Laptop shelf for a camera stand

Don Kondra

Greetings,

As I mentioned in an earlier post I have purchased a camera stand.

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=230137

In an effort to eliminate even more "legs" I have built an adjustable shelf to hold my laptop.

This prototype may not be upgraded :wink

Construction details are pretty basic so I'll move straight to the shelf at work...



A back view...



Another back view...



Closer view of the height adjustment...



And in storage mode...



The laptop is secured to the shelf with Velcro strips on it's stubby little legs. Please note that After I took the shots I noticed I have "installed" the laptop too close to the center beam. It is actually meant to be 2 1/2" farther right to clear the camera arm at it's lowest position at my shooting table.

Cheers, Don

thegridrunner

As a suggestion, you may want to sandbag the legs or fill them with concrete to make the base heavier. It will make the stand less likely to tip as you add heavier loads to the stand.

ian408

Nice looking table add on.

Don Kondra

Thanks for the suggestion.

With my current set up additional weight is not necessary. E-5/35-100mm is ~ 5#, laptop is 7#.

The stand weights 32# with a 39" footprint and one leg needs to get a good 10" off the floor before it starts to go over

Even with the casters locked a good knock is more likely to send it skidding across the floor and not tip over...

Now if I do decide to add another length of arm and mount a strobe/softbox/etc. I will add some weight.

Cheers, Don

WillCAD

Very nice, Don. What's the material? And will you finish it, or leave it bare? I must confess, I'm a sucker for light woods with light colored stains, always gives a piece a classic furniture look IMHO.

The only suggestion I'd have made is to center the shelf over the arm. I know the laptop is probably heaviest at the hinge, but cantilevered forward as it is, it might tip toward you when you start pressing on the laptop keyboard.

Don Kondra

Thank you.

The material is 7/8" solid curly maple for the interior pieces, 1/2" baltic birch plywood for the top and 3/4" for the frame sides, it will eventually be black

Consider that the weight of the camera and it's arm is easily the same weight as the laptop/tray.

The weight of my arm using the mouse or typing is no where near enough to bend the plywood let alone get it far enough off the floor to tip...

This is a view of the shelf upside down..



Cheers, Don

Don Kondra

ian408 wrote: »

Nice looking table add on.

Thanks Ian !

Cheers, Don

scootac

Don Kondra wrote: »

The material is 7/8" solid curly maple for the interior pieces, 1/2" baltic birch plywood for the top and 3/4" for the frame sides, it will eventually be black

I couldn't figure why you would those materials to build a shelf.
Until I saw your signature line, went to your website and saw your work.


VERY nice!!!

Don Kondra

Thank you !

Cheers, Don

WillCAD

Don Kondra wrote: »

Thank you.

The material is 7/8" solid curly maple for the interior pieces, 1/2" baltic birch plywood for the top and 3/4" for the frame sides, it will eventually be black

Consider that the weight of the camera and it's arm is easily the same weight as the laptop/tray.

The weight of my arm using the mouse or typing is no where near enough to bend the plywood let alone get it far enough off the floor to tip...

This is a view of the shelf upside down..
Cheers, Don

Yeah, I thought it looked like some nice hardwoods. Much better than the cheap pine I use for all of my projects.