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I’ve been working hard to deliver several orders that came in over the last few weeks. Here are some process pics that show a little more on the amount of work that goes into creating something so simple. I’ll have to take more pics of the glue up, the aluminum preparation and drilling, the sanding, and the finishing. I found a great water base satin finish (Vermont Natural Coatings) that is working great with the brush. However, next up, I’ll be spraying it and am anxious to see how well it works. This represents 20+ stands and many hours of work! Time for a vacation!

A photographer in Florida, Manolo Doreste – In Focus Studios contacted me with a specific design requirement. He is planning to use 2 or 3 iPads at tradeshow type events where he will present his photography and video work. He needed a way to secure the iPad into the stand. Here is my design and prototyping exploration. On the last photo, I am considering adding a c-clip style locking washer… that will prevent anyone from slipping the rods up and out. Contact us if you are interested in ordering a Secure iPad Stand.

Custom Wood iPad Stand with Aluminum Brackets and Bars

Last week I set out out design and build a small jewelry box for a Mothers Day gift. This project has a hard finish date! And, on top of that, my plan was to have my daughter Sophia help in the shop. I’ve decided to provide some insight to my thinking for this project below. For obvious reasons, I’ll post photos next week.

1. Design
What materials, what size, budget, the details. I pulled out my sketch book and began to consider a few design options. I knew that I wanted to use my new Incra Jig Ultra. Maybe integrate box joints? Before going too far, I cut a few practice strips of .5 inch plywood…. and tested the jig out. Not an easy task to make good joints out of plywood. Maybe someday, I’ll get it working… but, for now it was obvious that I needed to use harder wood to avoid split out amongst other issues. I quickly settled on .5 inch walnut. With that taken care of, I turned back to the sketch book. Made some initial sketches…. then opened up Google Sketchup and drew up a more detailed look. I love Sketchup, but it doesn’t come without some frustration. I just need more experience and I’m sure it’s so much easier to use than it seems right now. After seeing the final sketch, the box was looking good, but it needed something more unique to make it stand out from other designs. I considered inlay and other techniques for the top, but decided that this is a perfect opportunity to laser engrave a graphic design into the top of the box. I came up with the idea to put line work of various diamond cuts. I designed those and began to build this thing!

2. Build
A couple days later… and a trip or two to Rockler to pick up wood and felt, I got started cutting out the pieces. Obviously couldn’t have my 4 year old in the shop for some of this, but I made little projects for her to help out… we played with hammers and nails, put the ear protection, shop glasses and dust mask on and off etc. I planned to have her help more later in the process (sanding and finishing). The ends of the box are approximately 2.5 wide which made is extra hard to cut the box joints on the router. Several discarded pieces of walnut prove this! Finally, I got everything cut out and dry fit. I glued it up and and sanded the top so that I could take it to Metrix Create Space to have them laser engrave the top. It turned out great. I enlisted Sophia to help me out with sanding and she loved playing with the air compressor blower. All in all, we spent another hour together fiddling around in the shop. And, she’s super excited to wrap this up and give to mom.

3. Finish
I love the raw walnut, but decided to make it several shades darker by mixing 50/50 with dark walnut stain and thinner. The last thing to do is to put a few coats of low VOC finish on it. I’m going to try out this product from ecohaus (vermont natural). I have heard good things about it. I’ll let you know!

That about covers it. Photos will be posted next week!

This wood iPad stand has a modern design style, featuring Apple plywood and aluminum bracket that can be mounted to a wall or simply sit on your desk. This is a great stand, especially if you’re looking for a hand made, unique and contemporary design style that is usable and more unique than the standard high tech looking stands currently available. The viewing angle is adjustable, vertical to horizontal. An easy to use thumb knob on the back allows you to adjust the aluminum stand to a horizontal or vertical viewing angle. The design allows for easy access for your USB connector and most audio jacks.

The aluminum bracket can simply sit on any surface or can be mounted to a wall or table top**.
**Note, if you are planning to mount the iPad1 stand in the landscape position, you will need to order a shorter bracket which can be purchased for $10.

Each piece is finished with a durable low-VOC water based topcoat.

PRODUCT DETAILS:
3/8 inch Apple plywood and aluminum
Adjustable thumb knob
Easy access for your USB connector and most audio jacks
Adjustable viewing angles
Low VOC satin finish
1st Generation iPad (iPad1)

PRICE:
$79.00 USD + Shipping
Discontinued

OUR STANDS ARE BUILT AFTER YOU PLACE YOUR ORDER.
Typical time frame is 2 weeks plus shipping. If ordering from outside the US, additional shipping charges will apply. Learn more about our shipping or contact us .

Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or are interested in bulk orders and associated lead times.

Modern Wood iPad Stand

Back of Wood iPad Stand

Shown with iPad in the Horizontal Position

Shown with iPad in the Vertical Postion

Thanks to WOD Club and Northwest Crossfit for their orders! We are excited to see iPads around the gym for easy access to members daily workout information. How cool to be able to upload my crossfit wod time right from the gym! Nice idea and kudos to WOD Club for developing a great iPad application for Crossfit workout tracking.

Modgrain is not responsible for theft or damage to iPads or iPad stands.

Wood iPad Stand by modgrain

Wood iPad Stand (Cross X) by modgrain

This is a beautifully designed modern wood iPad stand that features an aluminum bracket that can be mounted to a wall or simply sit on your desk. This is a great stand, especially if you’re looking for a hand made, unique and contemporary design style that is way cooler than the metal and plastic stands currently available. The viewing angle is 45 degrees and can be mounted for vertical or horizontal iPad presentation. The design integrates a thumb knob on the back for easy adjustments to either viewing angle. There is a 1 inch zinc coated flat bolt countersunk in the center of the final stand that is not present in the above photos. The design allows for easy access for your USB connector.

Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or are interested in bulk orders and associated lead times.

A new product prototype in the works! I’ve been asked by Wodclub to design a custom iPad stand or dock. Something made out of wood vs. the standard, plastic/rubber stands that are commonly used with iPhones and iPods. My client wanted something a little more urban and environmentally friendly. Below is a quick sample drawing of where I’m headed with the design. The “X” shape is inspired by “Crossfit”. The stand must do two things…hang from a wall or sit on a desk or common area throughout Crossfit Gyms. Trainers need easy access so they can record a members time or load quickly and efficiently into the Wodclub’s Crossfit workout tracker. The design also allows a trainer to grab the iPad from any of the four sides of the stand. If you’re spending $500 for a iPad, it makes sense to have a safe place to set it!

I’m working on a variety of ways to put this together, including laser cutting the back and designing an aluminum bracket that will attach to a wall or sit on a desk. Stay tuned for updates.

I’ve been working on a design for a Modgrain nameplate. Over 5 prototypes and modified type treatments to get to this. It’s lasercut into a 3mil piece of plywood. Thanks to my friend Dave at David Cole Creative who recommended this cool little shop Metrix Create : Space to do the cutting. They were super helpful and nice to work with. I’m excited to attach this signature detail to each piece of furniture.

I have been thinking about this design and alternative ways to make the cabinet front unique. I have so many ideas, from silk screening on wood, to typography and other materials. Another interesting approach would be to mount a canvas to the door. On one or both sides! It could be any image, from original artwork to a personal or stock photo or illustration digitally printed on canvas.

I recently had a photo that I took digitally printed to canvas and stretched to a frame for my wall… It turned out great. With so many options to consider, I’ll definitely be exploring more in the future. We’re going to have fun with this one! Please contact us if you are interested!

PRODUCT DETAILS:
Size: 60″L x 18″D x 18″H
Materials (suggested): Bamboo and walnut plywood, perforated aluminum, European sliding door track, canvas

PROJECT ESTIMATE:
$1500-$2500* USD (plus shipping.)

*Cost will vary depending on the type of artwork requested.

I just designed this for a friend. They wanted a longer bench to go in their entry way. One that they could sit on and take their shoes off…. and also double as a place to put the shoes to dry out. The design incorporates the cork mosaic look for the doors, bamboo plywood and perforated aluminum for ventilation through the backside. The design/pattern can be almost anything, however a simple solution is usually the strongest. Turns out, I did a couple options… one that might appeal to her (flower), and one that might appeal to him (stripes).

PRODUCT DETAILS:
Size: 60″L x 18″D x 18″H
Materials (suggested): Bamboo plywood, cork, perforated aluminum, European sliding door track

PROJECT ESTIMATE:
$1500 USD (plus shipping and tax in WA)

This is a project inspired by the cork side cabinet that I recently built. I have been thinking bout this design execution with the red stripes as a signature style for a while now. The biggest hurdles have been, what materials I should utilize. For my first prototype, I’ve settled on walnut or bamboo plywood, cork fronts with red acrylic or walnut veneer. I’ve been sourcing materials and am hoping to build one soon. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested!

PRODUCT DETAILS:
Size: 60″L x 18″D x 24″H
Materials (suggested): Bamboo plywood for the outer box. Maple plywood for the shelves and bottom. European style hinges and magnetic click latches for the doors.

PROJECT ESTIMATE:
$2000 USD (plus shipping and tax in WA)