Wooden Phone Pocket Tray with Mount Everest Lid

A clean, rounded wooden tray for your phone, keys and wallet. The lid sits flush in a rebate (no magnets, no hardware) and you lift it out with a soft finger scoop. The lid is laser-engraved with the real contour lines of Mount Everest.

Size: 190 x 124 x 24 mm, inside 178 x 112 mm (fits large phones with a case).

What you need

Makera Z1 with the 5 W laser module
Only two bits: a 6 mm single-flute end mill (6 mm collet) and a 1/8" ball nose
Base blank 160 x 200 mm, at least 26 mm thick
Lid board about 200 x 150 mm, at least 6 mm thick (I faced an 18 mm spruce panel down to 5 mm)
Masking tape, super glue, Top Clamps
Sandpaper and oil for finishing (optional)

Base

Fix the blank: masking tape on the spoilboard and on the blank, super glue in between, press it down. No angle stop.
Origin X/Y: jog to the front-left corner of the blank (machine about X -198, Y -203).
Origin Z: Z0 is the top of the MDF spoilboard, not the top of the blank. Touch the tool onto the MDF next to the blank and set Z = 0 there. File 1 cuts the top away, so a Z0 on the blank would be lost; on the MDF it stays valid for every file.
Run files 1 to 4 in order. Each file starts with its own tool change. Start them without auto Z probe and without setting a new origin.
Cut the 0.5 mm skin with a knife, lift the tray off and sand.

Lid

Place the board: put the angle stop in and push the board into the corner. Clamp the back edge with a Top Clamp, take the angle stop out, then clamp the front edge with a second Top Clamp. Keep the clamps on the outer 8 mm of the board.
Origin: X/Y at the front-left board corner (machine about X -205, Y -170), Z0 again on the MDF.
Run file 5: it faces the board to 5 mm and cuts the outline, leaving a 0.5 mm skin.
Cut the lid free, sand the top and round the edges by hand.

Laser

Tape the lid flat on the MDF (the laser head would hit the raw rim if you leave it in the board).
Set the origin about 5 mm left of and in front of the lid's front-left corner and place file 6 at 0/0. The lines run 5 mm past the lid edge, so small placement errors don't show.
Delete the grey lid outline, then laser in line mode at about 35 % power.
Oil the tray and lid.

Organization CNC Projects

Small Round Tray

Small Tray

Travertine Texture Soap Box

test project for accuracy and 2-sided work holding

Magnetic Cable Holder

Everest Phone Tray – Flush-Lid Pocket Tray with Real Contour Lines

Cute Wooden Avocado Jewelry Tray

Serving tray for drink samples, desserts, or condiments