How to make a portable laptop desk?

Portable laptop desk design with SketchList 3D.

Each week SketchList holds an online training session for SketchList 3D.  In this week’s session, the group designed a replicate of an antique portable laptop desk.

The standard approach to designing in SketchList 3D was applied.  In it there are:

1. Three actions — insert, size, and locate
2. Four tools — mouse drag and click, a form, and a spreadsheet.
3. Details — species look, grain direction, material types, and board shaping.

A few notes about our portable desk:

• We had no dimensions so we guessed at the sizes.
• The content of this class does not address hardware so it was omitted.
• This group has extensive experience designing drawers so we skipped that.

Still, the portable laptop desk project provided a good learning experience for all attendees.  (If you want to try a meeting out sign up on www.sketchlist.com.)

The first approach – one taking designing this wooden laptop desk – was to create the desk with one assembly.  Assemblies organize boards in SketchList 3D.  That first take looked like this.

After the meeting, some changes were made.  I modified the portable laptop desk project to have two assemblies, a top, and a bottom.  This makes it easier to see the portable laptop desk design.  Also now it is possible to ‘open’ the top to reveal the full expanse of the working area.

There are, of course, all types of designs and approaches to desks.  Here is a great link to a plan site with some options.

Now if you are looking for a more substantial wooden desk take a look at this post.