Space-Saving MacBook Pro Stand

thingiverse

This compact stand raises your laptop up and over your external keyboard, enabling you to use both comfortably in tight spaces. I'm printing this on a MakerBot Replicator 2X -- when printed sideways, the stand fits neatly into the X and Y dimensions, but I've had to scale it down slightly in Z, making the stand narrower than my MacBook Pro, though still incredibly stable. Print Settings: Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer: MakerBot Replicator 2X Rafts: No Supports: No Infill: 20% Notes: Print this sideways (on its edge) and scale to whatever width you'd like (you can print it up to 6.1" wide on a Makerbot 2). It's designed to require no support or raft when printing, and if you're printing on a Makerbot, turn off the brim/skirt too - this will fill the bed completely. How I Created This: I aimed to design a laptop stand that would let me use my amazing IBM Model M keyboard and my MacBook Pro while sitting at my kitchen's breakfast bar, which is just eighteen inches deep. To save space, the laptop had to be lifted up and over my keyboard. I started off by modifying yusufk's Angled MacBook Pro Stand, but as I kept editing it got more and more complex until I realized it would be simpler to design something new from scratch. This stand retains the angle and general shape of his design, but with a smaller base, two vertical supports instead of just one, I kept the stand identical layer by layer (from left to right), allowing you to scale it up or down in width (the Z dimension) without making it look strange. I also added some personal touches! 123D Design makes it very easy to turn straight lines into smooth curves using the filleting tool under "Modify" - I found it really addictive! You can even curve your curves if you want, because...it's worth a try. One technique I used to make experimenting easier was to save multiple copies of the model. This way, I could easily go back and revisit different revisions where pieces were still movable. I could then reposition, merge, and add curves in various ways - it was really helpful.