Custom dash panel I made to cover pocket under radior

[smp375]

I just wanted to share this because I'm proud of it. I used a couple panel mount USB plugs with individual 5 volt regulators for charging phones and other small electronics; these will be wired to my battery constant so the car will not need to be on for charging. The wood is Bocote, which I got from my local Rockler woodworking store. I chose this wood for the tight grain and natural dark luster; this is not stained or coated, I simply rubbed the finished panel with boiled linseed oil.

[ecbsykes]

Looks good! Just make sure you have 100% confidence in your wiring. I've heard horror stories of always-on sockets causing some nasty trouble...

[smp375]

I'm still not quite done with it. I've been polish sanding it with 2000 grit automotive sandpaper, so now it's got a glossy finish. This picture was also taken after only one application of boiled linseed oil, of which I did another last night. I'm going to polish sand it one more time, then do two more applications of oil. I also added black screws to the face to secure the USB outlets. I was hoping to simply glue them in place from behind, but with the oil finish noting will stick to the wood. Also, before I do my final installation, I have to measure the diameter (roughly 10mm) of my bluetooth microphone and drill a hole to press that in.

I absolutely have 100% confidence in my wiring capabilities. These regulators can only draw 1 amp max and don't get all that hot at full draw. My only concern is finding a solid metal surface to ground them on, but the worse case scenario is that I have to just put them on a heat sink and ground that. For my 12v source, I will just connect to the existing accessory plug under the dash; the battery constant connection on the accessory plug is rated for 20 amps.