How I Built A Lap Desk for My Pocket PC!

Brad Isaac · #1 02-24-2004, 12:33 PM

Having a Wi-Fi connected Pocket PC for me has been both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing to be sitting on my couch - far away from my home office, watching American Idol on Fox with my family and still being able to respond to emails and make posts on Pocket PC Addict.

The curse? Well the problem for me is I find myself constantly fumbling with the keyboard, the Pocket PC, and getting into a comfortable position. Not to mention frequently dropping my stylus between the cusions of the couch or my favorite chair.

The solution? That's where an "old-world" solution may be the best solution. The lap desk is an invention from hundreds of years ago that was a necessity for the "Mobile professionals" of the 1700s - yes, people who travelled by horse and carriage had "mobile gear" too! In fact, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence on a Lap Desk! As a side note, Senator John Warfield Johnston of Virginia, 1880 said, "On that desk was done a work greater than any battle, loftier than any poem, more enduring than any monument." So a lap desk may just turn out to be the most important addition to your mobile gear!
Have I got your interest? Well then grab your tools and join me as I show you how I built a lapdesk for my Pocket PC!

bkbroil · #2 02-24-2004, 02:05 PM

Man I love this stuff! Something that I can make and it still counts as a Gadget!

Great job Brad!

Brad Isaac · #3 02-24-2004, 02:14 PM

Thanks! What's funny is my daughter is always swiping it to color in her coloring books. So it is rare that I get to use it. The good news however is that crayons don't stand a chance against the finish!

bkbroil · #4 02-24-2004, 02:16 PM

I just thought of this....I'm not a wood worker (yet)....but if I attempt to create one of these (and I think I'm going to....it'll be great for me and my son)....what would I need to do to add a cup holder?

bkbroil · #5 02-24-2004, 02:17 PM

Wait....better yet....if it was to like a box type desk.....where it would still have the same top....but a little compartment underneath to store the keyboard or pens and stuff...
Hey -- I'm havin' fun with this....I'm thinking of making coloring book desks for my kids...

Brad Isaac · #6 02-24-2004, 02:27 PM

hmm...I'll have to think about the cup holder thingie. But I would highly recommend you keeping the word "heirloom" in mind before taking on a wood project like this. Because it does become furniture in your house. Cup holders tend to diminish value of furniture. So what might work best is to make a lap desk and then fashion a clamp-on cup holder from lamp parts or maybe an auto accessory. I'll look around and see if I can find something.

bkbroil · #7 02-25-2004, 02:00 AM

I found an automobile clip on cup holder that I can use.....This will definetly keep it "heirloom" quality.

Brad Isaac · #8 02-25-2004, 02:13 AM

Ok, where's the link for this?

bkbroil · #9 02-25-2004, 02:18 AM

It's from my great-great grandmother on my father's side. I think it was brought over from Ireland.

bkbroil · #10 02-25-2004, 02:21 AM

Darn-it....I already told you it was for an automobile didn't I. (You won't buy the great great granmother story)
Ok ..here's the link. :?

bkbroil · #11 02-27-2004, 01:19 PM

Quote:

I like to think that every wood project I start might be handed down to future generations so I start with a nice wood. I chose Red Oak for this project because one it has a beautiful grain to it, two because it's rock hard and will last through Pen to paper writing and three because it's what I had on hand

I may be running out to Lowes today and I thought I would pick up some wood. In case they don't have Red Oak what type of wood should I look for? Or does it not really matter, should I just look at what they have and pick the one I think looks nicest?

Brad Isaac · #12 02-27-2004, 02:07 PM

Really, that would depend on your house. My lap desk so perfectly matches the end tables to the couch and to my leather chair, you'd think I bought it as part of a showroom set. (pardon my bragging, but it really does!

)
With that said, wouldn't it be cool to make one out of mahogany? That would be a really nice addition to any home decor.
P.S. you said you might want to make "some" for your kids? If you were looking for the easy way out on that. I'll look around, it seemed I saw something like it at Toys R Us that were 7 bucks or so - not as high quality, but certainly kid-worthy. They could actually write on the top with dry erase markers (I think)

bkbroil · #13 03-18-2004, 01:11 AM

I was so inspired by Brad's lapdesk and the heirloom look of the old wood that I wanted to build one myself...I never found the time to actually do it...so I found one on eBay for $25.... I may still build on myself this summer but if you have the time to build one....It's a great investment...
Mine just arrived and I only got to use it last night before traveling out here to Chicago but I was great..... (The pictures are from the ebay auction and they really don't do it justice...but it's a dark mahogany and I love the fact that the top opens up...the bottom is a black velvet filled with styrofoam beads.)