02/24: Desk Stand

I injured my ankle last week and have spent the interim sitting at desks with one leg propped up in a full recline, and it has made it difficult to get much work done. I probably can’t blame procrastination on my posture, but I’d like to and will continue to do so for the near future. My injury has got me thinking about a project I wanted to get done weeks ago. I wanted to build an adjustable stand which would let me use my laptop while seated or raise it to allow me to stand while working. Many articles have been written about the benefits of standing while working, or rather the potential dangers of sitting for a third of the day. My old solution was a box:

I found a promise for a $20, 20 minute DIY solution on one website, but it was an ikea table with some brackets. Wired magazine had a review of a $349 option too.  I’d like to make one for about $30 and hopefully less than 4 hours. The plan is for some 1/4″ plywood to be attached with examples of the adjustable strut designed last year for the deployable space frame. A lock on one of the struts should make the whole platform rigid, but I’m not sure how to detail the fasteners and connections to resist rotational forces.