Designing a computer stand on wheels....

[Jesse Cloud]

A friend asked me to build a stand for her Mac. I was all ready to go until she mentioned that she would like to wheel it back and forth between the guest bedroom and another room, over carpet and then ceramic tile.

She also wants it built so you can sit at it with a chair coming under the table.

So I'm concerned. Leaving room for a chair means no stretcher on the front bottom. No stretcher means not much support for the front legs when they are getting pushed across the house.

Not to mention the thing will be somewhat topheavy.

I fear a Mac attack and want to keep my friend. Any ideas?:confused:

[Jamie Buxton]

It is entirely feasible to grab the legs near the top, and only there, and hold them securely enough for your application. Just for instance, think of a table with a 2x12 rail running across the front at the top of the legs, and the the rail fastened securely to legs made from 4x4s. You could roll that thing off a cliff and it would stay together. Of course, you probably don't want to make the stand with 2x12s and 4x4s, because they're too bulky. The question really is how non-bulky you want to make the stand. So tell us the approximate overall dimensions you're aiming for. How wide, how deep, and how tall? Those dimensions also will relate to the second issue you've mentioned -- the tippiness.

[Jesse Cloud]

Thanks Jamie,
The stand I'm sitting at now (non-wheeled) is roughly 30 wide, 20 deep and 31 tall. Lets use that for discussion, maybe take off 2 inches from the height for casters....

[Jamie Buxton]

Here's a sketch to illustrate what I mean. This is pretty much a standard table. It could be made entirely of solid wood, or the top could be plywood instead. The aprons are what hold the legs together, and are what hold them upright even when you kick the bottom. The joints between the aprons and the legs can be mortise-and-tenon, or could even be sliding dovetails. The taller the aprons are, the better the grip that they have on the legs. I've made them 6" tall here, but more would be stronger. To allow you to sit at the computer, I've relieved the apron along the front. It is about 3" tall above your thighs, but that should leave enough room. The front apron is secured to the table top along the top of the apron. That means that the top helps strengthen the front apron where it is relieved. I've made the legs 2"x2" at the top, so there's plenty of meat for the aprons to grab, and tapered them below the aprons, to reduce the bulkiness.

One small thought.. a wider table would give more room to spread out. It also would reduce tippiness as you drive the table around the house, because you'll be driving it in the direction of the long axis of the table.

[Jamie Buxton]

One more thought. The larger the wheels are in the casters, the better they'll roll over little things. For instance, if your wheels were the size of the wheels on your car, they'd just roll over the edge of a rug, but wheels only a half inch tall would get stuck. If you can stand the looks, the bigger the casters, the less likely they'll "stub their toes" as you roll the thing around the house.

[Danny Thompson]

It's a Mac, so don't forget the curves. Aprion and low stringers on the back and sides.

[David Schnegg]

Do you know how to weld? I was trying to find a picture of a really nice decorative castor you could use that I found a long time ago. I can't find it now but came across this picture today...

http://www.thedigipics.com/pics/desk.jpg

[Jamie Buxton]

Do you know how to weld? I was trying to find a picture of a really nice decorative castor you could use that I found a long time ago. I can't find it now but came across this picture today...


Cool! Y'know, you wouldn't have to know how to weld to build something like that. It could be done entirely in wood, and it would be a fun challenge.

Now, whether it would be a practical work station...I dunno. I like to have more desk surface around the computer -- for papers, books, coffee cup, and other stuff. But maybe that's just me.

[Jamie Buxton]

Here are two sources for high-style furniture casters:

http://www.coolcasters.com/index.cfm/category/51/600-series-tech-line-casters.cfm

http://www.mockett.com/default.asp?id=58

They do tend to be at the modern end of the furniture spectrum, but that seems appropriate for a computer stand.

[Randal Stevenson]

Laptop, desktop, iMac?


There could be a design difference because of the screen.

[Ralph Barhorst]

It rolls around real nice. My wife uses it a lot for sewing. Her sewing machine fits well and it is the right height for us.

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=32353

[Jesse Cloud]

Laptop, desktop, iMac?


There could be a design difference because of the screen.

Its a 20 inch IMac. I am concerned about how heavy and tall it is and the curved little foot that holds it up. Think I will need to fasten the foot to the tabletop.

[Jesse Cloud]

Thanks all, especially Jamie.

I really like Ralph's stand. Thinking of going with something like that, maybe with some Appley curves:cool::cool:.

Jamie, those are way cool casters!!

[David DeCristoforo]

Not cheap and nothing to do with woodworking but without a doubt the "coolest" iMac stand ever made:
http://www.amazon.com/Desk-Sitting-Model-Rain-Design/dp/B0009813KE