Holding your smartphone, tablet, or iPad for a long time can be tedious and tiring. Our arms hurt and it is not healthy as well. We can buy some stands or back covers from the market that can give support to the devices. However, we choose to build a DIY tablet stand. This project uses simple thick, strong copper wires and an idea to build one. Making a homemade tablet stand is very easy according to our method. We are just using thick copper wire and some bends to make this. You can also use other malleable metals for this project. We are using copper because it is easy to work with and doesn’t corrode.
DIY projects are fun, and they can be very useful as they require skills. So we can learn the skills on the way. The idea of making a stand came when I was using a 7″ Allwinner tablet and a Galaxy Y. The problem was that I needed to make a stand for both of them. This created a challenge for size and molding. The stand has to be of such size that the tablet is supported easily, and the phone is also adjusted in such a way that it doesn’t fall back.
I didn’t go for the expensive market available stands. I chose 16 AWG copper wires for our project. Thick copper wire or solenoid can do a very good job. They are both strong and ductile. This makes it easy to bend but it also provides adequate strength. We can use other materials but copper has more perks. The iron wire can rust with time, while other wires can be stiff and dangerous to work with. Aluminum wire can actually be a good alternative. They are light and quite flexible.
DIY Tablet Stand Building Process
The steps for making this stand are very easy. The most important thing is the requirement for an appropriate design. Our featured image of the stand at the top shows our design. Make sure the wire is clean and free from any contaminants. Don’t use rusty and corroded materials as far as possible. Follow the below-given process.
- Start the process by bending one end of a long wire to make legs.
- Make the legs as long as possible but with appropriate height.
- Keep checking the weight support and stability.
- Keep in ming about bend, dents and look.
If the legs aren’t long enough, big tablets like iPad can tilt and fall by rotating. Measure the least amount of gap required between the legs of the stand. The gap should be wide for good stability, but it should also fit your small phone. Our build was based on Galaxy Y, which is a very small phone, so we had to adjust according to that. These days phones come in a large size, so it might be easier. But it would be wise to think about small phones as well. So that the stand is universal.
After completing, cut the wire ends and check for stability. The biggest issue that arises is the stability of the stand. Do the test by placing your phone and tablet. If we don’t bend the wires by measuring, an imbalance is caused, making the stand wobble. So, try fixing the issue by bending the legs of the stand. The wobbling issue can be very irritating, so test and check until the problem is fixed.
Uses of the Stand
The designed stand should support both portrait and landscape mode for iPad and other tablets. So we can watch movies and do video chatting as well. Smartphones can be rested in the landscape only. The stand can also be used to record videos by adjusting the angle of the stand. If you don’t have enough money or don’t want to spend on a tripod or stand, then this simple apparatus can do the job. All we need to do is adjust the angle to get a better horizontal view.
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We can watch movies and read e-books with ease using the stand. We can also use the tablet as a computer to type, edit documents by connecting a keyboard and mouse. There are some tablet cases that come with a keyboard, but they can be expensive. This can increases productivity and also makes the device versatile at almost no cost. Definitely, there are dirt cheap stands and covers available in the market. However, there is special fun in a DIY project.
I have used copper in this project, but you can find other alternatives. Iron rusts easily and is hard to bend. The frame of aluminum can be both a light and a strong alternative. If you have an approach to plastic with a heater, it can also be a good solution. This project can be a good small work for kids as well. They learn to use tools, and it helps them to be people who solve problems. We just want to encourage people to be more creative so that we all can create more simple and helpful things.
Original Published: 2013/11/08
