Phone Dock From a Single Piece: The One-Hour Scroll Saw Project

The scroll saw is an underrated tool. While everyone obsesses over their table saws and routers, the scroll saw sits quietly in the corner, waiting for someone to remember that intricate curves don’t have to be difficult. This phone dock project takes a single piece of wood and an hour of your time, and proves that sometimes the simplest designs are the most useful.

The One-Piece Concept

Traditional phone docks involve multiple components – a base, an upright, maybe some kind of slot or channel. More pieces mean more joinery, more alignment issues, and more chances for things to go wrong. This design eliminates all that by cutting everything from a single block.

Start with a piece of hardwood about 6″ long, 4″ wide, and 1-1/2″ thick. Walnut, cherry, and maple all work beautifully. The thick stock is important because the phone needs to nestle into a slot cut into the block itself.

The Template

The design couldn’t be simpler. Looking at the block from the side, imagine a slot angled at about 75 to 80 degrees from horizontal – steep enough that your phone leans back slightly but not so vertical that it feels precarious. The slot should be about 3/8″ wide to accommodate phones in cases, and about 1-1/2″ deep to hold the phone securely.

Draw this profile on the end of your blank. The slot starts about 1″ from the back edge and angles forward. Below the slot, extend the kerf all the way down to within 3/8″ of the bottom – this is your cable channel if you want to charge while docked.

Cutting With the Scroll Saw

Here’s where the scroll saw earns its place in your shop. Drill a 3/8″ starter hole at the top of where the slot will be. Thread your scroll saw blade through the hole, reattach it, and start cutting.

Follow the angled line down to where the cable channel ends. Back the blade out and repeat for the other side of the slot. The waste piece pops right out. With a quality blade and steady hands, the cut surfaces are smooth enough that minimal sanding is needed.

For the cable channel, continue the same technique – make two parallel cuts about 1/2″ apart, down to your stopping point, and remove the waste.

Shaping the Exterior

A simple rectangular block works perfectly fine, but the scroll saw is right there, so why not add some curves? A gentle radius on the front corners, a slight taper from bottom to top, or a decorative notch at the top of the slot all take just minutes to cut.

The beauty of scroll saw work is that you can cut right up to your line with precision. Draw your shape, follow the line, and you’re done. No template needed, no setup time beyond threading the blade.

Finishing the Slot

The slot interior needs attention. Your phone touches this surface constantly, and any rough spots will scratch the case or the phone itself. Start by wrapping sandpaper around a thin piece of scrap – a paint stir stick works great – and sand the slot walls smooth. Work through grits up to 220 or finer.

Add a thin strip of felt or leather to the bottom of the slot if you want extra scratch protection. I use peel-and-stick felt from the craft store – cut a strip to width, press it in place, and your phone rests on soft material instead of bare wood.

The Weight Question

A 6″ x 4″ x 1-1/2″ block of walnut weighs about 12 to 14 ounces – plenty to keep a phone stable. Lighter woods like poplar might need a weight. I’ve mortised steel bar stock into the bottom of lightweight docks, or you can drill a few large holes in the bottom and fill them with lead shot and epoxy. Either way, the weight should be invisible from any viewing angle.

Finishing

The entire piece gets your favorite finish. Oil finishes look beautiful on walnut and cherry, penetrating the grain and enhancing the color. For harder woods like maple, a thin coat of lacquer brings out figure without building up a thick film.

Pay extra attention to the slot – it’ll see the most contact. Two coats minimum, with light sanding between. Let everything cure fully before putting a phone in the dock, especially with oil finishes that can transfer to surfaces for several days after application.

Variations

Once you’ve made the basic version, consider these upgrades. A second, smaller slot behind the main one holds a tablet. Drilling a series of small holes in the back creates a pen holder. Mortising a wireless charging coil into the base (search for “Qi charging module” online) lets you charge without any cables visible at all.

The one-hour timeline assumes you’re working efficiently and already have your wood milled. Add time for milling rough lumber, and budget extra if you’re adding features. But the core project – single piece of wood, scroll saw, phone dock – really is a 60-minute build. For something you’ll use every single day, that’s an excellent return on your time.