Laser Cut Adjustable Wood Tablet Stand

My current tablet has a rather flimsy and ineffective stand attached to its case. This stand has a very thin piece of plastic that the device easily slips over all the time. With this project, I have endeavored to fix this issue and create something that is easily adjustable for all sizes of device, and with the ability to change the display angle at will, all while using no fasteners.

1. Laser Cutter
2. 3mm Plywood

1.1 Determine Requirements

1. Measure out the device you want to make the stand for. Make sure to record the thickness of the device as well.
2. If you have friends who might want one, write down their dimensions as well. You will want to use the largest set of dimensions later in the design process.
3. Find a viewing angle you prefer and try to approximate it on paper if you don't have access to a protractor.

1.2 Sketch out parts on paper

1. Figure out a general idea for how you want your parts to fit together and how big you want each part to be.
2. I like to use a universal connection system for my laser-cut parts so I know that every slot is the same.
3. Make sure when designing connections for laser cut structures, that you have enough material surrounding a joint so that it won't bend excessively or break (I like to use at least 10mm for plywood).
4. This step saves a lot of time later on when making your parts in a CAD or vector imaging software. The more detailed your drawings are, and the more dimensions you draw out, the faster the next steps will be.
5. *Keep in mind the dimensions of your laser cutter or plywood board when designing parts*
6. Use modular designs when possible to minimize the number of parts you have to design.

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2.1 Pick Software

1. For this step, you can use either a Vector Graphic editor like Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator, or a CAD program with a drawing feature, such as Autodesk Inventor. I personally like to use Inventor because I like to see how my parts fit together in 3D before I cut them.
2. Ensure that your chosen program exports drawings as a vector.

2.2 Design the holder

1. Take the height and thickness of your chosen device and create a part that will snugly hold your device. You will want your holder to be angled slightly backwards to ensure that the device does not fall forward during use.

2.3 Design the connector

1. Take the width of your device and then create a rectangular piece 4-5cm wider, add 2 slots about 1-2 cm apart on each end, with 1cm between the first slot and the end of the rectangle. One slot should be facing up, and the other should be facing down. These slots can be whatever distance you want. I chose 1.5cm in this case.

2.4 Design the base

1. The base will come in 2 parts, one is the actual piece in contact with the table, the other is the piece that holds up the connecting bar and the holders. When designing the first, keep in mind that this piece will generally determine the overall height your device is held at. For the second piece, you want to make it a height that allows your tablet to clear the connecting piece between the bases.

2.5 Making the angle adjustable

1. When it came to making the display angle adjustable, I drew out a circle with a radius of about 2.5x the length of the slots I would be using. I then drew a line out from the center of the circle to the edge at each angle interval I wanted, then made a center point rectangle on that line of the dimensions of the slot design I was using.

2.6 Export file

1. Now that you have all your designs, if you are using a CAD program, you can bring all those designs into a drawing file. Ensure that they are properly scaled and oriented in the most space-efficient manner possible. If your laser cutting software doesn't allow you to change the vector color, ensure that you have the correct color set for cutting in the file, regardless of what software you are using.

3.1 Set up your cutter

1. If your laser cutter has an adjustable bed height, ensure that your bed is at the correct height. When doing this, move your cutting head to the center of the board, where any warping will be the smallest, and use that as your height reference point.
2. If you set the bed height using a warped portion of the board, then you run the risk of the laser being too far from the board when cutting to actually cut all the way through the board, which is always a frustrating outcome.
3. Check the zero on your cutter.

3.2 Set up the design in the cutting software

1. Import your design into the cutting software. I am using Trotec Ruby for context.
2. Align your design on the cutting board. It is considered best practice to try to place the top right corner of your cut at the 0,0 coordinate on the laser cutting board.
3. Select the material you will be using, and make sure that the pre-existing settings for that material are correct. On almost any laser cutter, for a cut, the power should be at 100%

3.3 Place material into the cutter

1. Make sure your laser head is moved all the way back into the corner to avoid damaging it when placing your material into the cutter. Push the material all the way into the corner of the board so that the top right-hand corner aligns with the 0,0 coordinate in the software, and thus the top right-hand corner of your design.
2. If you are not using a brand-new sheet of material, move your cutting head across all the edges of your cut to ensure that your design doesn't intersect any parts of your board that have already been cut out.

1. Make sure the fume extractor on your cutter is turned on before cutting, especially if you are cutting plastics of any kind. Fumes can potentially be harmful, and the smell of burnt wood can easily permeate the entire room for hours.

5.1 Organize parts and check tolerances

1. If you are using the cut file provided below, you should have the following components: 4x Connectors, 2x Bases with variable angle, 2x Connecting Stands, and 2x Holders.
2. Check and make sure all your parts fit together

5.2 Follow the reference image for assembly

This project was a really cool experience about learning how to create 3D objects out of what are effectively 2D shapes. It really challenged how I thought about structures and forced me to think more strategically about what features were necessary and what wasn't, as well as how all the parts are put together.

Files are attached below, all dimensions are in millimeters