Headset Habitat
A home for your headphones
Music has always been a piece of who I am, and nature has always grounded me — Headset Habitat brings both loves together into a piece of functional room decor. Its three moving parts — a bronze headrest, a wooden neck, and a bronze base — come apart and pack away just as easily as they come together, ready to travel wherever life takes me next.
Hang out a while and learn about the process!
Project detailsCreate a product using two manufacturing processes in a 10-week design sprint.
Computer-Aided Design
Autodesk Fusion 365 was used to model the headrest and base in 3D. These models served as patterns for sand casting.
3D Printing
Both CAD models were 3D printed and sanded to remove rough edges. Shellac was applied to fill small gaps and build a smooth surface. Because any imperfection in a pattern transfers to the mold and then to the final casting, this step was essential to achieving a clean cast.
Sand Casting
Sand molds were created for both parts. The headrest presented the greater challenge due to its complex, irregular geometry, and a successful mold was achieved after 12 attempts.
Metalwork
A vertical mill was used to machine the slot that locks the metal component into the wooden base. This joint keeps the stand balanced and firmly grounded.
Woodwork
The full outline of the neck was traced onto a block of cherry wood. A vertical bandsaw removed the excess material, and the curves were shaped and smoothed with a belt sander and a spindle sander.
Finishing Touches
The wooden neck was stained cherry red, and the bronze pieces were polished with progressively finer sandpaper (100 to 1000 grit) to achieve a mirror finish. The three pieces slot together to form a self-standing headphone stand.