Portable Plywood 6 Foot Selfie Stick

Ever wanted to take a selfie from more than just three feet away? How about a whopping six feet away?!

This Instructable will show you straightforward steps to making your own six-foot long collapsible wooden selfie stick that, surprisingly, fits snuggly into your back pocket.

Tools:

Circular Saw, Table Saw, or Jig Saw

Drill Press or Hand Drill

Sandpaper

Awl (optional)

Scissors or Hand-cutting Tool

Screwdriver

3D Printer (Ender 3 or similar)

3/4" Plywood

Binding Barrels/Screws (or appropriately sized nuts/bolts)

Spacer Washer

Leather sheet

Small screws and matching counter-sink washers

3D printing FDM filament

Rubber Band

This project is actually based on a sketch I made about six years ago, for a fancy, somewhat Steampunky, DIY selfie stick. While many aspects of that original design are tricky to bring into real life, the idea itself is pretty whimsical and fun.

I updated the project sketch, keeping the simple elements and removing all the clutter. While there's no way to take a picture with a press of a button, I've had no problem with the timer count-down function when using this selfie stick.

Additionally, to keep these instructions simple, I decided to 3D print the Phone Holder based on free files found on Thingiverse, as opposed to making it out of wood from scratch.

To build the main part of this selfie stick, you're going to need some durable wood.

I used 3/4" plywood, cut into 1" wide strips. I had these strips already cut as scrap from a previous project, but to make these you can use a jig saw, circular saw, or table saw to cut 1" strips from a standard 2'x4' 3/4" plywood sheet, easily found at nearly any Home Depot. For more detailed steps on how to cut plywood, take a peek at this video from the WoodWorkers Guild Of America.

Based on my design, I wanted to use six lengths of 12" pieces, that would add up to the six foot length (technically 5'-7" but who's really counting). Six pieces would make the width of the folded assembly 4.5", which actually does fit inside a men's size 34 Gap jeans back pocket.

(Apologies to those with smaller jean pockets than mine).

While sanding may not be the most glamorous part of the process, it's certainly one of the most important. Check the picture showing the contrast between sanded and non-sanded wood.

I used 120grit and then 220 grit on all the surfaces and edges before moving to the next step. Home Depot has all the sandpaper you will ever need.

I used 3/4" long, 3/16" diameter aluminum Binding Barrels and Screws. This hardware should be enough to clamp the plywood handle pieces with enough force to keep the selfie stick fully straight while taking photos.

I will say that these binding barrels, especially the low-profile ones I used, are hard to screw in without damaging the driver slot (since they're aluminum and only take flat-head screwdrivers). An alternate choice for hardware is just 1/4"-20 nuts and bolts (and lock washers, for added structural rigidity), found at virtually any hardware store.

For the joint holes, I used two drill bits - one to make a hole slightly smaller than the Binding Barrel (to create a friction fit in the wood), and one to recess the screw heads below the surface of the wood.

I marked the hole locations spaced at 0.5" from each edge at both ends of each plywood piece (except for the first and last piece - remember, those only need a hole at one end).

I used an awl to indent the hole location, to make it easier for the drill bit to stay in the right place, and then a 1/8" drill bit to make all the pilot holes. Pilot holes are handy when you're trying to keep your hardware location in the wood precise. More guidance on pilot holes can be found on the Family Handyman website.

You should always double check (something about "Measure Twice..."), so I recommend testing the 3/16" bit fit by drilling into a scrap piece of wood first, and test fitting your hardware through that, just to be certain you don't mess up your project pieces. Once that's tested and true, drill baby drill!

Using the table height adjuster on my drill press, I set the depth of the clearance hole such that the Barrel Head is recessed under the surface of the plywood. If you don't have a drill press, you can use a hand-drill, and regular painters tape to mark the depth you want to drill directly on the drill bit.

At this point it's important to pay attention to the order of the plywood pieces, so that the correct side of the wood has the clearance hole. I marked my pieces #1-6 in pencil, to make sure I didn't lose track.

Once the head height holes were drilled, I used the 3/16" drill bit to bring the Barrel joint holes to the correct size.

Wood needs protection, especially any processed wood like plywood. I personally use Mineral Oil wherever I can, it's non-toxic and food safe. Rags or paper towels both work great as applicators. Any wood finish typically takes 12-24 hours to fully dry to the touch.

Take a peek here if you're curious about mineral oil applications, and there are plenty of pretty looking wood stains to chose from as well. Home Depot has loads.

Now, this selfie stick would work perfectly well without a leather-wrapped handle. But then again, what kind of classy maker would I be if I didn't add a leather-wrapped handle?

I had a small roll of thin faux leather handy, so I cut a 1" wide strip, approximately 20" long. I usually get my leather from Tandy Leather, a reliable and nation-wide leather and leather tools vendor. More info about leather types, selection, and availability found here!

After cutting the end at a sharp angle (so that it wraps around the handle), I rounded the sharp end to march the curve of the countersink washer holding the leather in place.

A pilot hole isn't absolutely necessary, but it does help to prevent the wood from cracking, so I drilled one, and attached the leather strip with a screw and washer. I specifically used countersink washers because combined with flathead screws, they bite down pretty effectively on leather, like a grommet.

Your fingers will get tired while wrapping this, so I recommend using a spring clamp to hold the leather in place while you give your fingers a rest. After fully wrapping the handle, I used the second screw and washer to secure the other end in place on the handle.

Finally, the step that brings the concept all together. Now, if you didn't use any leather for the handle, you don't have to use a spacer washer. But since I did use leather, I had to add a washer so that the leather wouldn't rub on the mating wood piece. (I actually hammered two washers together to make mine, but similar washers exist in most hardware stores).

I hammered in the Barrel Posts into the press-fit holes, then screwed the Post Screws into their respective barrels until snug. This way, the joints hold in place firmly from friction, but aren't difficult to unfold by hand.

Five joints later, the hardest part of this Instructable is finally complete.

If you don't have a 3D printer by now, I have no idea why you've waited so long to get one - the Ender3 I've been reliably using for the past 3 years costs less than $200. You can also order 3D printed parts online from places like Shapeways.

After browsing Thingiverse for a few minutes, I found a simple, easy-to-print design. I chose this one specifically because it's compact, low-tech (using only a rubber band for gripping the phone), and can clamp onto the 4.5" width of the plywood pieces when folded.

I processed the files in Ultimaker Cura, my favorite slicing software. Using a basic white PLA material from Amazon, it took 6.5 hours to print all three parts.

Once printed, I assembled the printed components with a rubber band.

With the 3D printed Phone Holder ready to mount, the last step was to drill a clearance hole (3/8" Forstner bit, to be precise) for the knob that holds attaches the Holder to the plywood end piece.

With the phone-holder mounting hole drilled, all that's left is screwing the 3D printed pieces together on the selfie stick end-piece. Bob's your uncle, and there it is.

I added my brand stamp to the handle as a finishing touch. Feel free to check out more of my projects on my website, WouldWork Shop!

This selfie stick can also be used, despite its size, as a desk-top phone holder. Oh and I included a picture of the folded assembly in my back pocket, in case you didn't believe me earlier.

Happy building! Post your versions below if you make you own, would love to see them!