Wood
Project case study
Guitar Pick Box
A mechanical design and machining project focused on building a compact guitar pick holder that can store five guitar picks while balancing protection and aesthetics.
- Ownership
- Personal project
- Skills Developed
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- Design approach
- Design for manufacturing
- Hidden hinge design
- CAD/CAM
- Woodworking
- Result
- Functional guitar pick holder with five-pick capacity, durable construction, and clean finished appearance.
Overview
What I made
I designed and manufactured a guitar pick holder to store five picks in a fully enclosed form. The design implements hidden hinges for visual simplicity and a magnetic closure system for secure storage.
I built the holder from wood, using a CNC router to machine the top and bottom pieces. I also laser cut sample guitar picks from wood to test the fit and functionality of the pick box.
- Laguna CNC router
- Planar/jointer
- Miter saw
- Table saw
- Sheet sander
- Laser cutter
- Box top
- Box bottom
- Sample picks
- Magnet bore
- Hinge bore
- Pick slot width
Process
Defined functional concept.
Conducted research on different pick holder designs, selected a fully enclosed form with magnetic closure for secure storage. Chose wood material for its aesthetic appeal and workability.
Modeled components, built CAD assembly.
Designed the pick box in Fusion, ensured alignment between all slots and bores. Additionally, verified fit for standard range of guitar pick geometries.
Prepared stock, machined components.
Prepared the stock by cutting it to size and using a planer/jointer to create parallel reference surfaces. I then machined the internal pick box geometry on a CNC router and laser cut sample guitar picks from a thin, sanded sheet of wood.
Assembled components, finished.
Installed the magnets and hinges, securing the hardware with wood glue for long-term durability. I then finished all wooden surfaces with tung oil to protect the material and enhance the final appearance.