January 1, 2023
Description
I couldn't find a vertical clamshell stand that meets my requirements, so I made my own. Fits the 14-inch and 16-inch M1 Pro/M1 Max MacBook Pro (2021 model), and is designed to be used with adhesive non-slip rubber feet.
Beta version note:
The 16-inch version has not been tested yet, but it should work as the only difference is the thickness/width of the cutout slot where the MacBook Pro sits. If you've successfully printed and used the 16-inch version of this stand, do let me know or post a Make!
As always, print and use this at your own risk. This stand is intended for light/medium workloads only. It has worked well for me, but I do not and cannot take responsibility for any failures or damage to your computer/property.
Laptops can get very hot during heavy workloads. There is a very real possibility that a 3D printed stand may warp and fail at high temperatures. Take all necessary precautions! If you are regularly running your laptop hot, I strongly suggest using a metal/aluminium stand instead.
There are two 3MF model variants included:
Note that you can use this latter model with your own measured thickness of rubber feet by chopping off the excess amount of bottom vertical height in PrusaSlicer via the Cut tool, like so:
I've included the source files in case you want to make your own bespoke versions/remixes. I'm still a F360 novice so please excuse the messy design, but I have used Parameters wherever possible so you can readily adjust most of the dimensions.
For example, the default RubberFeetThickness is 2.8 mm. Set this to 0 mm if you don't plan on adding any rubber feet.
The LaptopHeightOrThicknessOfficial determines the thickness/width of the cutout slot that the laptop rests in, and can be set to either MBP14Inch2021Height or MBP16Inch2021Height, or your own custom value. You can adjust this if you use a protective case around your MBP, or if you're making a remix for a different laptop. A default LooseTolerance value of 0.4 mm is then added on top of this to allow the laptop to be readily inserted/removed without friction. You can shrink the tolerance value to 0.2 mm if you want a very tight fit with less wobbliness.
ArcThickness is currently set to 8mm — you can increase this value if you want a chunkier and more substantial stand; this also determines the surface area of the two supporting beams that the laptop rests on.
MaxArcOuterLength defaults to 122 mm for both the 14" and 16" 2021 MBPs and is equivalent to the distance between the two outer exhaust vents. This is then used to calculate the actual length of the arc and distance between the supporting beams that hold the laptop up, without blocking any of the rear exhaust vents. You can adjust this if you have a different model of laptop.
(ignore the tiny size of the stand in the photo above, this is an optical illusion caused by perspective and distance)
The provided 3MF files include the default recommended print settings and print orientation:
I strongly recommend using PETG (or even ABS) for better heat resistance, instead of PLA. I find that functional prints like this are best produced hot and slow – I print at 45 mm/s at 245 °C nozzle and 80 °C bed temperature with eSUN PETG, on the Prusa textured PEI powder-coated spring steel sheet.
Estimated print time with these settings is 5.5 hours, utilising 61 g of filament.
I strongly advise against using silk/extra shiny filaments for functional prints like this as they tend to be weaker/brittle.
A big thank you to Redditor titleunknown for helping me out by providing air vent measurements for the 16-inch 2021 MBP.
License:
Creative Commons — Attribution — Noncommercial
44sunsets
