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iStand
Build a sturdy, multi-position iPad stand for cheap.
By Larry Cotton
THE iPAD, WONDERFUL AS IT IS, OFTEN
needs a stand to hold it. Sure, there are tons
available, but they can be flimsy and/or
expensive. Here’s one that’s cheap, sturdy,
and easy to build. It’ll hold either the original
iPad or the iPad 2 in many useful positions.
It’s made from ¼"-thick clear or smoked
acrylic, a few scraps of nice wood, a small
piece of adhesive foam, and 6 screws.
MATERIALS AND TOOLS
Acrylic sheet, clear or smoked, 5"× 133"×¼"
aka plexiglass
Wood strips and block: 5"×½"×½" ( 2), 5"× 2"×¾" ( 1)
Self-adhesive foam sheet, 5"×¾"×0.083" or
5"
Flat-head wood screws, #8×¾" ( 6)
Saw for wood and acrylic, ideally a band saw or jigsaw.
Drill,
1" bit, countersink, high-speed rotary tool,
sandpaper, aluminum foil, felt pen, wood scrap
4"× 4"× 6", electric stove, disk sander (optional)
Make the Stand
1. Cut 2 wood strips 5"×½"×½". In the center of each, rough in a Home button access
groove using a band saw or jigsaw (Figures
A–C).
Finish with a Dremel and sandpaper
(Figures D–F). Groove shape isn’t critical, and
may need to be tweaked later.
2. Leave the protective paper on the acrylic
for now. Cut the acrylic to size and sand its
edges (Figure G). On one end only, drill and
countersink 2 holes (Figure I and J).
3. For the original iPad, cut a slot on the
same end to expose its down-firing speaker
(Figures G and H). Skip this step for iPad 2.
Larry Cotton
140 Make: makezine.com/29
