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Ergonomic Laptop Stand Made From a Coat Hanger

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introErgonomic Laptop Stand Made From a Coat Hanger

Hello my name is Tully Gehan
I'm also working on a blog, take a look www.blinkyblink.com

At the moment I am living in Beijing China and plan to be moving to Taiwan in a few months. So I am not too interested in buying much more furniture. However I notice that laptop screen being rather low tend to make me hunch over even more then I do with a desktop computer. So I bent up a coat hanger to prop up my laptop and decided to make my first instructable in the process.

I made this Instructable to show my friends but I didn't expect that many people would discover it. But it looks like it went viral.

Engadget
The DIY DumbGuy laptop stand: so easy, even a dumb guy can make it
Don't let that "finished" rubiks' cube fool you. The steps too build this ergonomic laptop stand are dead simple: 1) bend hangar, b) stop bending hangar. Perhaps, therein lies the genus.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/24/the-diy-dumbguy-laptop-stand-so-easy-even-a-dumb-guy-can-make/
Wired
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/10/instant-project.html
boingbong
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/10/24/great-diy-laptop-sta.html
Life Hacker
http://lifehacker.com/5067892/diy-coat-hanger-laptop-stand
Music Radar
To quote Snoop Dogg, we've all got our minds on our money and our money on our minds. As computer musicians, the credit crunch has inevitably curved our spending power, which is why, when a thrifty laptop-user comes along with an ergonomic accessory for the price of a coat hanger, we are eternally grateful&
To save space, money and a hunched back, a young man from Beijing has built a laptop stand from a wire coat hanger, posting a seven-step DIY guide on Instructables in the process. The finished article certainly looks the business, but he does point out that you'll need a 'very heavy duty' hanger to pull it off. His is chrome plated, no less.
http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/how-to-make-a-diy-laptop-stand-with-a-coat-hanger-178507
Fashion Electronics Guide.
http://www.voroa.com/tag/coathanger/
studiodyv This one is funny. Make sure you read the "Labels" at the bottom.
A DIY ergonomic laptop stand that raises your screen to eye level, in a very inexpensive cheap manner. With a coat hanger, bent...
This just seems like a guy who wants you to try this and watch your laptop fall and break... but that's just me.
Link here
Labels: break, cheap, coat, DIY, dumb, easy, ergonomic, fall, genius, hanger, idiotic, inexpensive, ingenius, laptop, safe, stand
posted by kidmecha at 10:41 PM
0 Comments:
http://www.studiodyv.com/exabites/2008/10/diy-laptop-stand.html

Ergonomic Laptop Stand Made From a Coat Hanger
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step 1The things you will need

The things you will need1.A laptop computer2.External keyboard and mouse 3.Your hands4.A coat hangerThe more heavier duty the better. This chrome plated coat hanger I got …


step 2First Bend

The first step is to put a small bend in the bottom of the coat hanger. This step may seem arbitrary however if you do not do it your laptop will slide out the bottom of t…


step 3Second Bend

Follow the 3 pictures, and bend the corners of the coat hanger perpendicular to its bottom.


step 4Third Bend

Repeat step 3 only on the other end.


step 5Minor Adjustments

Now its time to make some minor adjustments. You can bend the ends of the coat hanger a little more so that it snugly fits your laptop.


step 6More More Minor Adjustments

You can also bend the hook of the coat hanger so that your laptop is at the desired upright angle.


step 7Enjoy

Now it's time to enjoy your new laptop stand and brag to you friends about how clever you are and how much money you saved compared to the $80 dollar laptop stands in the m…


81 comments
1-50 of 81
Oct 8, 2009. 9:37 AMmuzicma says:
Very nice for keeping the laptop cool as well.  thx
Sep 12, 2009. 3:16 AMgotchastudio says:
wow! really simple, but works great!
Mar 10, 2009. 6:00 PMmman1506 says:
i have problem my LAPTOPS A GIANT 20" SCREEN 5lb 5LB MONSTER AND IT ONLY A YEAR OLD
Sep 9, 2009. 9:23 PMKasm279 says:
errr. 5lbs isnt heavy?
Sep 10, 2009. 4:23 AMmman1506 says:
sork it 12.5 lb manufactuer rated
Aug 16, 2009. 3:40 PMresende.silvinha says:
nice one. ;D
Aug 15, 2009. 3:41 AMMr.Pug says:
Whats the big deal with cooling and all that sh*t???
My mums acer sits on graniet or something all day.My wrists are fine.
Mar 21, 2009. 9:32 PMmalokam says:
by far the cheapest solution i've seen for a laptop stand. KUDOS....

SUGGESTION: Wind some duct tape around the hanger and no scratches on the laptop too.. ;)
Jun 8, 2009. 2:22 AMevan_124 says:
not to mention no scratches on that glass table
Aug 12, 2009. 7:54 AMGamerworld14 says:
That is very true. :D
Jul 26, 2009. 5:53 AMdocinabox says:
Because this idea doesn't cost the price of a monitor, its costs a hanger and gets pretty much the same output from it.
Jul 24, 2009. 1:03 AMKasm279 says:
Im wondering how heavy your laptop is so i know if the stand can mine, a 12" :D
Oct 24, 2008. 10:29 AMPunkguyta says:
Where the hell did you find such a thick, steel clothes hangar?!?
May 31, 2009. 7:13 PMColiflower says:
Blockhead!
Jun 27, 2009. 12:14 PMDr.Paj says:
I know I have quite a few thick steel clothes hangars most likely dating back to the early 70s. Some might even have some lead paint on them.
Jun 3, 2009. 4:20 AMPeterSaS says:
I tried the original design but couldn't make it work without the laptop being essentially vertical and it seemed very unstable. I therefore make a variation which seems stronger and allows the laptop to lay back at a decent angle so it is much less likely to fall over.

It will take more patience to build than the original and you'll need pliers but I think the result is well worth it. I suggest you try first with a flimsy coat hanger first to get a feel for which way to bend the metal before doing it with the thickest coat hanger you can find.

I was lucky to have a heavy-duty coat hanger that was covered in plastic so to avoid damaging the plastic too much, I used pliers made to remove spark plug leads since they have rubber-tipped ends http://www.angliatoolcentre.co.uk/images/products/product_3191.jpg but this isn't strictly necessary.

Here's the result:

Coathanger1.JPGCoathanger2.JPGInUse.JPG
May 11, 2009. 9:33 AMladyharley05 says:
Smart idea...but how come you don't just close the laptop and put it under a table and use an external monitor and keyboard?
May 2, 2009. 7:39 PMpineapplenewton says:
I couldn't make this work how much doe you laptop weigh.
Mar 26, 2009. 10:36 PMxavanty says:
thanks this is perfect
Mar 22, 2009. 1:52 PMrob1500 says:
My laptop seems to be a bit to heavy for the hanger i have. Other than that great idea!
Oct 27, 2008. 6:14 AMRichardBronosky says:
[quote]The DIY DumbGuy laptop stand: so easy, even a dumb guy can make it[/quote]

...as proven by the OEM stickers that were left on the laptop.

I don't mean to be mean, but that is one of my pet peeves. Every time I see OEM stickers on a computer or that protective blue or clear film on things like appliances it makes my finger nails tingle. I then get the uncontrollable urge to peel them off without asking permission.
Mar 19, 2009. 10:14 AMGamer917 says:
i know how you feel, i ripped them off my laptop the second i opened the box
Mar 13, 2009. 7:39 PMlukkbox says:
i still got the protective film on my w810i screen lol

'one' of your pet peeves? you have many?

i bet you do lol
Mar 14, 2009. 11:39 AMHarmodius says:
1. The remedy for weak coat hangers is doubling. Take two identical weak ones and tape them together with your favorite kind of tape. Use the taped pair to make your stand. If they are really flimsy, triple them. (No braiding, please, or the instructable is no longer simple.)

2. My notebook only opens to 120 degrees or so. By bending the hook part of the stand upwards it can become the apex of a support triangle to hold the display vertical on notebook computers that only open part of the way to 175 or 180 degrees as Tully Gehan's does.
Oct 23, 2008. 6:57 PMcharliewade says:
So what happens when the screen half of the laptop comes crashing closed?
Mar 13, 2009. 7:42 PMlukkbox says:
the laptop manufacturers who made this instructable get another sale on their till

as they planned
Jan 4, 2009. 5:27 PMislandfly says:
I loved this instructable and tried it but my laptop fell over as well!

I will have to try propping up against the table or use a stronger one.. once I find it...good instructable anyway
Mar 13, 2009. 7:34 PMlukkbox says:
your going to risk bricking your machine twice?

nurse! lol
Jan 16, 2009. 4:47 PMcalifornialove says:
I just made one, and it's preety good. I hope it stays like this and not affect the laptop. Great idea!
Mar 13, 2009. 7:33 PMlukkbox says:
supporting a 300-2000£ machine on a 10 pence peice of wire is in your opinion ...

a good idea?

nurse! the one armed jacket please!
Mar 13, 2009. 7:32 PMlukkbox says:
if you have £300 - £2000 to spend on a laptop, why dont you have £20 to spend on a stand?

it seems a little dangerous to have your laptop supported in this way, to say the least

cant help thinking this is a joke by the laptop manufacturers guild to raise sales of new laptops

unbelievable
Mar 8, 2009. 1:05 AM143raza says:
Great!!!
Jan 5, 2009. 11:55 AMmozartas says:
Eu vi que você é muito criativo e gostei muito deste suporte, pois é algo que todo mundo tem em casa.
Valeu!
I saw that you he is very creative and I liked this support very, therefore I am something that everybody has in house.
Very Good!
Nov 14, 2008. 4:29 PMIkotoo says:
Simple yet elegant.
Nov 14, 2008. 4:00 PMirinazcona says:
beautiful and simple
Nov 14, 2008. 10:10 AMsince76 says:
This is one of the more creative laptop stands I've seen out there, nice work!
Oct 31, 2008. 8:44 PMBad Cyborg says:
It's only a matter of time for that notebook to do the humpty dumpty. I did it the easy way with a clear plate holder many years ago.

http://www.continentalclay.com/images/medium/image_1064.jpg

It's readily available and no bending necessary. But still no cooling fan, so I had to go back to the cooling pad.

Oct 30, 2008. 2:18 PMeditrix says:
Great idea - I'd been looking for a laptop stand for a while and this is perfect. I don't have access to the fancy heavy-gauge wire hanger you used, so I taped two flimsy ones together using gaff tape. It doesn't look quite as sleek as yours, but it's very sturdy and the lappy is protected from being scratched by the wire.
Oct 30, 2008. 7:20 PMtullytully (author) says:
Wow that’s a great idea, putting two hangers together. On this site and many of the websites that have featured this design so many people have been complaining about the strength of ordinary coat hangers. If you have time, add a picture of your design.

Oct 30, 2008. 6:28 PMJamesRPatrick says:
Welcome to Instructables!
Oct 30, 2008. 7:18 PMrunez says:
loved the simplicity of your instructable so i attempted to make one, tried making it using your method but my laptop wouldn't stand on its own.. either my hanger's too flexible (it was the most strongest metal one in my wardrobe!) or more likely because my laptop's too heavy! (its 6lb+)

In my case, the desk is against a wall and I don't mind using the wall as support (the desk is pretty sturdy and doesn't budge even if you bump into it accidentally). So I made some slight modification such that the twisted knot & hook of the hanger secures against the edge of the table! And the result is a lot more stable than just with the hanger alone! (The white cloth in the pic is just to prevent the laptop from leaving marks on the wall.. don't want my rental deposit docked for that.. )

This simple solution solves the lack of space on my desk for 2 laptops, and the overheating of the laptop! and almost all the ports are still accessible (except for the front where my volume control and headphones plug into). All with a common clothes hanger! A great instructable, thanks loads!
main view.JPGclose up.JPG
Oct 29, 2008. 6:14 AMel_darwin says:
So elegant, so cool. I must say it is one of my favorites
Oct 28, 2008. 1:34 PMdavidas says:
Mate .. if the f.....g laptop falls down ... You will laugh laugh and laugh and you will clap your hands ... "BRAVO !!!"
Oct 28, 2008. 3:41 AMzorbada says:
nice...just keep it simple.
Oct 26, 2008. 6:49 AMzaman1995 says:
this is cool model and i am going to try this
Oct 25, 2008. 3:56 PMadamvan2000 says:
I would so do this if: A) I had a notebook (laptop is a misnomer, it's not meant for laps, not at all), and B) our hangers could support it. Our hangers here are cheap, thin gauge wire thingies that can't even support a pair of jeans without deforming severely.

Aside from those two drawbacks, cooooooool....

~adamvan2000
Oct 25, 2008. 1:28 PMtullytully (author) says:
Wall Mounted Laptop
This is a variation by Crshman
at http://www.crshman.com/?p=82

PICT0101.JPG
Oct 25, 2008. 12:47 PMtullytully (author) says:
Hey if you get it to work, it would be cool if you add your picture of it.
This picture is from Charlie Sorrel at
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/10/instant-project.html

hanger-1.jpghanger-2.jpg
Oct 24, 2008. 4:09 PMrobomaniac says:
I just made one but my coat hanger has a big gauge ( small diameter) and it really does not work. I already saw big coat hanger like that, I think it was from my grand ma :P

This gave me other ideas, I will build something else.

Thanks!

Jerome
Oct 24, 2008. 1:46 PMbogado says:
I made it, at first it seemed that it wouldn't work, it was unstable and the laptop "poped" out if I tried to stand it. But after a few adjustments it got perfectly, I also used a rubber isolation tape to soften the hanger so it would not damage the laptop or the table (not as nice as the one on the Instructable). :-)
1-50 of 81

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