIGZAG]

Music is way too loud

[@ProjectBilld]

Yep, the newer videos I've made are much more balanced. I'd change it if there was any way to do so without relisting the video

[@dave1812]

something is wrong with your audio. the voiceover is only on the left channel, really annoying on headphones. cool project though

[@SandroGarcia96]

Hey man. Fix you audio. Couldn't you realize that sometimes we can't ever eat you and other you put the music to a blast?

[@ProjectBilld]

Well I certainly hope you don't eat me

[@BoostedVr5]

Played it 0,25x speed

[@leeverrall7801]

Nice project, I didn't subscribe though because of the ridiculously loud music.

[@ProjectBilld]

Yeah, I've fixed that in newer videos