Tablet / iPad removeable car mount for $1 in 5 minutes

I was looking for a tablet car mount that is easily removable and doesnt leave any traces on the interior. It's quite nice to use a tablet on longer trips, especially the navigation app, however i dont want to use it every day. Any commercial mount i had found took too long to remove or disturbed the design of the interior.

So heres a simple solution that anyone should be able to make in 5 minutes, and it removes itsself in 1 second completely. I have done over 600 miles with this on highways and European country roads with some agressive turns. It was holding the tablet perfectly secure and even dampned the road bumps a little - which wasnt originally intended but works really well.

Step 1: The case

For this to work, you should already have a standard leather or plastic case for your tablet as most reasonable people do. If you don't have a case you are screwed - you will break your tablet soon so don't bother doing a mount for it. I use a case similar to this one.

Comments

[samalert]

Super easy solution...........a minor tweak wud be to apply some foam kinda stuff at base where the pad rests.

[ftree]

Yes that could work as well. I used a double layer of tape at the bottom, it keeps it super soft so i haven't had any scratches :)

[David Catriel]

NICE! Have been looking for something simple and straight to the point for car mounting, and this looks like it. Thx for sharing.

[harleyguy]

Worry about your European union. Don't take cheep shots at the US and Romney

[ftree]

It was more of a joke :) But point taken. Though it is actually funny how US media portrait the EU as a bad example for debt. They tend to forget that the euro-zone has a GDP as large as China and the US combined. If you put numbers in perspective to GDP, the euro zone has less deficit and less dept per GDP than the US. Despite extensive healthcare. Healthy people = stronger economy. Healthy car = more horsepower :D
Europe is actually the nail in the coffin to some republican arguments. Not saying they are always wrong or that i prefer democrats.

[rally9x]

"They tend to forget that the euro-zone has a GDP as large as China and the US combined."

That is because this isn't true. According to all three of the major lists of nominal GDP (International Monetary Fund, World Bank, CIA World Factbook) the GDP of the EU is not greater than China and US combined.

"has less deficit and less dept per GDP than the US"

But the US still has much higher GDP per capita than the EU.

[moparman]

Nicely done. With innovations like this, who needs to watch the road anymore? I hope this is only viewable to the passengers. I've had to go in the ditch twice because of distracted drivers. Thankfully my wife and kids weren't with me, but it did cost us over $600 in suspension damage, plus lost time from work, towing, etc. (no Christmas presents for the kids that year). But I wasn't killed or confined to a wheelchair right?

[btavares]

Actually, Mitt utilizes existing tax codes to pay all the tax he owes...and not a penny more, common sense...no?

[dcurrie2]

Speaking of pennies...seems the author left one on the seat. :-)

[Canoeman]

Just thinking of a word that rymes with Mitt

[Remag1234]

Nicely done. I do object to your snide remark about Mitt Romney cutting corners. It is an uncalled for comment regardless it it was meant for. I'm doing my best to "be nice" following the rules but if you read between the lines you'll know my thoughts. I would suggest to the Moderator to delete the "cutting corner" comment.

[benwade]

A little humor is good, so long as it doesn't turn into a political polemic. Please ease up.

[Nxtfari]

Learn to take a joke buddy. No need to put on your pouty face for every little comment on the internet. if you object to it, shrug and move on.

[Remag1234]

I didn't know you were the Joke Police. Why don't you move on.

[Nxtfari]

Oof, I'm hurt. that's what I get for trying to help, huh? You're sore, I get it. However, there's no need to get a moderator to violate the First Amendment because of a comment that doesn't even remotely concern you.

[gn0stik]

Not bad. Very simple. Might want to rivet on a top clip to keep it secure when you are accelerating, etc.

[ftree]

Thanks i have updated step 5 with a picture to show how its kept in place

[tylorweaver]

You should explore a way to design in a top tab to keep the tablet in place, from pivoting over the X-axis and into your center console, while accelerating.

[ftree]

Thanks, i have added one more picture on step 5 to show how the copper strip goes behind the tablet and keeps it in place. It didn't really tell in the old pictures. Hope this helps to show how its fixed safely.

[ftree]

copper strip goes between cover and case to fix it

[Laisseraller]

Great Simple post, I like republican cutting corner bit! Thanks JP

[sarawelder]

great idea! It won't work with the case I have, but it will stimulate me to find a fix!

[silver912targa]

You have a good sense of humor!

[maxhuey]

Good? no! its great!!!

[mlah]

Nice article but the comment about the case is uncalled for. Just handle your tablet properly and it will be fine case or no case.

[maxhuey]

disagree... :-)

[wa7jos]

Copper strap is soft and can un-bend itself, but there's a way to help cure that.
It's called "work hardening". If you bend it back and forth a couple of times, it gets harder. Just don't overdo it or it will get brittle and crack.

[thorpozon]

Acceleration and deceleration  would cause this tablet to bump itself in the dashboard which might be so hard to read not to mention the vibration from the road and the engine. Maybe it would be better to install instead of a copper sheet, something with a snap kinda metal(spring steel) that could hold it firmly stuck to the dashboard. Plus a rubber backing to keep the dashboard from the scratches that the new metal would produce. Just a suggestion. Nice instructable!!  I'm gonna do this for the GPS app.

[ftree]

Hey thorpozon thanks for your suggestion. I haven't found acceleration or braking to be an issue even though this is a sports car and i drive it quite radical at times =) The copper is quite sturdy when bent, its 1.5 or 2mm thickness.

[thorpozon]

Wow, You're right. Copper is strong. I will be using this. thanks Pro