So this all started out I needed a very low profile car cradle because I have a colum shifter in my truck and I also wanted it to be very small and the most simplistic visually I could make.

But also wanted it sturdy, so I made it entirely from aluminum channel and everything is screwed together with small screws and alot of using a dremel tool and a miter saw, I also countersunk all the screws, so it takes alot of time.

Over the course of over a week and alot of trial and error and alot of money lol, I finally made something that I can use in my truck and not have it mounted to the vent or window.

I use the automotive grade 3M light gray attachment tape to attach the cradle to the dash, the kind that hold on all your side trim on cars, very strong stuff as long as you clean the area you are sticking it to properly (thats the key).

Then thought I am going to need to put something in the slide part so I don't scratch my phone, so I got automotive grade flocking, its felts the inner rails with colored adhesive and got the best waterproof colorfast flocking I could buy (then blew in the flocking after I paint the adhesive in with a small paintbrush, time consuming lol)

I knew it would have to wear well because of the constant sliding in and out of the cradle (at first I got some sheet felt and was going to glue it in, but soon decided that its just not going to be durable enough or good looking)... I made these all with red flocking but I also have it in black... I am going to make another using black, the red sticks out too much for me.







Here it is mounted in my truck, I put it in temporarily because I am going to make a black flocked one.




I also made one with a spacer, but decided that was not going to be needed, simple is best ... here's the one with the spacer I decided would not be useful for my needs, also an earlier model as you can see I did not countersink the screws.




Then I thought well since I know all the measurements for this to slide in nice I mid as well make a desk cradle, also since I had more material left lol, here it is below in its unfinished and finished state, again I think the red stands out too much for my liking, so I am going to make one with black flocking.









Then I decided well maybe I should make another since I more stuff left over and made the one below lol







Here it is finished





As you can see i didn't get this one flocked yet.



These are all painted with a satin type of automotive paint, the kind of black paint you see on the outter pillars and trim of your car, I also made some others that I painted with a black rubber coating, its rougher but I would say its pretty nice as well with a rubbery feel.

 

Look at the first picture, you will see the back and the screw heads, that gets a peice of double sided 3M automotive grade attachment tape, the width of that peice is just about perfect for it, then you just stick it where you want on your dash.

 

Tried that, but you know that one side of the rivet gets pretty ugly and they work by spreading out on one side, once you grind them flush they lose most of their grip ... once I started grinding the backs off (the spread out ugly part), just the vibration from that already started making them loose.

 

I even ordered a special flux and solder to use on aluminum, because solder doesnt like aluminum very well, but this stuff was made to work on it ... it worked but once you went to heat another joint the other joint would melt, so other than aluminum welding or brazing with aluminum rod which would be very touchy and the welder is very expensive to do this ... tried many things ... this seemed to work the best.