Using 3D technology like Rhino and Carbide Create to program a CNC wood routing machine, I was able to transform a sheet of plywood into a functional laptop stand with adjustable height.

Constrained to only 300x270mm, I worked on trying to create a design that would be able to incorporate a swivel movement. I wanted to be able to create a large laptop stand that would have customizable height as well as fold for more convenient storage.

Based on my sketches, I cut, folded, and pieced together cardboard strips to test out my designs. I found that the multi-armed, crossing, dual-axis design worked the best.

Creating every piece and cross-section in Rhino was a little tricky, and fitting them all separately onto the 300x270 sheet was a challenge, but it ended up being possible. I made sure the 3D extrusions of these shapes could fit together correctly and made adjustments accordingly.

From there, I needed to make the design become possible via the CNC machine. I planned a tool path to cut out the plywood.

Subsequently, I monitored the CNC cutting and began to make post-processing adjustments to the machined wood.

In order to assemble the final product, I needed to saw out each piece via the tabs left by the machine, sand off any frayed edges or splinters, and drill holes in certain pieces to install the rods that I had planned for since the beginning.

Testing the assembled version allowed me to make a few adjustments with securing the rods with tape and hardware. The final version proved to be functional but also left some room to be desired with placement of certain blocks.