Introduction: Brass Dowel Tablet Stand (3 Materials)

About: I like to make fun projects and document it all for my channel BCDesign on YouTube!

I was tired of using random objects to prop my tablet up when I wanted to watch YouTube on it,so I gave myself the challenge of finding 3 materials in my shop and turning them into a nice looking Tablet Stand.

The 3 materials I used are walnut, purple heart and a brass rod.

I made a video of the build for my Channel BCDesign on YouTube please watch thumbs up and subscribe!

Step 1: Cutting the Materials

  • I cut a piece of walnut to make the main body of the stand
  • I then adjusted my mitre saw and cut a 25o angle on one end of the walnut piece
  • I found 25o was perfect to allow me to watch video on the tablet comfortably.
  • I cut a thin piece of walnut to act as a shelf for the tablet to sit on.

Step 2: Purple Heart

  • I cut 2 pieces of purple heart
  • I marked the angle of the walnut onto the purple heart where it would join the main body of the stand.
  • I set the mitre saw and made the cut.
  • I taped the 2 legs together and made an angled cut purely for aesthetics.
  • You can see the final shape in the pictures above

Step 3: Glue Up

  • I glued all the pieces up and clamped them for 24hrs
  • This was the tricky part of the project, due to the angles involved it was hard to get the parts clamped properly.

Step 4: Mark Punch and Drill Holes for the Dowels

  • I used a compass to mark the centreline on the shelf then measured 3 equal points where the dowels would go.
  • I punched a small hole to guide the drill bit for better accuracy.
  • I measured the depth I wanted to drill and marked it on the bits with blue and black tape.
  • The holes for the shelf and the purple heart legs are different depths so I used black to mark the depth for the purple heart dowels and blue tape for the shelf dowels.

Step 5: Cut the Brass Dowels

  • Use the blue and black tapes on your drill bits to mark how long to cut your brass dowels
  • I used a bench hook to help hold the brass rod while I was cutting it.

Step 6: Super Glue & Sand

  • I applied super glue to the brass dowels and into the holes drilled to receive them.
  • I used a mallet to knock the dowels home then a normal hammer to mushroom the brass for an extra tight fit.
  • Sand the project and make sure the brass dowels are all flush with the surface,brass is soft and will sand down easily.

Step 7: Danish Oil

  • I sanded the project up to 320grit
  • I used danish oil as my finish,I love how it looks on walnut
  • I added danish oil until it stopped soaking it up,then waited for 20minutes wiped the excess off and allowed it to dry for 24hrs

Step 8: Finished!!

I think the tablet stand turned out really well and I love how the brass compliments the walnut and purple heart. The Danish oil really made the grain stand out and the finish looks great!

Visit my YouTube channel to see the build video,please thumbs up,share and subscribe!!

Three Ingredient Challenge

Runner Up in the
Three Ingredient Challenge

Homemade Gifts Contest 2015

Participated in the
Homemade Gifts Contest 2015