Looking for constructive criticism on “yet another laptop stand” here. EDIT: This design is for an Apple keyboard and any mouse, not a laptop.
Designed to “side mount” on the back right or left of the Crossfire Pro. See my build thread for where the touch screen is located. It fits a full size modern bluetooth Apple keyboard with a 10"x10" mouse pad area as closely as possible to the machine using the existing frame bolts.
I still need to project the 3D model to get the sketch out. What a pain that is.
I know it makes a nice package to have everything all close together. I bought the lap top stand from Langmuir. I hated the lack of the mouse platform (good for you for adding that) but then I realized, I didn’t want my laptop so close to the action. I now have it on a small table about 12 away from the enclosure and use my remote keypad for positioning torch at the beginning of the cut.
There is a fine metallic dust that showers over everything.
Thank you for the feedback Jim. I have struggled with the dust problem already from welding and woodworking in my small shop. I do plan on adding spark shields to the front and back, and I ordered dust shoe boot brush to line the inside of the sides. I’m hoping that will capture most of the shotgun blast from the top of the arc hitting the steel. For dust, I’m at a loss unless I put the whole machine in a box, which is not feasible in my shop. 12’ away in my shop is more than half any distance.
I am willing to rent 800 sq. ft of shop in Peoria for a reasonable price though…
And keep in mind: my situation is very different from yours. I have my table (when cutting) in the doorway of the garage. I still need to pass by it, going in/out of the garage to move the metal and such. That laptop was always in my way hanging on the edge of the table: Just one more obstacle.
I like that you have an integrated mouse platform. I think that would be an important thing to have with a laptop stand. That being said I don’t use a laptop stand. I have mine setup on a 4 drawer HF tool cart. I store all my plasma related stuff(consumables, hand torch, cables etc.) in it. I can roll it over when I am setting up and roll away when cutting or when finished. Eventually I want to get away from using my laptop at all in the shop. I plan to get a mini PC and couple it with an old monitor I got from work I am going to permanently fix both to the cart.
Yup mine is not a laptop stand per se, I was having fun with that. You may recall my other post and build thread where I have a touch screen and a Mac mini. This model is just to hold the keyboard and mouse.
@72Pony Erik, this is the toolbox where all of my welding and plasma stuff goes [background]. Later, after I build some cabinets, all of the CNC stuff will have its own cabinet which will sit next to the diode laser enclosure. At least in the current plan.
Ordinarily you would bridge to hold the interior parts like the “6” and the “A”. I have not heard of someone using tabs. I stopped using them because it was often too difficult to get my part separated from the metal. And, when you pick tabs, as I remember, it does it for the whole project. You pick the spacing and then it does that “everywhere.”
When you do a bridge, if you are with regular tips and 45 amps, you really need about 0.11 inches of material to be sure it survives the cut.
“Tabs” is used to avoid tipups. Wouldn’t help your letters. I never use it myself.
You would need to bridge those letters in your design program. I usually try to use a 1/8” bridge. I wouldn’t go any smaller than .10 inches in the bridge.
That was Jim that has his by the door.