A few years ago I saw a smartphone stand that was basically a rubber strap
with an angled notch cut at either end. You bent it into a semicircle and
the phone sat in the notches. Something like this (monospace font
required):
Of course, now I need a smartphone stand I can't find this thing anywhere.
But it's not a lot of work on the laser cutter, so I thought I'd make my
own. I'm not sure what material I need, though; something soft, yet firm
(a bit like a watch strap), and safe to laser cut.
1. Is silicone what I'm after? 2. If not, what other material do I need? 3. Does anyone have an off-cut or small piece I can use for experiments
before ordering a larger sheet?
On Mon, Nov 5, 2012 at 12:26 PM, Alex Pounds <a...@alexpounds.com> wrote:
> Hello,
> A few years ago I saw a smartphone stand that was basically a rubber strap
> with an angled notch cut at either end. You bent it into a semicircle and
> the phone sat in the notches. Something like this (monospace font
> required):
> Of course, now I need a smartphone stand I can't find this thing anywhere.
> But it's not a lot of work on the laser cutter, so I thought I'd make my
> own. I'm not sure what material I need, though; something soft, yet firm
> (a bit like a watch strap), and safe to laser cut.
> 1. Is silicone what I'm after?
> 2. If not, what other material do I need?
> 3. Does anyone have an off-cut or small piece I can use for experiments
> before ordering a larger sheet?
On Mon, Nov 05, 2012 at 01:38:05PM +0000, Adrian Godwin wrote:
> Does it need to be flexible ? Obviously it's got to be bent into a
> curve initially, but you can soon do that to acrylic with a heat gun.
The nice thing about the flexibility is it makes it super-portable; just
throw it in a bag and don't worry about it. (Or stick it in the back
pocket of your moleskine or whatever.) I'd like to keep that property.
It's easily available in thinner sheets from craft shops, you might need
something thicker from a specialist for your job. You might even find an
offcut used as packing material.
You can't cut it on the laser cutter (it's PVC) but it's so easy to cut
with a knife you wouldn't want to bother with that anyway.
On Mon, Nov 5, 2012 at 1:48 PM, Alex Pounds <a...@alexpounds.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 05, 2012 at 01:38:05PM +0000, Adrian Godwin wrote:
> > Does it need to be flexible ? Obviously it's got to be bent into a
> > curve initially, but you can soon do that to acrylic with a heat gun.
> The nice thing about the flexibility is it makes it super-portable; just
> throw it in a bag and don't worry about it. (Or stick it in the back
> pocket of your moleskine or whatever.) I'd like to keep that property.
> It's easily available in thinner sheets from craft shops, you might need > something thicker from a specialist for your job. You might even find an > offcut used as packing material.
> You can't cut it on the laser cutter (it's PVC) but it's so easy to cut > with a knife you wouldn't want to bother with that anyway.
> On Mon, Nov 5, 2012 at 1:48 PM, Alex Pounds <al...@alexpounds.com<javascript:> > > wrote:
>> On Mon, Nov 05, 2012 at 01:38:05PM +0000, Adrian Godwin wrote: >> > Does it need to be flexible ? Obviously it's got to be bent into a >> > curve initially, but you can soon do that to acrylic with a heat gun.
>> The nice thing about the flexibility is it makes it super-portable; just >> throw it in a bag and don't worry about it. (Or stick it in the back >> pocket of your moleskine or whatever.) I'd like to keep that property.
>> -- >> Alex Pounds >> Web Developer & Photographer
> It's easily available in thinner sheets from craft shops, you might need
> something thicker from a specialist for your job. You might even find an
> offcut used as packing material.
Is that standard craft foam? Or is it something different?
There are several craft foams. I think this is the one that's the thickness
and flexibility of felt (though it's springier), not the stiff foam-board.
On Nov 5, 2012 11:38 PM, "Alex Pounds" <a...@alexpounds.com> wrote:
> > It's easily available in thinner sheets from craft shops, you might need
> > something thicker from a specialist for your job. You might even find an
> > offcut used as packing material.
> Is that standard craft foam? Or is it something different?
For watch-strap hardness, you'd be looking at something about 80-shore hardness.
I have some two-part casting rubber at that hardness. If you make up a master in a solid material I could do a casting of it. Or show you how to in the space in a few weeks.
> A few years ago I saw a smartphone stand that was basically a rubber strap
> with an angled notch cut at either end. You bent it into a semicircle and
> the phone sat in the notches. Something like this (monospace font
> required):
> Of course, now I need a smartphone stand I can't find this thing anywhere.
> But it's not a lot of work on the laser cutter, so I thought I'd make my
> own. I'm not sure what material I need, though; something soft, yet firm
> (a bit like a watch strap), and safe to laser cut.
> 1. Is silicone what I'm after?
> 2. If not, what other material do I need?
> 3. Does anyone have an off-cut or small piece I can use for experiments
> before ordering a larger sheet?
