Secret Compartment Book for Nokia N800

Last night I decided to make a secret compartment book after watching a clip showing how it's done.

I used an old medical text, Aequanimitas, that I found in the library book sale. I chose this book because it's not worth much (according to ABE), because it's the right size and because it has a slip-cover. Originally I wanted to use a copy of Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation because that's what Neo uses in the Matrix to hide his stash in, but it turns out that hardcover copies of this title are too dear for me to want to cut.

In any case, Aequanimitas was on hand, as were all the other materials I needed: glue, a small utility knife, a ruler, plastic wrap and a paint brush.

I separated the first 25 pages using plastic wrap, and then applied the glue to the outer edge of the pages with the paintbrush.

If I do this again, I'll use a more concentrated glue solution. The solution I used was approximately 40% glue and 60% water, but it would be better if the ratio was reversed. I used WeldBond, but I'm sure any wood glue would work

Next, I piled a bunch of other books on top of Aequanimitas so that it the glue solution wouldn't warp the paper.

I let the glue dry for about an hour, removed the stack of books and then used a ruler to lay out guidelines for my cut.




Before I cut I used a cordless drill to drill the corners, which made it much easier to cut square corners. The small box-cutter also worked well, and imperfections in the cutting are largely because of operator error and not so much because of the tool itself.

Once the cutting was complete, I applied glue to the edges of the secret compartment and again to the outer edge of the book. I restacked the other books on top of it, and left it to dry overnight.

I'm fairly pleased with the end result. If I were to make another I would be more careful to keep my top page clean. I might also borrow a rotary tool to do the cutting with--this would speed up the process and make it easier to make a straight cut. You could also line the compartment with fabric if you wanted, or use a magnet to keep it shut if you wanted to carry it with you, although in this case the slip-cover ensures that it won't spill open.