[JFPNCM]

One of SWMBO’s good friends and quilting partner asked if I could build her a “lap app”, which is quilter speak for a small adjustable stand that either sits on a table or rests in your lap to facilitate hand stitching. From their perspective a beneficial device but not at the advertised price of 69 - 75$ plus shipping. In short, a quick review of the cutoff and hardware bins and a couple of hours of shop time produced one which was deemed most acceptable and was paid for with 2 dozen home baked cookies.
In keeping with the rule of “no good deed” the first time the lap app was taken to a gathering, 5 more were requested based on similar payment terms 😳. The interesting side to this exercise was the opportunity to estimate the cost as materials were acquired. Not surprisingly the cost, including the Baltic birch plywood and hardware came in under 10$/stand. Not bad relative to the selling price. Does that make my labor worth +25$/hour? Doubt it.
The saga continues however with the request for a “clapper”, which sells for 15 - 20$ on the internet. Again a quick visit to the cutoff bin resulted in sufficient bits to glue up into an acceptable block at an estimated cost of less than 10$.
I have no interest in becoming a “manufacturer”, too much like work, but there does seem to be an opportunity here.

 

[JOAT]

You lucky Devil you. You'll never have to buy a cookie for the rest of your life. >

 

[DesertRatTom]

My wife used to be a quilter, so I know how these things can escalate. I don't see any edge banding? Hopefully they'll NOT snag.

 

[RainMan 2.0]

Really nice work Jon !

 

[Stick486]

that gets a major KUDOS...

 

[Herb Stoops]

HAHAHAHHA that is funny John, but you did a good job.
HErb

 

[honesttjohn]

Yay Jon!!!

 

[JFPNCM]

My wife used to be a quilter, so I know how these things can escalate. I don't see any edge banding? Hopefully they'll NOT snag.

Thanks Tom. The ladies will be adding coverings of their own design so there shouldn’t be any snags. All edges were sanded with the edge blocks you had previously recommended.

 

[JFPNCM]

It was a fun little project and one that was roundly appreciated by all recipients, including the recipient of the cookies.

Appreciate the comments.

 

[1fizgig]

Well done, they look great! I understand your "concern" over the sudden influx of orders. But as long as you're having fun and getting something out of it too, then the kudos your wife gets should go a long way to a happy home!

 

[sreilly]

So you end up making multiple units, get tons of cookies, and end up having to start a gym membership. Wheer's the "fair" in that? Hope they are all great cookies........really nicely done.

 

[marecat3]

I would like something like that with a edge on the bottom to hold my painting or needle felting work and keep it up closer to my face. Eyes aren't what they use to be

 

[FlyingSawdust]

Question for "Something Simple"

Great work products that have obviously satisfied your clients. Watch out for the cookies, though. Once on the lips, always on the mid-rift! Seriously though, there are many of us that have developed difficulty in the use of our hands. For us, door levers are easier to turn than door knobs. Similarly, in designing jigs I always use levers instead of knobs, for the same reason. But, overall, your design is great.

What is the gadget in the last image? It appears to have a routed grove on the long edge, and its sides, all around, are slanted at an angle. How did you achieve that angle all around the contraption. Is that the "clapper" you mentioned?

 

[Potowner1]

Very nice job, Jon. The pictures are very clear as to what you did and what materials you used. Do you have any sketches and dimensions available, and if so, would you care to share them. Thank you.

 

[TenGees]

Quilting jigs? Nice work, Jon. You better watch out, Kreg or Milescraft might cut in on your business!

 

[JFPNCM]

@marecat3

I’ve thought about making one with an edge to hold an iPad. It would be a simple addition and if you don’t need it there all the time, I would attach it with a series of pencil sized magnets. By adding a couple in the base the edge could be secured when not in needed.
@FlyingSawdust

That is indeed the clapper. I routed the groove into the side with a bullnose bit before I rounded the ends which created the “angled” appearance. The ends were rounded on the bandsaw and then finished with an oscillating be,t sander.

 

[JFPNCM]

Very nice job, Jon. The pictures are very clear as to what you did and what materials you used. Do you have any sketches and dimensions available, and if so, would you care to share them. Thank you.

Thanks Rick. I don’t have and drawings per se, but hopefully the following dimensions will help:

The base and top: 1/2 x 8 x 12” Baltic birch plywood.
The vertical risers: 2 x 4 x 4” with one end of each rounded so they can pass over eac other easily
The cross pieces: 1/8 x 1 5/8 x 6” poplar with rounded ends although these dimensions depend on how you space the risers. The poplar came from the cutoff bin.
The cross bolts: 5/16 x 3” tee bolts. I added a star washer on the tee end as the bolts tended to slip on tightening and pieces of self sticking sand paper to the cross pieces to eleminate slippage as well
Standard star nuts picked based on feel.

The risers were centered on the base and place at least 1” back from the edge to allow for the covering.

Hopefully these dimensions help. Overall size could certainly be changed and an edge added depending on the use, such as holding an iPad.

 

[Nickp]

Jon...nicely done...you've made many happy faces...but...

You need to change the currency...those cookies are gonna turn into your Achille's heel...once hooked, you're done...

Now, I happen to run a currency exchange outfit where I will certainly entertain the notion of swapping your cookies for my useless bits of wood. Ya think...?

 

[JFPNCM]

@Nickp

As I recall it was having access to a few “useless bits of wood” that landed me in this predicament. ��

Thanks Nick.

 

[JFPNCM]

@Potowner1

Minor error in the description of the materials, the poplar was 1/4” not 1/8”