Chapter Three - Casing up
Welcome to the next step where you'll see how to assemble the casing for your Spencer!
This might be the most fun part of the whole process so let's start by peeling off the protective layers.
Each of the acrylic casing parts has a protective layer on both sides that needs to be peeled off. They are not yet fully transparent, but they should be once you finish this step!
All the casings should be transparent once you remove the protective layer
We'll put the casing on the display board first. For this step, you'll need to take your display board, the protective casing layer, 4 metal bolts, and 8 spacers.
Make sure to use the correct casing layer. This one is the biggest one without the big hole in the middle and only 4 small holes in each corner where the metal bolts go.
Display board, metal bolts, spacers, and the correct casing layer
Place all 4 bolts into all 4 holes in the corner of the casing layer. On the back side of the casing, place one spacer that you'll tighten by screwing the bolt from the other side
This is how the casing should look like when you tighten all the bolts and spacers in 4 corners
Place the protective casing on the display board so that the spacers touch the board and the bolts face towards you. By placing it like this, you'll be able to tighten the bolts when you place the casing on the board.
Place the casing on the display board
Take the remaining 4 spacers and place them on the board from the back so you can tighten the casing from each side by using the screwdriver.
This is how the board should look like after you placed the first casing layer
In the following step, you'll assemble the casing from the back where the speaker should go.
Take the biggest casing layer with a smaller hole in the middle - that's where the speaker goes. This layer also has a long, thin hole on top of the speaker hole.
You will need 4 bolts and 4 spacers for this step.
Place the speaker on the casing layer
You can notice that the long, thin hole above the speaker isn't symmetrical. This is because the reset button on the main circuit board should go where the hole has a bit bigger opening. Try to place the speaker as shown in the photo and see if you placed it correctly by fitting the casing layer with the back side where the reset button is.
Insert the bolts in each of the four holes around the speaker from the front side of the casing
Place the spacer on the back side of the casing
Tighten the bolts with the screwdriver
This is how the back casing should look like after you tighten the speaker
Now that you prepared your front and back casing, you should start assembling Spencer's arms and legs!
Start by peeling off the protective layer just like you did with the transparent casings. Arms and legs also have a protective layer on both sides, so don't forget to remove all of it.
Remove the protective layer
Take the smaller transparent casing layer and fit Spencer's leg just like in the photo below.
Make sure to place the leg so that the bolt fits the hole closer to the corner of the casing. The bolt that's fixing the arm will go to the hole closer to the center of the casing.
Place one leg on the transparent casing
Place one spacer on the other side of the casing
Tighten the bolt with the screwdriver
Repeat the same step for the second side casing and the second leg.
These casings are not symmetrical, so be careful when choosing which side to place the leg to
The following step is done on only one of the previous side casing parts.
Therefore, take one side casing layer that already has the leg attached, one arm, one metal bolt, and 3 black nylon spacers (2 long and 1 short).
All components that you need for the following step
Place the arm so that the metal bolt fits the hole that is closer to the center of the casing.
Hold the metal bolt and the arm from one side of the casing while screwing the long nylon spacer and fixing the bolt so it stays in one place.
Add the shorter black nylon spacer and one longer spacer again and screw them until they are tightened.
Fix the first long spacer
Add one shorter spacer
Finally, add another long spacer
Excellent! We're halfway through the casing chapter already.
You can now leave Spencer's elegant arms and legs aside for a moment.
So far, you've successfully assembled the front and the back layer and this means that you still need to assemble the top and the bottom layer.
You have two casing layers left, so let's get making!
Casing layers you will need for this step
The top casing layer is the one with a big hole in the middle where the red button goes.
You might have noticed that all the casings have puzzle-like shapes on the edges. These shapes will now enable you to assemble everything without much trouble.
Simply place the top layer so that it fits the front layer puzzle shapes. Casings should fit right into each other and shouldn't fall apart if you assemble them correctly.
Connect the top and the front casing layer
Take the last casing layer that will be the bottom one. This layer is the simplest design since there are no holes, so it's hard to miss it.
Place it so that it fits the puzzle shapes on the front casing layer.
Place it so that it fits the puzzle shapes on the front casing layer.
Connect the bottom casing layer
Lastly, place the back side of the casing so it fits the rest of the construction. Make sure it sits tightly.
Pro tip
Use the rubber band to hold everything in one place while you assemble Spencer's side casings
Let's add Spencer's arms and legs now!
Take the side casing layer where you already placed one arm and those black nylon spacers. Place it on one side and put the other casing on the opposite side as well.
This side doesn't have an arm yet
Thanks to the puzzle-like assembling technique, the casing should be tight enough already. There is still one arm to be placed on one side of the casings.
You'll need one last screwdriver for that.
Tighten the arm with the screwdriver
Congrats! You came all the way to the end of this chapter, and your Spencer is already starting to look handsome!
If you assembled everything correctly, you should be able to remove the rubber band now
Make sure you turned off your soldering iron! Unplug it from the power source, place it on the soldering iron stand and let it cool off for at least 5 minutes before you put it away in your tools box.