I started tinkering with soldering and stuff 5 or 6 years ago. Started as a hobby when I got a busted Game Gear and resolved to fix it. Now it's my day job! However, I still like to put together fun little tinkering projects at home.
This was a gift I made for the wife for Christmas a couple years ago.
It's a book! ...Not really though.
It's actually a secret lock box made to look like a book with an RFID controlled lock requiring an access card to open. She likes Mothman and spooky stuff, so I made it SCP themed.
I used this guide for reference while building this project.
First I got the RFID reader set up, then the LCD display, then the motor and the light sensor
Yup.
Adjusting a bit of the code, I'm able to match the readout to our SCP theme. That SCP card has an RFID chip inside.
Getting everything fitted and ready... For the book, I used one of those wooden ones you can get at Michaels. Then I got some black vinyl wrapping and spraypainted the exposed bits.
Close up of the wiring... it fits but... what a mess! D:
This was the hardest part... I forgot to get the right stuff to build the locking mechanism. By the time I was trying to finish this project it was the morning of Christmas Eve and I was really coming down to the wire.
I ended up raiding the gardening shed and got some picture hangers and... a metal bracket thing and some wire and hacked together... whatever this is... It works though!!
Everything assembled! Once it was all put together I uploaded the final bit of code to the Arduino.
Finished!!
To access the lock box, you have to present the SCP card to the red, satanic looking symbol on the back. The readout displays "ACCESS GRANTED" and the motor mobilizes, releasing the lock. The light sensor tells the Arduino that the book has been opened. When the sensor is covered up again the lock engages automatically.
Inside I glued a nice, red fabric lining. There is a white adhesive square in the corner or else the light sensor wigs out and thinks the book is always opening and closing.
And the gift I included inside was a cute little hand-made mothman plush. :3
