CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Category: Computers

DIY iStand

AbleData does not produce, distribute or sell any of the products listed on this website, but we provide you with information on how to contact manufacturers or distributors of these products. If you are interested in purchasing a product, you can find companies who sell it below.

--- DO IT YOURSELF ENTRY --------- PURPOSE: To create a do-it-yourself (DIY) iPad stand for individuals with disabilities. Begin by cutting two wood strips 5 x 0.5 x 0.5 inches. In the center of each, rough in a "Home" button access groove using a band saw or jigsaw then finish with a dremel and sandpaper. While leaving the protective paper on the acrylic, cut the acrylic to size and sand its edges, and then on only one end, drill and countersink two holes. For the original iPad, cut a slot on the same end to expose its down-facing speaker (skip this step for iPad 2 or measure for the new iPad). Cut a 6-inch length of scrap 4 x 4 inches piece of wood to use as a 90-degree bending fixture for the acrylic. On the same end of the acrylic as the screw holes, pull back and remove about 4 inches of the protective paper on both sides. Next, note which side of the acrylic the countersinks are on. Wrap both ends of the acrylic with aluminum foil. On the foil, mark a dot with a felt-tip pen on the countersinks' side. Leave exposed a 5/16 inch wide bend area, as shown on the template. The foil will shield heat from everywhere except that area. To ensure an accurate, neat bend, use the straight factory edges of the foil at the gap, ensuring that they are perpendicular to the sides and parallel. Heat the bend area over a red-hot electric stove burner. When heating, hold the acrylic one to two inches above the burner and flip it over frequently to ensure that both sides are heated evenly. Keep the piece moving, and don’t allow the aluminum foil to slip. After about 30 seconds, push on the short end of the acrylic to see if it begins to yield. It should bend easily, but do not heat it so much that bubbles begin to form. When the bend area is pliable, remove from heat, then quickly (holding onto the cool foil-wrapped ends) bend the acrylic over the 4 x 4 wood — with the felt-tip dot on the outside — and let it cool. Hold it under cold running water to speed the process. Noting the position of the "Home" button access groove, place one wood strip flush with the short end of the acrylic and over the two screw holes. Trace the holes onto the wood then drill almost through with a 0.125-inch drill bit. Attach with two screws. The screws could raise a bulge in the wood if the countersinks are too deep. If so, either drill all the way through the wood strips and sand the ends of the screws flush, or sand a little off the ends before attaching the wood pieces to the acrylic. Do not use shorter screws. To ensure the that the stand will accommodate the different iPad versions, set the stand on its short leg, and put the iPad in its portrait position with its bottom edge trapped by the wood strip. Hold the other wood strip on top of the iPad, noting the relative position of the groove, and mark where it will be mounted then attach the wood strip to the acrylic as you did the first one and trim the excess acrylic flush. Now gently round the four corners of the iStand; a bench disk sander works well. The iStand is now usable. A wooden support block can be added to use the iPad in landscape and charging positions. To create the wooden support block, cut (preferably with a band saw) a 0.75-inch wood stock to 5 x 2 inches, and then cut an approximately 20-degree angle along one edge. Place the iPad in the stand in a portrait position, either slid in from the side or snapped behind the top wood strip. The acrylic will yield somewhat. Next, slide the support block into position with the angled surface against the back of the iPad and the other side against the back of the stand. The goal is to center the support just above the center of the Apple logo. Trim it to fit. Next, attach a 0.75 inch by 5-inch piece of thin pressure-sensitive adhesive foam to the angled surface. Reposition the support block, and where its top edge meets the acrylic, mark a straight line on the acrylic, perpendicular to the edges. Remove the block. At 3/8 inch below that line, mark, drill, and countersink two mounting holes in the acrylic. Once again, slide the support into position tracing the acrylic’s mounting holes onto it, and drill two 0.125-inch holes, about 0.5-inch deep. Remove the wood strips and the acrylic’s protective paper. Finish the three wood parts with oil, wax, or polyurethane varnish and reassemble the stand. The iPad is now usable in landscape orientation, at either a steep or shallow angle. This adaptation could be made for other types of tablet devices accounting for the placement of the various input/output ports. MATERIALS: Acrylic sheet clear or smoked, 5 x 13.625 x 0.025 inches, 2 wood strips 5 x 0.5 x 0.5 inches, one wood block 5 x 2 x 0.75 inches, self-adhesive foam sheet 5 x 0.75 x 0.083 inches or 1/16 inch, six flat-head wood screws #8 x 0.75 inch, and aluminum foil. TOOLS: A 1/8 inch drill bit, countersink bit, disk sander, drill, electric stove, felt pen, high-speed rotary tool, sandpaper, dremel, band or jig saw, and wood scrap. SKILLS REQUIRED: Intermediate craft ability. AUTHOR: Larry Cotton. TITLE: iStand. WEBSITE: MakeZine Blog. REF: http://blog.makezine.com/projects/istand.

Available

Price Check
as of: 
07/31/2013
Diy Istand