Unspillable Desk Cup Holder (aka Drink Dock)

I have created the perfect desk cup holder. It cannot be tipped over or spilled by any force known to mankind. Its easy to make and only costs about 10 dollars.

I have a cat. A very clumsy cat. He likes to run around my desk and knock things over. Sometimes this is charming and funny. Other times 32 oz of perfectly good Coca-Cola goes right in my keyboard. I can't be having this. Perhaps you have a clumsy cat too. Perhaps you are a clumsy human. You have come to the right place.

Please keep in mind that there is no room for a cup's handle, so this design would be unsuitable for coffee mugs.

Step 1: Things You Will Need

A weight plate. I used a 5 lb dumbbell weight. I got mine from walmart for $3.76. Look in the sporting goods section. 5 lbs is plenty, this thing is invincible. You can use a bigger plate if you are hardcore but you shouldn't underestimate this thing. I'm literally slapping my drink as hard as I can and it barely even moves.

A light bulb guard. This is a metal cage that goes around light bulbs to protect them from being broken by things knocking into them. They use them in workshops and garages. You can find these in hardware stores in the lighting section. They cost around 5 dollars. Make sure to get a metal one; the plastic cages won't be as strong. Make sure its the right size to fit your drink. My standard bulb cage fits both my 30 oz and 40 oz vacuum insulated cups just about perfect, and im sure it would work well for most water bottles and thermoses too.

Zipties. These cost about 2 dollars and you can find them in the electrical section of the hardware store. The ones I used were 14 inches long and were more than long enough. You can cut off any extra after you cinch them down so it doesn't really matter. If your zipties aren't long enough, you can zip one ziptie through another to combine them and double the length. Try to get a color that matches your cage and weight. They generally come in white and black. They also sell stainless steel zipties if you want your cup holder to be hardcore, but that is probably overkill. I just went with UV resistant black plastic 50lb strength and it seems fine. You could also use large hose clamps instead of zipties, but it would be harder to get the sizing right and hose clamps don't work as well when the thing they are clamping is not perfectly circular.

Step 2: Assembly

Put the cage on top of the weight with the narrow side down. Line up the holes. Run the zipties through the center of both and around the sides of the weight. Zip them down to tighten it up. I used 4, one in each direction, to make sure it is strong from any angle. Once its fully cinched down, cut off any extra slack poking out past the zip with a pair of scissors.

Step 3: Done!

That's it! Just pop your cup in there and you are good to go. Mine came out looking rather masculine looking. I suppose you could paint it if you wanted a different effect, but that's entirely optional and up to you.

If your cage is too big for your cup, you could try adding something to the bottom just to take up space, like a baseball or something. You could also try cutting the top part off with wire cutters and bending the nubs out of the way with pliers.

While its untippable, it can still slide around if you push hard enough. You could glue some drawer and shelf liner to the bottom if it bothers you.

Please keep in mind that there is no room for a cup's handle, so this design would be unsuitable for coffee mugs.

Mine is working out well for me so far, and i'm sure it will for you too.