My DIY ergonomic journey workstation with aluminum and magnets
Ever since shifting from NYC to SF to work at Anthropic I’ve been visiting NYC and dealing remotely very often. So I designed myself a journey workstation that lets me get one of the best of ergonomics and packability.
It features a few off-the-shelf objects, and a custom-designed laser reduce aluminum keyboard case that doubles as a lap-board to carry my keyboard and trackpad:
I can use the keyboard and Magic Trackpad on a desk or on my lap, with the folding laptop stand protecting the display at a cushty top. The keyboard is a Sofle Choc I soldered collectively from a equipment, modified with Purpz low force switches which I discover far more comfy than standard-force, and nice!nano wireless controllers.
The case solely value round $40, regardless of being made out of three completely different profiles made from very strong 2mm thick aluminum plate and solely ordering two. It seems SendCutSend is a magical service that provides ridiculously low cost {custom} laser slicing of a number of supplies with lower than one week turnarounds.
I’ve now been utilizing it and touring with it for a lot of months and it’s been actually nice. I’m not conscious of any related off-the-shelf setup that mixes an excellent gentle good ergonomic keyboard with a Magic Trackpad on a lap board, that may be protected by a sturdy carrying case.
Reworking with magnets
The entire thing makes use of tons of little neodymium magnets super-glued in to the plates and gel taped to the electronics, to permit simply shifting between the lap board configuration and a sturdy carrying case configuration to place in my bag. The keyboard halves snap into two completely different positions, one unfold out and one other nearer collectively absolutely contained in the case. The highest half of the case additionally snaps on with magnets, with tabs to carry it in place horizontally.
The Magic Trackpad is much extra strong than the keyboard PCBs so I shove it in a distinct small pocket of my bag.
Different setups
I may use it to create a really comfy reclined working setup by combining the lap board with a comfy recliner and a recliner laptop stand. The shows on fashionable Macbooks are actually good and make this type of setup a very comfy means to make use of a pc. The stand arm simply swings out of the best way, and I place the lap board on the facet desk after I wish to use the chair usually.
Or mix it with a standing desk:
Optimizing sleeping on flights
My different large journey optimization has been taking in a single day flights and sleeping on them, which I didn’t used to have the ability to do with out waking up always resulting from my neck hurting. I first principally solved this utilizing a trtl pillow, which in contrast to traditional airplane pillows doesn’t constrict my neck blood circulation and truly permits me to lean my head to the facet.
Then my coworker beneficial getting a medical foam cervical collar, which was even higher and fully eradicated my neck ache sleeping on flights. I first received one which was too quick, after which discovered the one I linked which suggests the right way to measure your chin top and presents a bigger dimension. That one can also be black which seems much less medical.
If you happen to don’t like normal foam ear plugs, I additionally advocate making an attempt wax ear plugs which you form right into a pancake over your ear opening. They really feel bizarre otherwise which is much less stuffy and extra comfy for me.
Extra element
I did my design in Fusion 360, and the primary model I ordered was only a lap board, which I then needed to hack including a magic trackpad mount onto with out fairly sufficient area by stacking it on some hardboard:
I had the combo case/lapboard thought for the second model, and at first I deliberate to have an similar prime and backside plate. However SendCutSend costs are larger the extra holes you need them to chop, so particularly given I used to be additionally ordering a case for a good friend, it was cheaper (and nicer trying) to have a separate prime and backside plate. The little indents on the facet of the case have been for in case the magnets didn’t work effectively and I wanted to maintain it closed by sliding elastic ribbons over it. You possibly can obtain the DXF recordsdata if you wish to get them organized your self here
I then assembled it utilizing cyanoacrylate glue, 6mm neodymium magnets, and double-sided gel tape to connect the magnets to the keyboard and trackpad. I wanted to make use of sticky tack on the again of the magnet holes whereas placing the glue in so it wouldn’t run out. I additionally put neoprene foam on the again of the case to make it comfy and grippy on my lap or the desk. I additionally strengthened the spacer joints with sizzling glue after super-gluing them, for redundancy at the price of aesthetics. It took about 2 hours to assemble the case.
Earlier than assembling it, I used a sharpie via the holes to mark dots on the again of the electronics, in order that I might superglue magnets in place. I had to verify to get the polarity of the magnets proper in order that the keyboard snapped in each positions. I went with reverse polarity on the left and proper sides, that means I can connect the keyboard halves to one another for a lighter extra fragile keyboard-carrying setup, and likewise kind-of connect the Magic Trackpad to the again of the case whereas it’s closed (I solely considered this after, the middle magnets harm this).
Extra on the Sofle Choc keyboard equipment
The keyboard equipment took me round 3.5 hours to solder. I’m actually pleased with the low power Purpz switches. I began utilizing low power switches again with my original keyboard build after I had RSI points and I believe they made a noticeable distinction then, and these days I nonetheless discover them extra comfy. I’m not glad about soldering within the rotary encoders, I by no means use them and so they add top, however I can’t actually take away them now. The wireless controllers have been good for a bit, and it’s good to not have a cable between the edges, however the battery lifetime of the first half is dangerous and I tousled the pairing a bit, so I principally use it with a cable these days, this can be fixable. I’m fairly pleased with the Sofle Choc total, the thumb keys are comfy near the primary keyboard and it has a number of them, though the thumb keys all being in a line could make it exhausting to hit the appropriate one relative to extra clustered designs.
Different enjoyable with SendCutSend
I haven’t actually executed any bloggable programming tasks this 12 months, as a result of I’ve been doing extra {hardware} stuff (and extra socializing).
Another stuff I’ve made with SendCutSend has included some prototype backing plates for the tremendous vibrant LED lighting bar I’m designing:
I’ve additionally experimented with utilizing DALL-E to ask for “minimalist black and white line artwork”, utilizing vector tracing software, then cleansing up and modifying the design in Inkscape. This lets me create {custom} laser reduce steel wall artwork cooler than I might design myself. Proven beneath are a powder-coated metal signal for a joke group home identify, and brass snakes I helped make for somebody:
