I’m planning on building a puck into a table and need to plan how thick to make the upper layer of wood. I have an apple case so magnets is a lesser issue than the actual charging distance
Comments
tat21985 t1_j9gpafm wrote
I can tell you it doesn’t work through the thickness of the Otterbox Defender case lulz. Different materials may affect it differently though.
joemagnus OP t1_j9gskpx wrote
yeah not sure, i think it struggles with metal if your case has it
joemagnus OP t1_j9gstw1 wrote
Okay, i’ll have to use a very thin layer then! I think it should be okay because my phone charges if i hold the case a couple of millimetres above the pad - although i presume the distance will be shorter through wood rather than air
tat21985 t1_j9gvj76 wrote
The defender just has a layer of vinyl/rubber, then the plastic.
ToffeeCoffee t1_j9h39bb wrote
If you want to charge through wood or a desk or whatever, you're probably better off with a qi setup than magsafe. They sell under desk qi wireless kits - with tuneable strength to optimize charging. IKEA also sell a relatively inexpensive one but it's pretty basic - Smojarke.
If you're set on magsafe though, best performance would probably be from routing a pocket for the magsafe charging end, and covering that over with a thin veneer. Or routing it out from the other side, so the top surface is thin, then installing the magsafe and packing it the hollow at the bottom so it's sturdy.
msstark t1_j9i5iwx wrote
Distance and physical barrier are two very different things. You’re gonna have to figure it out through trial and error.
joemagnus OP t1_j9lqwlp wrote
ah these are actually great ideas, thanks!
MedicalButterscotch t1_j9gncm0 wrote
As thin as possible. The thickness of an average phone case is probably the max thickness you'd want.