The Neptune Wall Display

Hello from San Diego–I set out to design “The Neptune” with some simple goals: hold the i Pad securely in all orientations, look great on the wall, and keep all i Pad functionality. I wanted to use minimal materials and create a “floating” effect by gripping only two corners. I named it “The Neptune” because it makes the i Pad appear to float on the wall, and nobody floats more stuff than Neptune, god of the sea. And because I like to say, “The Neptune.”

The Neptune comes in two pieces: the Neptune itself, which holds the i Pad, and the Neptune Mount, which is anchored to the wall. There are two brass rods in one end of the Neptune, which allows the smaller piece of the Neptune to slide out, then a heavy duty elastic cord retracts to hold the i Pad securely in place. The Neptune then has a back peg screw that slides in to a T-slot style groove in the Neptune Mount, which allows it to spin 360 degrees on the wall. This was my friend Russ’ great idea, who said, “Do it like the back of the dartboard.” The design leaves a lot of flexibility to expand on the types of mounts, so I have a lot of ideas for other mounts to do next.

I make the end pieces and the Neptune Mount using custom router templates that I designed over several months. I chose glue-and-screw for joinery, because any other type of joint I considered would have led to unnecessary waste, and I like the look of the brass screws with the brass rods. I cut the brass rods by hand, then file and polish by hand. I sand the wood with a machine and then by hand. I found a local piano shop and they do a beautiful job on the stain and finish. Then I have number of very precise finishing steps to ensure all the pieces fit together around the i Pad like a glove. For instance, the back peg screw does not exist in the right size, so I have to cut it to the right size with a hacksaw and then make very minute adjustments to fit snug in the groove of the mount.

It’s been a great learning experience, I really enjoy my new woodworking hobby and am hoping to make it in to a profession. Thanks to The Wood Whisperer for the all the great info on the website!