Adjusting Binder Clip and Base Stand for Small Smartphones or Small Tablets

This project uses a credit card-sized base (metal, plastic, or an old credit card, etc.), binder clips, and paper clips to create a sliding tabletop stand for smartphones and small tablets.

1. 1 credit card-sized square base (metal, plastic, etc.)
2. 1 large binder clip
3. 2 medium binder clips
4. 4 small binder clips
5. 2 paper clips (for sliding track through binder loops underneath)
6. Pair of needle-nosed pliers (for bending)
7. Protective gloves

1. Obtain a base that is credit card-sized.
2. It can be a cutout of metal, plastic, or an old used gift card.
3. The standard size is 3.370 inches x 2.125 inches.
4. You can add your own creative design and colors.

1. Get some spare binder clips.
2. You will need 1 large binder clip with the metal loop handles, 2 medium binder clips without the metal loop handles, and 4 smaller binder clips without the metal loop handles.
3. Use protective gloves when working with metal pieces.

1. You will need two paper clips.
2. These can be colored, if you desire.
3. The paper clips will be used as the sliding track under the credit card-sized base.
4. Begin by straightening the paper clips as much as possible. They don't need to be perfect at this stage.
5. Instead of paper clips, you can use stronger materials like a thin cut-out piece of metal coat hanger for added support, but this will require more effort to bend and shape.

1. Use 2 small binder clips and insert the straightened paper clip through the small holes on each of the binder clip's edges.
2. Lay out the pieces as shown in the picture, with the parts where the paper clips are inserted facing each other.
3. Position it so that the paper clip side is on top.

1. Get the other 2 smaller binder clips and the 2 medium binder clips.
2. For each, interconnect one smaller binder edge inside a medium binder clip's clamping edge.
3. If you have trouble connecting them, use the metal loop handles to open the binder and interconnect them that way.
4. Remove the metal loop handles when you are finished.

1. Slide the small binder clips with the straightened paper clips onto each long edge side of the credit card-sized base.
2. Position the binders toward the middle.
3. Adjust the straightened paper clips so that they are positioned as shown.
4. The small binders should be a little tight but still able to slide along the base's long edge.

1. Take the 2 medium binders that were interconnected with the smaller binder clips in Step 5 and slide each medium binder clamp edge to the base's short edge.
2. Make sure the side with the smaller binder is on the bottom.

1. Use the pliers to bend the ends (all 4) of the straightened paper clips into an L-shape, through one of the medium binder clip's edges with the holes.
2. Then, use the pliers to bend the remaining piece of the paper clip back toward the base's long edge.
3. This creates a lock-in-place for the track.
4. To remove or reattach the binder with the straightened paper clip, you may need to bend the L-shaped position about 3 times to get it straight and right.

1. Flip over the assembly so that what was the bottom is now the top view.

1. Looking at the top view, take the large binder clip with the metal loop handles together and insert its bottom side edges inside the small binders already clamped to the base (from Step 9).
2. The best way to do this is to move the small binders to opposite corners.

1. Angle the large binder clip and align its bottom edge to slide between the clips on the base.
2. Move the larger binder with the metal loop handles back and forth to get a feel for adjustment.
3. The larger binder clip needs to be clamped into place on both sides of its openings with the smaller binder clips.
4. The larger binder is the adjustable sliding part.
5. Place your smartphone or small tablet between the groove opening.
6. Adjust it so that the smartphone or tablet can be angled as desired.
7. Your smartphone/tablet stand is now complete.
8. You can post comments for improvements.

1. This is an afterthought.
2. If the larger binder handles are still attached, and you have an extra medium or large binder clip with metal handles, you can clip this to the top of the larger binder clip handles.
3. The binder clip handles can be used to provide a lock-in-place with them closed and better back support for the device.

1. Note: This is for smartphone devices only.
2. After looking at the USB charger cord pieces, there are various ways the charger cord fits into the binder's handles.
3. The end result is the last picture.
4. The binder handle is inserted between the closed handles of the larger binder clip, which allows the USB charger cord through.
5. Although using wireless charger cord pieces is optimal as it snaps to the device.
6. Your device should be able to be angled forward and back, while sliding the larger binder clip.