Summary

Open the holder, insert your tablet, and establish connection to IBM ThinkPad keyboard and TrackPoint.

Limitations

• Electronics for establishing connection, e.g. via Bluetooth, is not ready. In the box in the back of the holder there is space for Arduinos.
• As of March 2014, it has not been built.

Instructions

Gallery images show assembly step by step. See also the Rhino 3D file. To open the file, as of mid 2014, you may download a 90 days trial version of Rhino. Please help me lobby for a free maker edition of Rhino.

Possible sources for parts (as of March 2013)

• Laser cut aluminum parts: 247 Tailorsteel
• Keyboard and hinges: used ThinkPad X4x
• Screws: used ThinkPads X4x and T4x
• Glue for aluminum: Weicon RK-1500 construction glue available at Modulor as item #175500
• Neodymium magnets: eBay
• Feet: Modulor item #303602 (bumper, self-adhesive elastic spacer transparent, h = 1.9 mm, d = 6.4 mm)
• 3 mm flat aluminum profile: 10 x 3 mm AlMgSi0.5 profile available at alu-verkauf.de.
• 1 mm flat aluminum profile: alu-verkauf.de 1 mm AlMg3 plate
• L-shaped aluminum profile: alu-verkauf.de 10 x 10 x 2 mm AlMgSi0.5 profile
• Distance plate: Modulor item #548634 (Forex Classic PVC foam board, 3.0 x 250 x 500 mm, black)
• Wooden bezel: Modulor items #267321 and #267303 (right-angled pear tree wood moulding strip, 2.0 x 5.0 mm and 2.0 x 2.0 mm)
• Wood paint: Modulor
• Light pipe: Modulor item #133420 (Acrylic glass GS transparent, 2.00 x 115 x 240 mm)
• Tape: Modulor item #155826S (Tesa fabric adhesive tape, 38 mm wide, black)
• Foam rubber: Modulor item #317464L (Foam rubber sealing strip, self-adhesive 2 x 10 mm, black)
• Micro USB receptacle: Amphenol MUSB-K152-30 available at element14 with order code #523-MUSB-K152-30
• RGB LED: element14 order code #2354239 (Kingbright KAF-5060PBESEEVGC)
• Slider: Song Huei SL-20V sliding potentiometer available on request at F.K. Kobler Industrievertretungen

Tools

• Grinder / File for creating shallow channels in aluminum and distance plate, for accommodating FCC.
• Saw and drills for preparing distance plate and wooden bezel.
• Drill for M2 core holes in aluminum.
• Tap for M2 threads in aluminum.
• Screw driver for M2 Phillips screws.

Resources for rendering

• Model of ThinkPad X4x keyboard & TrackPoint, available on GrabCAD.
• Tablet model, available in raw form on GrabCAD. For rendering, materials have been added, etc.