So, here it is! It is a model - entirely nonfunctional. Nevertheless, there it is. The coolest feature is that the keys are color-coded: blue is a wood I believe to be alder, yellow and green are oak, black is fir, and white is unknown (I needed something white, so I cut it from a TV tray holder) . (I think the paper screen is a little tacky, though.)

Pictures:

A magnificent specimen! Tactile, asthetic and lovable. A beautiful piece of calculator creativity. Well done!

A beautiful reproduction indeed! You clearly put a tremendous amount of work into making this as accurate as possible, and I think the results belie that care. I don't think the screen looks terribly tacky (woo Doors CS!), but it might also look nice with a blank screen. I know this is probably extremely hard, wood-working-speaking, but how impossible would it be to make a wooden case that actual components could be transplanted into? Would it be too thin to work?

I get shivers just by looking at that. The good kind. Wow, Caleb.

Amazing o_O

That's pretty awesome! Now, where's the cover at? :p lol

Amazing. A wonderful piece of craftsmanship. I especially like the lighter shades of wood on the numerical input keys. Can't wait for the functioning edition! 0x5

That's amazing work! I'm very impressed!

Kerm with a cnc mill it would actually be pretty easy and a pretty fun task. To do such by hand would be a lot of work tho.

Thank you everyone. Glory be to God for any talent I have.
Kerm, ElectronicsGeek: Actually, I believe a functional model is possible! I will be working on that next. Though, I'd like to use an 84 as a base (because it has the faceplates I could use, and thus have the button labels), but I am not familiar with the innards of the 84. Would they be possible to manipulate in this way?
TIfreak: with a little more effort, I could make a slide cover for it. However, a slide cover for a functional model would be out of the question due to the cavity inside, causing the wood to be thinner.
My favorite part is the lighter keys too.
Geekboy: Yes, for some purposes it would be nice to have some kind of machine to do this - like then maybe I could market it! But of course, it would detract somewhat from the handmade aspect...

But I would not fret if I were you, everyone. I think a handmade version actually will be made! My idea was, I could go for less of a imitation look, and actually go with a woodsy, hand-whittled look. That way, the case could be not *quite* so thin, yet still look pleasant.

If you can get access to a laser cutter, I'd go that route for legends.

Alternately, a very fine tip on a woodburning iron would work, if you want it to be completely handmade.

It would be a bit of a challenge, especially since you'd have to cut the key apertures very precisely to avoid the keys binding or feeling too loose, but it's certainly doable with enough patience and skill.

Very good. It is on its way soon then - I can do both fine cutting, and fine woodburning; sometime I'll post pictures of a computer case window I made, which was a rectangle of plexiglass with the old (1998) Windows logo cut into it. That logo, as y'all know, consisted of a ton of little parrellelagrams - thus it was ideal for the use, wherein it doubled up as a fan vent. But I digress.

Now, if only I could skip using my only 84pse for surgery. Also, I don't know really what a laser cutter is, thus have no access to one - even if I did I wouldn't have a clue how to use it or what kind of thing it does...

CalebHansberry wrote:
Now, if only I could skip using my only 84pse for surgery.

You don't need to use your prized 84 PSE for your beautiful calculator creation. I can send you an 84 Plus or 84 Plus SE for your quest. You may, however, have to pay customs charges as I would be posting the calculator to you from London.

A laser cutter is a device that uses a laser (usually 20-100 watts or so), has an X-Y table (that is, motors can move something left, right, forward, and back), and the something in question focuses the laser onto the object you're working on.

Then, with a vector drawing (done in Illustrator, Inkscape, or some other vector graphics program), the software translates that drawing into motions of the laser, and the laser can burn/engrave the pattern into the object automatically, or cut some objects, depending on the power level.

I have sent a private message to flinty now; the wooden ti-84+se project is on hold until I can learn if he means free or at-cost, and working or not, and whatnot.

And thank you for your explanation of a laser cutter, bhtooefr.

Free, working and yours to enjoy and help with your project.

I've sent you a message with the details on how to help me post the 84 Plus SE calculator to you.

I will be sending it to you from London, hence my concern about possible customs charge at your end on delivery. In any case I will mark the package as a gift, if that will help.

The important thing is that you continue with your project.

Customs charges typically don't kick in at all, here in the US, for an individual receiving shipments that are below $2000 in value, unless it's certain types of item (which a calculator would not be).

Excellent. That's great news. Many thanks bhtooefr.

Flinty: Another PM sent. Please take it as caution; I have no wish to shun or offend you.