When the Covid 19 virus hit our state my wife was forced to do video conferencing instead of going to work. After viewing others on scene, with the downward unflattering shadowed look of the neck waddle and the color of their ceiling, she decided to raise her laptop with a stack of books for a more natural look. After a while she asked if I could make a legitimate computer stand. I searched a few DIY projects on the internet and YouTube and didn’t like what I saw. Most were overbuilt wooden contraptions. I like fluted plastic political signs that get thrown away after each election. If you don’t have any you can also buy a Fluted plastic Garage sale sign at your big box home improvement stores as well. These are the same size.
Her laptop is school issued. It’s unique in that the key pad detaches, allowing the teacher to walk around with the touch-screen monitor. The hard drive is in the this monitor making it very top heavy when joined with the keypad and opened. Fortunately the monitor hangs down a half inch on the bottom. This made it easy to make a notch in the plastic to keep the computer secure on the stand.
I also added a copper hook on the top to keep the monitor from falling forward. String was also added to limit the two flaps (slicing one side of the sandwich board) from separating too far.
Velcro tabs were added so my wife can fold it up and easily store the stand.
Below are the dimensions if this one interests you. If not, check out the laptop stand below which was made for my standard HP laptop.
After I finished making my wife’s computer stand I decided to make one for myself HP laptop computer.
I also like to use it when standing at my desk or work bench. This way I don’t have to hunch over and aggravate my back.
I cut my side panels to the same front profile of my laptop. I extended the front lip about 1/8″ above the computer and taped the edge where my palms rest.
This stand measures 30″ in length which is longer than the width of a standard campaign sign. The hinge cut on fluted plastic is a superior way to make a hinge, lasting thousands of bends. If you don’t want to buy a whole 4×8 foot sheet you can use tape for the hinge, or better yet take a 4″ length of not-so-straight coat hanger and bend it in two. Insert them on the end flutes on the top and bottom of each joining section. If you do this, make sure the flutes run vertical on the stand when erected.
Again, the limiting string and velcro tabs for easy storage. To keep the stand from wandering, recesses were cut out on the bottoms. Vinyl tape was added to each foot pad to keep the stand from slipping around.
Below are plans for this stand. You can also print this out as well.
