IPAD Wall Mount for Under $50

This instructable is to make your own ipad wall mount or stand, like pictured below.
it should cost you under $50 bucks as long as you get 1/8 scrap acrylic and somebody to cut it cheap.

To get started you will need several materials:
1.) Acrylic, 1/8" thickness any color of your choice. You will need a 12" by 18" sheet if you cut both pieces or 2 12" by 9" sheets to cut singles.
2.) Screws:

   To screw the 2 acrylic pieces together:
      4 Black-Oxide Alloy Steel Socket Head Cap Screw 6-32 Thread, 7/8" Length (these are ones for allen wrenches, you can
      use star pattern or regular, my thought the more complicated the screw head the less easily opened)
McMaster Carr # 91251A152

  To attach the mount to the back:
     4 Flat undercut machine screws 3/4" Screw 6-32 Thread 3/4 Length McMaster Carr # 91099A224

3.) Nuts:

     8 Nylon insert Hex Locknut 6/32 Screw 6-32 Thread (these are the zinc grated ones, there are also black ones and
     of course you can do nuts without nylon insert) McMaster Carr # 90631A007

4.) Several standoffs:

4 Unthreaded:
     Aluminum Unthreaded Round Spacer 1/4" OD, 1/2" Length, #6 Screw Size McMaster Carr # 2510A445

2 Threaded:
     Aluminum Threaded Round Standoff 1/4" OD, 1/2" Length, 6-32 Screw Size McMaster Carr # 93330A445

5.) and some bumpers (4 total):

ipad 1: 9/64 inch Adhesive-Backed Polyurethane Bumper Flat Top, 1/2"McMaster Carr #95495K113
ipad 2: 1/4 inch Adhesive-Backed Polyurethane Bumper Flat Top, 1/2" McMaster Carr # 95495K223

6.) a VESA wall mount of your choice. We used this one, it looks ok and cost $17. It is entirely up to you which one you choose.

As far as materials goes, you can use whatever screws you want and you might come up with a better combination all together. Just remember that our file is set for the ones above. You may have to alter the hole sizes in the template if you use different screws. For example, you could use shorter bumpers and reduce the length of your screws and standoffs, etc. All that is up to you.

Step 1: Laser Cut Template

First cut the acrylic on a lasercutter near you. The plans are added to this step as an illustrator editable pdf. Feel free to delete the textmark or add your own.  If you don't have access to a laser cutter I suggest finding one at a local college or university near you or at a fablab near by. If none of these options are available try ponoko.

Design Details:
There is the x cutout in the back for attaching to the VESA adapter.
The 4 corner posts hold the ipad in place and the 2 bottom posts keep the pad from sliding.
The big rectangular cut in the middle let's you feed through the USB cable if you need to power the pad and the the small rectangular cut under it is to secure the mount with a security cable like this. Of course it isn't overly secure but it might stop opportunists.

Step 2: Add Wall Mount to Back Plate

To begin assembly, you will need the back acrylic part, the VESA wall mount, (4) 3/4" 6-32 screws, (4) 6-32 nuts and the 4 bumpers (iPad or iPad2). Use the 4 small screws to attach your VESA wall mount to the back acrylic part (as shown in the pic from the back.)  Make sure the nut goes on the back side. This will allow you to be able to mount the plastic bumpers on the inside of the acrylic plate to ensure that the iPad does not get scratched. The picture shows the longer ones which are for for the iPad 2 (1/4 inch Adhesive-Backed Polyurethane Bumper Flat Top, 1/2" McMaster Carr # 95495K223). In the material list there is also a short one for the iPad 1. (Of course you can shorten the corner post screws and spacers, but when we designed ours we had a mixture of pads and wanted to stick with one set of screws.)

Step 3: Add Support Posts

The next step is to add the support posts to the back plate to keep the iPad from sliding - when in landscape. We were going to be using this only in landscape mode. You may want to consider adding another sliding support if you want to use it in portrait mode. To create the slide support stops, use the screws and the threaded posts in the two interior bottom holes on the bottom of the back plate. Insert the screws from the back-side of the plate and screw the posts on the inside of the back plate. These posts differ a little from the ones we use for the side as they are threaded. The last photo here shows the iPad resting on the posts.

Step 4: Optional Step: Add a Plastic Spacer to Press the Ipad Home Button

This step is entirely optional. We designed these wall mounts as a kiosk. The iPad was meant to run one program and we initially had no need to access the home button. In some cases you need to be able to press the home button. We added this when we lost internet one too many times and needed to be able to press the home button.

The best way we found to add home button access is:
1- lay the iPad flat on it's back
2- put the bumper/spacer sticky side up on your home button
3- lay the top piece of acrylic onto the iPad - make sure to orient it correctly so that the cut window and screen match up.
4- press the top down.
This should place the bumper/spacer in the exact spot of the home button when all the pieces are assembled. (NOTE: This bumper is NOT in the materials list, but I just picked some up from my local hardware store.)

Step 5: Assemble the Pieces

We found it was easier to attach this to the wall first without the iPad rather than attempt to attach it with the iPad already inside the mount.

To finish installing:
1- Attach the wall mount securely to a wall of your choosing.
2- Point the back plate 90 degrees up - so that you can lay the iPad on it's back, flat, onto the back acrylic plate.
3- Set your ipad securely on it, try to put it dead center.
4- Lay the top acrylic plate over the iPad.
5- Secure the plates together with the screws, posts and nuts.
***insert the unthreaded posts on each of the 4 corners between the front acrylic plate and the back acrylic plate before screwing it together***
6- Double check that everything is lined up correctly and tighten the screws. Do not' tighten them too hard as the
plexi bows easily.
7- Once everything is secured - turn the iPad wall mount to face you and enjoy!

Markus Vogl and Margarita Benitez of //benitezvogl originally produced for collider with the help of the Myers School of Art - University of Akron.