If you have an iPhone and watch long movies (usually from ripped DVDs) leaving the phone in the dock doesn't cut it, the iPhone needs to be horizontal. I usually have CNN, ABC or a few hours of news on my phone and like to leave it on my desk while I work but you can't watch these in the dock since it's turned the wrong way. Long plane / train trips with a tray made me want to make this too.

So - here's an iPhone stand I made, you can take the file to a place like TechShop in SF or anywhere there's a high powered laser that can cut acrylic. Believe it or not there are lots of these lasers in most cities, definitely at a lot of campuses now too. Universal and Epilog are usually the only two brands you'll come across.

I figured this is a good beginner project for getting starting with your own little "FabLab" like project. Variations on this model will work with other phones too, all depends on the size and dimensions of your phone of course.

I made this stand as a snap-to-together / press fit and it can be reproduced cheap, if anyone designs a better version send me the file and I'll post it up here on MAKE. I put a hole on each leg so the USB cable could fit through, it seems to be a better way to hold the sync/power cable.

Here we go... Get some acrylic, I bought a sheet of 12" x 12" clear acrylic (1/8th" thickness). You can get these sheets at local plastic stores in most big cities or online - Link (McMaster-Carr $6.48). Cast (not extruded) tends to be more scratch resistant and better for projects like this.

Download this file, it's an Adobe Illustrator file (black and white vector line art, included are other formats if needed) - Link (ZIP with AI//CDR/DXF). If you want to make a lot of these just copy and past the 2 shapes over and over.

This is a vector file for cutting chess pieces on a cnc machine or laser cutter.

This is a remake of something that my Dad made when I was a kid. His version was made of wood. Its cool because it makes the belt look like it is defeating gravity!