Introduction: Simple Laptop Stand / Standing Desk

About: Fitz Kits is a small business located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. We build all kinds of things with lean pipe! Check out our subreddits at: reddit.com/r/fitzkits, reddit.com/r/pipefurniture

This is a 5-minute project I did to create a folding stand for my laptop. It raises the height of my laptop by 12", but it's really easy to modify to make it any height. It folds flat so that I can store it inside my desk drawer.

It's made from "lean pipe", also known as "creform" or "lean tube", a system for easily making pipe structures, mostly seen in large factories. I have a small business selling lean pipe kits in small quantities for home or small business users.

Step 1: Gather Your Parts

The parts needed:

4 x 12" lean pipes

2 x 5.5" lean pipes

1 x 9" lean pipe

4 x pipe end caps

4 x pipe foot caps

4 x end joints

2 x swivel joints

All parts are from Fitz Kits, I chose to make it with stainless-finished pipes and chrome joints. There are a lot of different colors and finishes that you could make it from.

I chose to make it with "swivel joints" in the middle to let me fold it down. You could choose to use "end joints" if you don't want to fold it up, they're less expensive and don't move at all. This is as wide as you would need for most laptops, you might need to shorten the 5.5" poles slightly. The poles are easy to cut with a hacksaw, or a chop saw with a metal blade. Any burrs on the pipes should be covered by joints or pipe caps, but I suggest lightly filing the edges of all pipes that you cut.

Step 2: Push on the Pipe Caps and Foot Caps

Push the 4 pipe end caps into the top ends of the pipes, and push on the foot caps onto the bottoms. Tap them gently so as not to crack the plastic. I usually use a rubber mallet or heavy piece of wood to help tap them in.

Step 3: Attach the End Joints

Place the two halves of each end joint about halfway up each 12" pipe. Tighten them together using a 25mm M6 bolt/nut by hand, leave them loose enough so that you can just barely slide a pipe into their ends.

Step 4: Attach the Swivel Joints

Slide one black plastic swivel sleeve on each 5.5" pipe, halfway down. Then clamp both halves of the swivel joint over it and attach them hand-tight with the 25mm bolts and nuts.

Step 5: Tighten the Bolts and Stand It Up!

Use the 5mm hex key to tighten all of the bolts, make sure the legs all look like they are the same length.

Then flip it up, and set your laptop on it! Remember that you can slightly adjust the length that the pipes go into each joint, and you can always cut the poles to a different size if you would like.