DIY Awesome Desktop Speaker

So this project came to fruition when this skull was uploaded to 3D printing website Treatstock by designer Tridimagin. I wanted to get the skull model and put a small speaker into it and give it to a friend to use on his desktop computer. The original model was intended to be a candle holder, therefore I contacted the designer and asked him to resize it specifically for my idea. Once I got it I was able to make the perfect speaker, and here are the things you will need to make your own:

3D model of the skull (you can order it here)

Old speaker (or a new one if you prefer)

Wires (I used a pair of headphones with a mini connector end)

Wire cutters

Small soldering gun

Step 1: Get a Speaker

I’m sure there a lot of you out there that have an old speaker in the garage, basement, or attic, this is a good way to make use of them. I removed the felt on the front and unscrewed the speaker, then disconnected the wires in the box and pulled it out.

Step 2: Printing the Model

I used Treatstock's "Hire a Designer" option to make the small changes to the existing model. Now that it is ready, you can print it yourself if you have a 3D printer or use a print service offered through Treatstock’s network to find one. I have added a link above to go to the page of the model, once there you can find a printing service to make it for you. You will also be able to choose the material and color you want your skull to be. I recommend choosing PLA as the material, though ABS will also do.

Step 3: Inserting the Speaker

After you have all of the above prepared (speaker, wire and skull model), you will need to put a hole in the bottom of the skull. To do this I used a small soldering tool, it was able to melt right through the plastic, worked liked a charm! This will make it so you can have the wire go out of the bottom and not the top. There is an indentation on the bottom so you don’t have to worry about the wire making it sit unevenly. Make sure you slide the wire through the hole in the bottom of the skull first, then attach it to the speaker. For the wiring, I used a pair of headphones with a mini connector and cut off the earplugs and then exposed the wires, just put red to red, and black to black.

Step 4: And Your Finished!!!

Now for enjoying your hard work! My friend was very pleased, he connected it to his desktop computer and he said it worked nicely. Remember, you can connect it to any device that can connect with a set of headphones, and voila!!!

Step 5: