I saw a great DIY project idea on Kickstarter the other day – “Stacks,” which are 1-inch metal cubes for stopping laptop and other charging cables from sliding off your desk.
I’m thinking that I could make something like this myself, maybe even from wood or acrylic.
Advertisement
I wonder how hard it would be to add a ball bearing inside a piece of wood for more weight. A plunged ball end router bit would do the job, right? Maybe there would be two halves glued or epoxied together?
So… yea… they’re selling these metal cubes. But they’re not organizers, they’re works of art. Here are some more of the maker’s words from the Kickstarter campaign:
“We believe that your office/home decor influences your lifestyle. Its elegance inspires refinement, its functionality inspires productivity, and its innovation inspires creativity. We want STACKS to be your agent of inspiration.”
The 1-inch cubes have 1/4″ x 1/4″ channels machined into one side, the edges are eased, and sides appear to have a brushed finish. They’re available in both stainless steel and brass.
(1) cube “reward” requires a $20 pledge, (2) require a $35 pledge, (4) require a $60 pledge, and there are further per-cube discounts for higher pledge and quantity amounts.
Advertisement
Ignoring the Hipster-targeting marketing speech for a moment, Stacks do look like a simplistic but functional solution to common cable movement problems. You can stack 2 on top of each other, or place them side by side, for taming multiple cables.
To be honest, I think that the campaign is really well done, although it sort of betrays the simplicity of the product. Take away the images and the video, and imagine what it could be they’re talking about.
With a router, a saw, and some sandpaper, you can make a couple of these from a wood or acrylic pen blank. If you’ve got a mill, you can do the same with metal. I can’t think of another way this could be done in metal by hand or with less tools than a milling machine – can you?
Part of me wants to poke fun at the people who bought into this, but not everyone has the tools, time, or know-how to make something like this themselves. And although simplistic, the design is growing on me and I aim to make something similar at my first convenience.
I might have bought something like this if it were $8 for a pair Stacks cubes. Who wouldn’t want some functional art on their desk? Did I just say functional art? Oy.
More Info(via Kickstarter)
Campaign ends: Oct 10th, 2015 at 9:02 am ET
I have some great ideas on Kickstarter, a fundraising platform, I have seen some truly bad ideas, and products (such as the Coolbox tool box) that I can’t believe people are actually buying into.
It is increasingly becoming more about what you can sell, rather than what you’re selling. The people who created this Stacks campaign could probably slice up a tree branch, call it an inspirational cup rest (coaster), and sell it to hundreds of people (if not more).
Although it sounds like I’m being hard on the Stacks campaign and its creators, I do think it’s a good product, or at least a good design. The marketing language and imagery is also very well done. I don’t know many people who could successfully sell something like this.
Weekend Challenge: Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to design or make a desktop cable and cord stop or tamer of your own. You can share it with us here, or through Facebook, Twitter, or email.
Andy from Workshopshed
You could make these in metal with a hacksaw and hand file, although if I had to make a lot of them I’d use a milling cutter on my lathe as I don’t have a mill. I made some slots back in 2009 for a knurling tool, roughed them out by hand and tidied up in the lathe.
http://workshopshed.com/2009/08/machining-square-things-in-a-lathe/
http://workshopshed.com/2009/09/knurling-tool-slot-cutting/
Brandon
If you wanted to make some out of wood, you could make a cavity in the middle and melt some lead fishing weights into it for added mass.
Andy from Workshopshed
Hi Brandon, I was thinking of doing something similar to that for a different project. Is there much of an issue with the wood burning?
my name is Jeff
Even if it did scorch, you could use that piece as a sacrificial form to cast your lead into, then epoxy them into other finished wood blocks.
Michael
How about running a brass dowel through the wood. Leave it exposed as a design element
Brandon
The part that would be scorched is on the inside, so I don’t think it would matter.
my name is Jeff
I can’t think of another way this could be done in metal by hand or with less tools than a milling machine – can you?
Are you serious?
Andy nailed it.
Andy from Workshopshed
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail
Stuart
It was early in the morning and I wasn’t thinking outside the box. I was more thinking about how methods for making something similar out of wood
wouldn’t work on stainless steel.
Metal casting escaped my immediate thought.
I suppose it can also be broached.
Andy from Workshopshed
Or a shaper?
Andy from Workshopshed
I suspect woodworkers would use a table saw with either a thick blade or several passes. You could do similar with a cutoff disk or even a bandsaw.
Stuart
Or a hand saw plus chisel. Or a coping saw. Or drill press plus file or coping saw. Or router.
There are lots of ways to make this out of wood with inexpensive tools.
Metals? Not so much.
Nathan
I don’t know that I’d make a square channel either. I mean why not drill it.
of drill it then edge it with a chisel – if you just want it square.
hell make it a triangle opening – wouldn’t matter. and offer all 3 options.
as far as using metal – sure cast rough, then smooth would be an option – casting stainless isn’t easy if I recall correctly (temps needed, etc). but AL would be good for that but light.
I like the idea of polished and rough wood ones. to weigh then down you could also embed magnets if to be used on a metal table top.
Stuart
Maybe one could dual-tone it, with metal sandwiched between 2 pieces of wood for weight.
There are a lot of different directions one could take this project.
If someone wants to use lighter materials, they could always add a frictional rubber pad on the bottom for slide resistance.
Hexagonal or octagonal shapes made out of wood could have wider bases, but beveled edges to help them still look small.
Michael
How about using a blank 2X the height you want. Drill a hole in the center then cut the blank to get two blocks
Jerry
I was thinking the same thing. Take a metal block 2 inches tall, drill a hole down the center, maybe 3/8 or even bigger if need be, than cut it into two 1 inch tall blocks, each with a half circle groove in them.
Nathan
on metal notching – you could use an abrasive wheel on a table saw, or tile saw even – and make small passes and ease it out.
and likewise on the triangle notch – if you could set a bevel cut and depth it would be just as easy.
also use round bar stock – and then drill a hole – and then grind a flat on the bottom, opening up the drill hole.
Don
How about three pieces of round bar stock ( 1/2″ or larger ) cut to the same length and epoxied together in a triangle shape? Even square bar stock would work ( the top piece sideways ).
Derek
You could always buy the Bluelounge version – http://www.bluelounge.com/us/cable-management/sumo
or get 6 of these for $10 – http://www.bluelounge.com/us/cable-management/cabledrop
Garrick
I always keep a batch of lead in stock. Whenever I have a small object I need to be heavy, I make it out of nice wood, drill out the middle with a forstner bit, and pour melted lead into the cavity. A little epoxy to seal it if necessary.
I’m careful not get lead all over the place, and store it in a sealed container (nowadays).
David
For those of us less melting-inclined, why not just fill a hole with BB’s or led shot? Cut the block in half, fill top half with shot, and glue that halves back together. Use some epoxy in the shot if you don’t want it to rattle.
========
= #### =
= #### =
= #### =
————
========
==| |==
==| |==
== are wood
## are shot
— is a join line
David
Well, they stripped out my spaces, so the image does not look good! Oh, well!
David
Dave in VT
Heck, while you’re at it, make a small form, smear a resist such as petroleum jelly or other substance epoxy won’t stick to, and pour your bb shot / epoxy (or resin) mixture into it. Once dry, remove form, clean up uneaven spots. You can make any shape you want.
Stuart
That could work. One could also use sand or ball bearings if they didn’t want to mess around with lead.
Nathan
dave – that’s another good idea and to use less – go to your local sportmans store (bass pro, cabellas, etc etc -) and usually they’ll have shotgun reloading stuffs. and you can get often as high as #3 shot – roughly double the size of BB
Like the sand idea, and I’ve even used pennies before.
Michael
This is what I love about this site. It sparks creative thinking.
Stuart
Yup, this is what I was hoping for! I’m hoping at least a few readers take up the challenge and make something this weekend.
pencil neck
*face palm*
I’m going to release an organic line of cable management that will align your Chi. It will be a rock.
Mike
It will have to compete with my line that uses adhesive resin and vinyl.
Andy from Workshopshed
Yes, a nice bit of slate would work easily and polish up nicely. I’m wondering if it’s possibly to 3D print something, pause in the middle and add some shot.
Stuart
Rocks are inorganic. =P
Nathan
I was going to post something like that – but to be fair
there are people out there that want to ban dihydrogen-monoxide. so if he can make a buck off it – I’m not going to stop him.
Allen
I have rocks that have ever been treated with pesticides or chemical fertilizer. Does that make them organic rocks ?
Robbie Stanford
I think plain wood would be to light, but it may work, if I were going to make a few of these I would drill a hole then cut that block in half so the channel would be a half circle, it would save some time, I like the idea of them being magnetic so they could be lined up or clacked on the side of a cabinet or something.
Martin
The rocks must organic. The hip folks that will pay $50+ for each cable stop are known for buying only organic. Get them from a Farmer’s Market vendor and you’ll be OK calling them organic.
Derek
Well if you just make it out of 80/20, which already has the slot, it would be good enough in less time and effort 🙂
Stuart
If 80/20, I’d go with 15-series extrusions. 10-series are 1-inch wide, but a 1-inch long cube would be very, very light.
Black anodized finish would work even better.
I don’t know about 15-series, but there are some 10-series extrusions with sealed edges. One of those, with 3 sealed edges and 1 open edge, might look good. Even better if you tap the 80/20 and mount some kind of other organizing accessory to one or both of the ends.
Joe
This is an interesting idea but I would need a bunch of cubes since I have like 7 (or more) chargers. This gave me an idea though, thanks for sharing.
Andy from Workshopshed
I did not have any 1inch metal so I made a little 1/2 inch one https://twitter.com/Workshopshed/status/634610430183383040
JayT
Definitely not worth purchasing for anyone with any tools and skills at all.
If doing wood, then a lot of good options for adding weight have been mentioned. You could also just use some really dense wood, like lignum vitae, ipe, desert ironwood, mesquite, etc. There are a lot of woods that would be heavy enough to not need additional weight.
If doing metal, brass and aluminum are both workable with woodworking tools and carbide tipped blades and bits. I wouldn’t want to do a mass production of brass that way, but just a few wouldn’t be an issue. Aluminum wouldn’t be a problem at all.
Dave L.
Make them out of loose ball bearings glued together with perhaps fiberglass resin or even acrylic casting resin. A simple mold could be made out of thin wood and greased so it wouldn’t stick, otherwise make a silicone mold. Assorted size balls would make an interesting look.
Dave L.
While I’m thinking about it, they could be molded out of Bondo easily enough, with/without BB’s or lead shot pressed in while hardening for extra weight. You could embed magnets in at the surface so adjacent cubes would stick together.
Stuart
Or even Sculpey, a bakeable polymer clay that can be found at arts and crafts stores.
Dave L.
Very good! Hadn’t thought of that. Less toxic, too.
richard
I think i’ll just cut a groove in the old piston i have sitting on my desk
Art
I like these and purchased several when they were $1.50 each (when the Quirky store was closing, I think). They’re weighted as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Quirky-Cordies-Management-charging-accessory/dp/B004GUS4XK/
Stuart
I bought one of those too, last holiday season when Quirky had a good sale. Now if only I could find it…
Crazee
One could just hold the cable down with their wallet and keep their money.
Benjamen
This would just clutter up my clean desk. This is what I use instead:
http://lifehacker.com/attach-cables-to-the-edge-of-your-desk-with-binder-clip-1346783211
I use them slightly differently though. I remove the top handle once I’ve got the clip on the desk, then I pass the cable though the bottom handle so it retracts under the desk out of the way until I need it.
Large binder clips are relatively cheap and readily available locally.
Stuart
Thats a great idea! Wouldn’t work on thicker benchtops, but it should on most office desks.
Hmm… I wonder if I could use binder clips for some precision screwdrivers and small pliers.
Richard
Why not just use thin stock for the two sides of the channel and glue it up? Wouldn’t that be easier than all of the above?
Or, if you want to use metal, use bar stock of the appropriate sizes and use nice fasteners, and it would be heavy, and you could see them.
Andy from Workshopshed
Here’s how I made mine.
http://workshopshed.com/2015/08/wire-management-cube/
I also had a go at casting lead and that went well too so my lamp base is now nice and heavy.