Our three exciting updates:

1. Tilting feature for customer interaction
2. Free logo etching. Seriously.
3. Super sleek, 100% acrylic version

1. Tilting feature

Once you (the seller) swipes the customer’s credit card, you’ll then need to turn the screen over to them to sign their name. To do this, we’re incorporating a swivel in the post so you can quickly flip the screen to face the customer. The iPad display would re-orient itself quickly to be right side up.

Why is tilting the iPad better than swiveling the base?
Tilting the iPad is a simpler and more elegant solution. Unlike a swiveling base, the motion is swifter, and you actually get a hard stop. We’re building it to be robust enough to go back and forth hundreds of times, and we’re also putting in a cushion so it lands well on both sides.

How much will this cost?
Because the Square app requires the customer to sign a credit card transaction, it will soon come standard on all of our register stands. Putting in a tilting frame is extra work, so we’ll need to raise the price $25 to cover for the extra labor. If you don’t need the feature, now’s a good time to get one.

When is this feature coming out?
Mid to late May. It’s available now!

2. Free logo etching

We were originally charging extra for laser etching, but now we’re throwing it in. Why? Because know the challenges of starting a small business. Branding is important (and often expensive), and there’s no better place to put it than at the point of sale.


The Tinkering Monkey logo won’t even show to the customer – it’s hidden behind the iPad, just so you have a reminder that it came from our little workshop :)

3. 100% Acrylic version

The 100% glossy acrylic version is coming out soon, and it’s seriously going to rock. Because they’re acrylic, they’re going to cost more, they are going to be sleek! You’re going to love them.

The acrylic version will come standard in black and white, but we like doing custom work, so for an extra fee, we’re going to offer it in a rainbow of colors.

Let’s Keep in Touch

As always, feel free to email us at hello@tinkeringmonkey.com for any questions or comments. Thanks for all of your feedback, and being patient while we work on developing an awesome register stand for you.
—Mike & Paula

We find that the easiest way to take orders is using the Square Register app on our iPad. However, holding the iPad all night with the fragile Square card reader sticking out of the headphone port is not ideal. We wanted a station where we could secure the iPad and protect the protruding card reader—both from bumps and possible sticky fingers. The station had to be easy to use, and have a simple aesthetic.

The Square Register Stand has been a huge help to us. We think it could be useful for other small businesses as well, which is why we’re offering it in our shop. Buy the Square Register Stand »

About Square

We’re huge fans of Square. If you’re a small business like us, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about. Square is a company that makes wonderfully simple iPhone and iPad apps that lets you take payments anywhere. After installing the app, you can request the company to mail you a free credit card reader that plugs into the headphone port of your device.

They recently launched Square Register (see video), which is a more robust version of their point-of-purchase app, made specifically for the iPad. This is what we’re using at our next open studio event, and what we designed the Square Register Stand to work with.

Our Goals

1. Stability
One of the most important goals for us was stability. Having the iPad and Square reader securely mounted in place is essential for making credit card swiping easy. We also wanted to reduce the risk of dropping this expensive piece of equipment.

2. Simple Design
We believe that good design should be beautiful, simple – and sometimes, invisible. It needs to fit into a variety of different environments, from a local coffee shop, to a booth at a faire.

3. Security
Using an iPad as a point of sale station is useless if it isn’t secure. We wanted to be able to enclose the iPad in a strong case, and bolt it onto a counter if we need to.

4. Customization
Any fixture that is added to a store should echo the seller’s brand. We wanted to be able to provide the stand in different colors and materials, and allow a logo to be laser engraved on any flat surface.

5. Affordable
Some small businesses don’t have a lot of money starting out. Trust us, we know. We wanted to make something that looks professional and trustworthy, without breaking the bank.

Making the Pieces

I start by ripping strips of Baltic Birch plywood on the table saw. These are the foundation for the frame around the iPad, along with the central post that elevates everything off of the stand.

Blade height and accurate cuts are critical with this project.

I simply used an already cut piece of wood to set the blade at the same height again.

By milling the wood strips in long pieces, I am able to produce many parts in a short amount of time.

Router

A variety of trim bits are needed to mill out the space for the Square reader.

Jigs made from 1/4″ laser cut acrylic ensure that cuts will be quick, accurate, and repeatable.

It’s always a good idea to remind yourself of cut direction when using a router–especially if the bit is this far extended!

The bit is set to roll against the jig and cut away the wood.

If you manage to remove a finger in this process, there is always a lot of sawdust around to pack the wound.

The glossy acrylic usually has a small static charge that dust clings to. I’ve found that lightly sanding things like these jigs reduces that charge.

The router leaves a little bit of fuzz around the cut that is easily removed with some sand paper.

Putting it Together

I made a second jig from acrylic to route the pocket to provide clearance for the back of the Square reader.

The reader protrudes a little beyond the back of the ipad during normal use. This pocket is precisely milled to support the back of the reader, which prevents unwanted twisting.

I’m dry fitting the joints to make sure everything fits before gluing.

Looks like it just might work!

The additional rail that surrounds the reader is precisely milled to match the credit card slot. This creates a nice guide track to swipe a card with minimal alignment.

Finished Result

I’m proud of how it came out. Even though this is a first prototype, we’re very happy with how well it is already working.

I removed most of the wood from the frame to allow the charging cable to connect.

A triple stack of the plywood is passed through the router to create a minimal, yet ultra sturdy support post. You can see here that we’re still experimenting with the final solution to key in and lock the end cap after inserting the iPad.

There is enough clearance to slip the iPad into the frame without stressing the wood or putting pressure on the iPad. Tight tolerances and precise measurements during production keep things from slipping around.

After inserting the iPad and Square reader, snap on the end cap to secure everything in place.

The end cap doubles as a guide to help with card swipes.

Swiping in both up and down directions is very easy.

See more photos »

Something a little different was in order, so I started sketching a few concepts up. The main idea behind an ink blotter is securing a strip of blotting paper over a curved surface so it can be rolled across freshly penned script. The archaic look of traditional ink blotters didn’t make much of a statement, especially if it is meant to be kept out on the desk. Compact forms and a different way of attaching the clamping top gave this blotter a fresher look without compromising functionality.

How it Works

The curve is not a half-circle. I made it as two conics that are tangent at the center, giving the blotter a bit of a flatter middle that gradually increases in curvature toward the ends. This gave the rolling action a nice slow pace at the middle, and allowed the blotter to engage and disengage at any comfortable angle without exceeding the edge.

The paper is very secure with just a small amount of pressure from the curved plywood piece. I considered adding textured material to the top of the main body where the paper wraps, but it was not necessary.

Wooden body

I wanted to be sure the curve of the blotter was perfect and symmetrical. I used a cad drawing as a glue-on template for cutting out the cross section.

I used a bandsaw to cut as close to the template as possible. Three pieces of Hickory were cut and stacked to create a thicker block.

I cut a slot for the steel bar to fit into the block before gluing up. After dry fitting the bar, I glued and clamped the three pieces overnight.

These Jorgensen Gear Clamps have quickly become my favorite new clamp. The exert an incredible amount of pressure very quickly with a squeeze on the handle. The only thing I’d change is making the rubber scuff pads have some sort of mechanical attachment point to keep them from constantly slipping off.

I belt sanded the outside to match up all three layers with each other.

A large diameter drum on the spindle sander took care of the inner curve.

After final sanding, the block was looking very nice. The Hickory’s end grain is very hard, perfect for a rolling surface.

Veneer

I wrapped the base in cling wrap and glued up 10 layers of veneer on top of it. When gluing your own plywood pieces, make sure the grain alternates on each layer to provide plenty of strength and structure.

I used a series of clamps at first, but the most important bit was the weighted leather strap that pulled down evenly on the veneer stack. I eventually took the clamps off and just let the belt do most of the work.

After the glue dried for a day, I cut the curved plywood to proper size on the band saw. Always be careful when cutting something like this on a bandsaw to keep contact with the table or throat plate while cutting. Never cut something “in the air” on a bandsaw.

Metal and peg

I used a ball peen hammer to create a handmade look on the steel bar. The original extruded look was too cold and manufactured looking.

I heat blackened the steel to help resist rusting before applying a clear coat on top.

The steel was cut to the exact height needed for lightly pressurizing the plywood and glued into the lower portion of the ink blotter.

I made a pin out of walnut just to add a little contrast to the top of the blotter. I just got a Grizzly mini lathe a few months ago, and look for any excuse to use it.

The peg is held in place by the pressure of the plywood arc. It doesn’t need to seat fully into the steel bar to be effective.

Finishing up

I test fitted everything and lightly sketched some lines where I wanted the finger groove to go.

Some quick worth with my RO sander and we have grooves!

A few coats of wipe-on gloss polyurethane seals and protects the wood.

I used the laser to engrave “SS” in the corner. A symmetrical character was chosen so it would read properly in both up and down orientations.

The finished engraving had great color contrast and depth in the plywood top.

Ready for some serious blotting action!

The sign is made from etched acrylic, mounted into a walnut base lined with SMD LEDs to illuminate the etching.

Making it

This is how it looks right after the laser etching, with the protective brown paper still on the clear parts. The wavy bit is just cellphone camera distortion.

I’m trying to figure out how big the walnut base should be.

I used green edge acrylic for a glass look. This is one of my favorite acrylics to work with. It’s cast, so etchings comes out crisp and opaque, while cutting leaves a glossy edge.

The sign is lit by SMD LEDs that I found on Amazon. They can be cut to any length and have leads soldered back on. I was worried about hot spots, but the LEDs were mounted close enough together to provide uniform light.

The finished piece

The acrylic is wedged into a routed slot using a thin spacer. By avoiding any glue, I can remove the acrylic piece if necessary to change the LED strip or repair broken wiring.

The etching is on the front of the sign, but I think flipping the image and etching the backside would have been even better.

I was really pleased with how clean the final sign looked. The walnut base / green edge acrylic combination really gave it a classy look and kept it from looking like a pancake house daily specials sign.

A thin metal toggle switch hides behind the acrylic. The silver color and thin profile are not too obtrusive on this simple form.

I drilled two holes that intersected to install the wiring and switch. I sealed the wire in with some epoxy, along with a quick disconnect near the sign. College can be a rough time on electronics, so I wanted to bulletproof the delicate parts as much as possible.

Small rubber feet elevate the sign for a floating effect.

Lighting it up

The blue LEDs border on the UV side of things, giving the sign an interesting purple-blue coloring.

Happy brother…

…happy DJ!

What’s a hurling stick?

Here’s a video of a hurling game. Hurling is a high-speed Irish sport that combines baseball, hockey, and lacrosse. It’s believed to be one of the world’s oldest field games.

We actually paid a visit to their office in San Francisco to pick up the sticks and see where they would be hung up.

They were looking to hang up the hurling sticks in a “X”, like you would see in a bar.

The stick is called a hurley. it’s made from the base of the ash tree, near the root. That explains the interesting curved grain pattern you see at the end of the stick.

Finishing

The hurleys come as rough, unfinished wood. It looked like the were shaped using a rasp or Shur Form tool, especially near the foot. Since this was to be a sign on the wall, I wanted to take that rough surface down to a smooth, beautifully glossy one.

The random orbital sander is a magical tool. It’ll remove the wood as efficiently as a belt sander, but without the nasty scrape marks. It is my go-to sander when something needs a little extra elbow grease.

I installed small eyelets for Engine Yard to hang the hurleys on the wall. Both sticks are not very heavy, so lightweight hardware was all that it required.

Three screws and wood glue hold the crossed sticks permanently together. I increased the contact area by belt sanding a shallow valley in the rear stick to match the curvature of the front stick. I then countersunk three screws so they wouldn’t rub against the wall once the sticks are hung up.

Laser Etching

The laser etchings came out great! We positioned the logos to follow the direction of the stick, and did a deep etch to add some dimension to the piece.

We’re thrilled at how the piece turned out. This is just one of the many interesting custom orders that we have coming in lately. If you have an interesting project for us, let us know! Contact us for custom orders »

So, I made this routed pocket tray from a slab of Walnut. You can see the increased scale if you notice how much smaller the blue box on the right looks compared to the original photo.

The Walnut slab still has the natural bark edge along the top, just like our Honest Abe coat racks. I wanted to contrast the natural wood by making the pockets very rectilinear and perfectly aligned to each other.

Four large hollows take care of various pocket items and a thin slot for pens and pencils runs full width along the bottom. I noticed a lot of receipts and paperwork in the photo that my dad sent, so I made an open ended shelf on the right. A marble paperweight keeps them tidy and has our family name, “Cheung” engraved on the top.

The only piece of wood I had on hand that was big enough to make the tray had a small fracture in the end. I filled it with a little walnut flavored wood filler, but the colors didn’t match up. I was worried about adding stain and making it worse than a thin line.

The deep pockets can hold quite a lot. The rounded interior edges help with picking up small things like coins or pogs.

As any tool lover knows, a new project is really just an excuse to buy a new tool. This tray called for a specialized router bit called a…bowl and tray router bit. I used our laser cutter to cut the pocket template from 1/4″ MDF. I then used Permacel double stick tape to firmly attach it to the Walnut slab. The router bit has a bearing at the bottom of the cutter that rolls along the precisely laser cut template while the orange part cuts away the wood below.

One of the many cool features of a co2 laser cutter is the ability to engrave stone. This was the first time I tried it, and the outcome was just as crisp and deep as engraving wood. The laser beam pulverized the marble, leaving a white powdery residue. After washing the powder away, the deeply carved character really stood out.

Merry Christmas, Dad!

While we were searching for options, we came across these panels at Ikea that really spoke to our love of natural materials. Not to mention that each panel came at a very long length (they’re meant to be cut to your window size) and they were only $9.99/ea. Score! It also turned out that having three separate panels was more useful than just one, so that we could access the light switch in the back.

The white shade is called Anno Amorf which is made from strong fibrous white paper, and the tan panels are called Anno Stra, which is made out of straw.

Being a designer means solving problems and finding opportunity in constraints. Here’s our finished zen-like dining room with the dramatic backsplash.

It’s nice eating dinner and not having to look at the metal box.

The Board

Using a belt sander to even the board and edging surfaces.

A 1.5″ tall trim of Hickory around the main Alder board added to the visual heft of the shelf. The contrasting border also gave the board a nice finished look.

I routed three long slots to allow the panels to pass through.

Alder was the wood of choice because of its hardwood look without the hardwood weight. I had Ash and Oak in the shop, but they are much heavier for the same size board. Since this would be hanging high above our dining area, I thought lower stress on the mounting hardware would be better.

I bent some aluminum bar stock to create mounting brackets for the shelf. They’re incredibly strong, and the shelf felt completely immobile after installation.

The Blinds

The middle blind comes forward about an inch, just enough to give the piece some depth, while hiding the internet box underneath. We intentionally hung up the white panel backwards, so that the wood ribs would show on the front and echo the tan color on the straw panels.

To finish off the panels, I cut up thin rods of Hickory leftover from another project, and sandwiched the panels in between. The glue is drying here.

The Hickory rods go edge to edge on each of the panels, giving it a nice, minimal look.

Installation

Installing each panel was as easy as threading it through a slot and stapling it to the top of the shelf.

The only challenging part about the installation was getting everything perfectly vertical. Tiny adjustments at the top would skew the length left or right several degrees.

I highly recommend having a convenient shelf to lay your tools down while working on a project!

Finished Project

The entire piece came out HUGE – it measures about 10ft tall and 6.5ft wide.

The white internet box is now successfully hidden, yet fully accessible.

I intentionally cut the slits at the top to be a little wider than necessary. It gives the piece a cascading waterfall effect.

We already had the paper lampshades and vases of willow, which complemented the new wall hanging perfectly. Our choice in lighting and decor is on the tall side, since we have so much vertical space to play with. Everything is symmetrical so we create an illusion of a room, even though we don’t have any walls.

Done. No ugly internet box.

Recycling last year’s costumes saved us a lot of time, and since we’re hanging out with different people this year it’s perfectly acceptable. I am a hillbilly deluxe and Paula is a dancing falafel. See more of her costume here.

I already went as a hillbilly deluxe last year, so I thought I’d add a twist this year. I made these light-up wrist cuffs to go along with my updated back story. They were a last minute addition, quickly made on the laser cutter before heading out to a friend’s house for a Halloween party.

This year, hillbilly me has been abducted by aliens, had my brain removed and filled with secret star navigation maps, and then sent back to earth to keep this valuable data safe while the aliens wage civil war. Trust me, these details are necessary. A good Halloween costume needs to be thought through every possible detail.

The scar was pretty easy to do. I used a bread knife and bit down on a wooden spoon. Not really, because that would hurt. It was a paring knife.

Ok, for reals, I wanted to use rigid collodion, but I couldn’t find any at the last minute. Instead, I used liquid latex. After painting a strip across my forehead, I pinched bumps into it to look like stitches. A little blending and I had a sufficient looking brain swap scar.

Light for the cuffs came from two small LED bike lights. Both are pretty bright and illuminated the etchings on the acrylic all the way around the wrist. I think the effect could be even stronger if I had cut a hole for the light to sit halfway inside the acrylic and shine directly into the edge. Maybe next year?

Gettin’ tractor beamed up to them mother ship.

Yes, I own and regularly wear 90% of this ensemble.

They stole my brains an’ went thata way!

I’m about to catch a falling bag of bricks and hammers in this photo. (It didn’t turn out to be a good idea.)

I think this look might be a little too convincing…I’ll have to go as a crooked wall street banker or Russian billionaire next year.

The sign came out pretty darn close to their logo, if I do say so myself.

I used the file they sent us to laser cut their sign out of wood. The laser cutter cuts thin pieces of wood better, so I cut each letter out four times and glued all the pieces together.

The edges are scorched from the cutting process, but overall, it’s amazingly accurate.

The bottoms of the “e” and “o” had to be sliced off just the slightest bit to allow them to stand on a flat surface.

It’s Paintin’ Time

After being sanded, each of the letters received four coats of high gloss, bright blue paint.

The exclamation mark has a metal rod connecting the two parts together. I thought about using clear acrylic, but the metal rod was less visible.

The letters are done and ready to be packed up and shipped. I can’t wait to hear their reaction!

Special thanks to Kasper Tidemann for being so patient and helpful while we worked on his sign.

But never fear, we will sleep on the kitchen floor and put this in the bedroom if we have to.

After waiting so long, it was pretty nerve wracking to watch the machine teetering on a jiggly lift.

Frankrigo* was really helpful. When he found out there were lasers inside, he giggled and peed a little*, but then calmed down and helped me ease the crate to the ground without a bump. (*might not be true.)

Anyone need some free wood? Hardly any rusty, claw-like nails sticking out in hidden places!

G.Weike the laser cutter. G for Gupta.

Breaker box, power supply, fume evacuation, water pump and bumper stickers go back here.

The Tetris interface looks pretty engineer-y.

Our neighbor came over and helped quite a bit with unpacking and moving the machine.

80 watts of water-cooled laser blasting power takes up three couch cushions.

I really want to shine this in the sky at night.

This is great! It only takes up about 55% of the open workshop space!

The side panels are easy to remove, which will allow our next new business of laser engraving serial numbers on telephone poles to take off.

Going over the details of setting things up.

Our garage will soon look like this. We will have awesome parties. ::untz untz untz:: (Photo from Medgadget)