Adam Savage's One Day Builds: Exploded Phone Sculpture!

Summary

Adam Savage partners with OnePlus to create an art piece displaying the internal components of their new OnePlus 12 phone encased in resin. They disassemble multiple phones to understand the hardware and determine what's needed to power the screen for the display. After testing with acrylic molds and crystal clear resin, they carefully position the disassembled phone parts and cables before pouring the resin. Despite some difficulties, the final result is an accurate diagram of the phone's internal layout successfully displayed in an illuminated resin block, achieving their creative goal for OnePlus.

Takeaways

• 😲 OnePlus asked Adam Savage to showcase their new OnePlus 12 phone by disassembling it and embedding it in resin
• 👨‍🔧 Adam and his team disassembled two OnePlus 12 phones to figure out the components needed to get the screen working
• 🔋 The battery and charging coil were among the largest internal components
• 📱 Amazingly, they got the screen working detached from most other phone components
• 💡 Key learnings were around optimal resin pouring and curing temperatures
• 🔧 The team built an acrylic mold and tested resin pouring with a phone screen
• ⏳ Working time for the crystal clear resin was about 2 hours before it started to cure
• ❗ Forgetting to apply mold release compound almost ruined the final pour
• ✅ In the end, they got the embedded screen working powered by a separate phone!
• 🤗 Adam was thrilled with how the final phone display sculpture turned out

Q & A

What is the overall project goal?

The goal is to disassemble a OnePlus 12 phone and embed it in resin as a trophy display, with the screen still functioning.

What steps are involved in disassembling the phone?

Key steps include removing the glass back after heating, disconnecting cables and modules like cameras and speakers, removing screws, detaching the battery, and eventually separating the screen with its cable intact.

How will the screen be powered when embedded in resin?

The screen cable will be connected to a separate donor phone contained in the base, which will drive the display.

What resin is used for the clear casting?

They use a crystal clear resin called Crystal Clear 204.

What issues occured during the resin casting process?

Challenges included leaks in the acrylic mold, getting the right consistency and curing time, and positioning components before the resin hardened.

How is the embedded screen polished?

The resin is sanded starting with 320 grit up to 1000 grit, then polished by hand using a 3-step buffing compound.

What is the base made of?

The base is machined out of Richlite, a resin-infused paper material good for structure and finishing.

How is the screen cable connected to the base?

The cable feeds through a hole in the bottom of the base and connects to the internal phone board via a 90 degree twist.

What was the biggest technical challenge?

Getting the embedded phone screen to operate while encased in resin with minimal connected hardware was a major unknown.

How closely did the final product match the original design?

The final trophy display matched the original drawings very closely, showcasing the phone components as envisioned.