Simple and easy laptop stand for your lap

I looked around at a multitude of stores for a laptop stand that gets airflow to the laptop, but one where I could actually use on my lap. Didnt find anything that was what I wanted, so I decided to make my own.

Step 1 What I used

• A few scraps of wood I got free. I actually got a whole trunk-ful of free wood that was sitting on the curb after an estate auction.
• Gorilla Glue
• Some Clamps
• A children's travel lap desk (I purloined mine from my kids after it was sitting for 2 years unused. I am sure you could pick one up at a thrift store pretty cheap)

The travel desk, as you can see in the pictures below, is basically a bean bag attached to a board so that a kid can write on the top while the bean bag under it keeps it steady.

In this case, it will keep the laptop steady.

Comments

[dchall8]

Your lap is sideways. Is gravity different in the Ozarks? This is such a good idea I feel the need to help you. Please take a few pictures of your finished laptop holder by itself from a distance and from different angles. I think I know what it looks like but I had to look at every picture to finally get the idea. You don't need to post them all but pick one or two that help us understand what it looks like. Did you finish the project without taking any pictures and then come back and try to make it look like the pictures were taken along the way? Too bad. It would be very good to see what the raw pieces looked like before you started. Also step back and take some upright, focused, pictures of your computer and stand in use. Then there is one more consideration. The problem with laptop stands is that they don't do much to improve the flow of air into or out of the laptop. My daughter melted the battery charging plug on her motherboard by using the laptop with a blanket under it and blocking the air inlets. I think your stand will block the air flow at the edge of the laptop with wooden edges. I understand the idea of the edges is to keep the laptop in place, but that design makes the computer overheat. If I'm wrong on this, please take better pictures and show me. Another way to hold the computer in place would be with just a few pieces of wood clamped and glued (Gorilla glue is my new favorite glue). That would allow air flow. With my laptop I need a way to prop it up in the back to let even more air flow in or else the auxiliary fan keeps coming on.

[laminterious]

Found the rest of my photos! This setup doesnt block any air at all, I took that into consideration for both of my laptops, which did take a bit of time to figure out where I needed to place the triangular spacers where they would work the best for both. But how it's set up, it works great. Even at an angle, the laptop stays pretty well put... the only thing I would like to add would be something for the sides so that it would never fall off, but then I would need to actually add some fans, which I dont want to do. All in all,it works perfectly for what I wanted... the lap desk's top doesnt get even slightly warm, and I havent heard my fan start up since I made this. (and it's getting hot here)