Mint Tin Drawdio


For the discerning Drawdio player on the go, I offer the Mint Tin Drawdio. Built on an Adafruit Mint Tin protoboard, this Drawdio is just as loud as my previous cigar box housed version but packs portability, loudness, and urban styling into a sleek package.





This was my first project using a protoboard, and I have to say I loved it. My soldering skills are improving with each project. Some of the connections probably warranted a finer-tipped soldering iron than I was using, but everything worked out. I have learned the skill of heating the elements I wish to solder and being skimpy with the amount of solder I use: a little goes a long way.

I remixed a design from Thingiverse to create a 3D printed bumper to insulate the components on the protoboard from the tin.



With all the parts in place, I drilled holes for 8mm M3 hex head bolts to hold the bumper and protoboard in the tin. I also drilled holes for the power wires and the contact wires. I used a pair of snips to cut a slit in the front of the tin and bent it back to allow the speaker wires a route out of the tin.

@zackboston gave me the awesome Altoid tin, decorated by students at the South End Technology Center.



This Drawdio can easily be slipped into a pocket or even incorporated into my sport coat!

I wanted to protect the speaker from being damaged while it was out in the world. I used one of the Turtle Block designs from my Sunflower project to make a grille, then built a housing as well. The grille and lid press-fit together perfectly.







Finally, I designed a bracket that holds the battery and the speaker. The bracket attaches to the rear of the mint tin by means of three press-fit rare earth magnets. Both the battery and speaker can be removed from the bracket for jamming out.






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