Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The 50-Cent DIY iPad Stand



Ever since we purchased a tablet we have been looking for an inexpensive yet sturdy stand.  The good ones available on the market cost about $30.  On the other hand, inexpensive homemade stands out of legos or pencils and rubber bands are just not sturdy enough.  So, we decided to make our own out of wood!

This stand is versatile enough that it will fit any generation iPad AND most Android Tablets including Amazon's Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD.

The stand is sturdy enough to rest on the arm of our recliner.
This design is VERY simple and easy to make.  It is sturdy enough that it will rest securely on the arm of an easy chair.  My husband and I use it to hold the iPad while watching movies on the couch.  It has also been helpful to me in the kitchen!  It is perfect for when I am making a recipe I find online.  This nifty stand will hold tablets in either vertical or horizontal orientations.



Customize it by painting the color of your choosing!



The best part, is it only costs 50 Cents to make when you make it in bulk.  How you ask?  Well, you can buy 10-foot  2x4 for around $5.  One 2x4 will make 23 of these stands!  So, throw in the cost of paint and you are looking at a great gift for your friends, family and co-works that only cost about half a buck each.

Works great in the kitchen!
Here is a tutorial so you can make one of these stands yourself.  Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments.

1.  Take a 2x4 and cut off a section that is about a foot long (Note:  The final stand will only be 5 inches long, but it is much easier to make your other cuts with the extra inches on the wood for clamping).

2.  Measure 1 and 1/4 inches from the front of the wood and draw a line.  Set your skill saw (or table saw preferred) to a 30 degree angle and cut across the line.  The cut should be about 3/4's of an inch deep.  It will look like this:



3. Next, drill a hole (see picture below) so that the iPad's one physical home button can be accessed while in the stand.  Take a 3/4th-inch drill bit and drill a hole in front of your cut grove at a about a 30 degree angle coming from the opposite direction as the groove's angle.  Make sure that 1/3rd of the hole is crossing your cut grove.  Also make sure that you do not drill the hole all the way through.  Make it only as deep as the groove.

4.  Next, back to the saw.  Cut another 30 degree groove 1/2 inch behind the first one.  Keep moving your saw and clean out the wood in between the two cuts.

5.  Measure 5-inches from the front of the piece and cut-off your final stand.  Of course, make sure your saw is set back to a straight cut.  Your rough stand should look something like this.


6.  Finally sand and paint it the color of your liking!  We used a glossy black spray paint from Rust-Oleum.  Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover 2x to be specific.

It is as simple and understated in its design as the iPad itself.


There you have it!  I recommend that you practice the cuts a couple of times on some scrap wood.  Once you get the hang of it, each stand should only take about 3 minutes to make!  Again, please feel free to ask any questions in the comments.  Happy Holidays and happy DIY'ing!