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How to design tripod tray

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For all you inventors out there...I am going to use my Manfrotto tripod legs to fashion a stand for my laptop to use outside standing (not for sitting). The tray should be about 22" wide and about 14" deep -- I need to decide the following things:

1. tray material - not heavy or thick, needs to be sturdy. One person suggested a cookie tray but this may not be strong enough, pretty good size though.
2. means of attaching to the model 3211

any ideas, suggestions?
tvm

Liz
 
Liz Gentile said:
For all you inventors out there...I am going to use my Manfrotto
tripod legs to fashion a stand for my laptop to use outside
standing (not for sitting). The tray should be about 22" wide and
about 14" deep -- I need to decide the following things:

1. tray material - not heavy or thick, needs to be sturdy. One
person suggested a cookie tray but this may not be strong enough,
pretty good size though.
2. means of attaching to the model 3211

any ideas, suggestions?
tvm

Liz
Click to expand...
Try this:

Make the tray out of plywood, 3/8-5/16 thick. You can get something with a nice face at Home Despot or something like it. You may want to also pick up some small strips of wood to use as rails to keep the laptop from slip-sliding away. if you get strips, assemble it with a good waterproof glue and leave it pressed under some books or something if you don't have clamps.

Then get one of these:

http://www.mscdirect.com/mscProductSearch.process?RestartFlow=t&RowsPerPage=15&searchmanufpartno=&dispmanufpartno=&operator=AND&QuickFlag=1&Merchant_Id=1&query=67300848&search_cat=5&x=0&y=0

In case the link doesn't work, the item is a 3-prong tee nut. I just sent the link so that you can get a look at the thing. You can get a small bag of them at a well stocked hobby shop in 1/4-20 size. All you need to do is drill a hole in the plywood and press this down thru the hole. I would use a little epoxy glue, too, but be careful not to get it on the threads.

Then just stain it, paint it, varnish it or whatever and go show it off.

Roger
 
Liz Gentile said:
For all you inventors out there...I am going to use my Manfrotto
tripod legs to fashion a stand for my laptop to use outside
standing (not for sitting). The tray should be about 22" wide and
about 14" deep -- I need to decide the following things:

1. tray material - not heavy or thick, needs to be sturdy. One
person suggested a cookie tray but this may not be strong enough,
pretty good size though.
2. means of attaching to the model 3211

any ideas, suggestions?
tvm
Click to expand...
The materials and design depend on your construction skills. For my use, I'd try 1 inch square aluminum tubing, three pieces joined in the shape of an H.

You might find the plywood that Pye-dog suggested to be more in line with your skills. I'd make one change. Thinner plywood, say 1/4 inch for the overall tray, say 9x12, with another 3 inch square glued to the center. That gives you the strength of 1/2 inch ply attaching to your laptop, but the lightness of 1/4 inch.

Again, good wood glue, clean surfaces, and a pile of books.

--
Ciao!

Joe

http://www.swissarmyfork.com
 
Joseph S Wisniewski said:
You might find the plywood that Pye-dog suggested to be more in
line with your skills. I'd make one change. Thinner plywood, say
1/4 inch for the overall tray, say 9x12, with another 3 inch square
glued to the center. That gives you the strength of 1/2 inch ply
attaching to your laptop, but the lightness of 1/4 inch.
Click to expand...
Yes, it's beginning to look promising. I have to take a run down to the Depot today anyway so I will check out their plywood pieces, see if they have any scrap.

Thank you for your suggestions - never heard of a 3 pronged t nut before but I can see that with wood it is the best way to attach to the tripod directly. The screw looks to be about 1/4" as Pye-dog recommended, hopefully my local hardware will have it...

There will be days when I have to put the laptop into a cardboard box enclosure to block the light so that is why I need a very stable tray top and a bit larger than the computer. Hopefully the one anchor will be sufficient.

Liz
 
Follow-up
lg said:
The screw looks to be about 1/4" as Pye-dog
recommended, hopefully my local hardware will have it...
Click to expand...
It is actually 3/8" and does not appear to be available in the 20 length nor do any of the locals carry it. Web search didn't find much either.

Looks like I'll have to take your concepts and do a bit of revision unless there are other easier suggestions...would really like to use something lighter than plywood, perhaps a frame of some sort.

--Liz
 
Not quite what you want, but consider how much your time is worth designing and chasing down parts to build one:

http://www.instand.com/

http://www.deskspaceanyplace.com/order-page.html

Wayne Larmon
Liz Gentile said:
For all you inventors out there...I am going to use my Manfrotto
tripod legs to fashion a stand for my laptop to use outside
standing (not for sitting). The tray should be about 22" wide and
about 14" deep -- I need to decide the following things:

1. tray material - not heavy or thick, needs to be sturdy. One
person suggested a cookie tray but this may not be strong enough,
pretty good size though.
2. means of attaching to the model 3211

any ideas, suggestions?
tvm

Liz

------------------------
Click to expand...
 
Liz Gentile said:
lg said:
The screw looks to be about 1/4" as Pye-dog
recommended, hopefully my local hardware will have it...
Click to expand...
It is actually 3/8" and does not appear to be available in the 20
length nor do any of the locals carry it. Web search didn't find
much either.
Looks like I'll have to take your concepts and do a bit of revision
unless there are other easier suggestions...would really like to
use something lighter than plywood, perhaps a frame of some sort.

--Liz
Click to expand...
Sorry about that. The spec for the camera thread is 1/4-20; the thread on the tripod (which goes into the tripod head) is 3/8-16. The first number is the nominal diameter of the male thread, the second is the number of threads per inch. As far as availability, I have bought these at a hobby shop for use in RC aircraft - only way to mount machine thread screws into plywood.

Lightness could be an issue - is this being used outdoors? A large, flat platform could take flight under the right breezy conditions.

However you go, good luck.

Roger
 
I actually have seen these Wayne and even used a friend's Instand. It is definitely stable and I will probably end up with one eventually, it is very portable also. Just thought I would explore my options because I do own the Manfrotto tripod and it would be perfect also with the right attachment.

Not looking forward to dropping another $250 (for the stand and larger tray top) for something to put my laptop on. But, as you say, time is money. Right now I have more time than money so I explore. Thanks for your input, I appreciate it a lot.
Liz
Wayne Larmon said:
Not quite what you want, but consider how much your time is worth
designing and chasing down parts to build one:

http://www.instand.com/

http://www.deskspaceanyplace.com/order-page.html

Wayne Larmon
Click to expand...
 
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