Lap Desk Cup Holder

Background

I have a lap desk that I use at night on my couch. Because I sit on a sectional couch, I can't reach the table to have a drink without moving the already unstable desk. I didn't like any of the cheap lap desks that have a cup holder in them, so I modified mine.

Design

Bottles, mugs, and cups are all different sizes. The desk is unstable, so I can't make a cup holder big enough to fit everything; the bottles will spill. Rather than make an adjusting cup holder, I decided to make multiple holders that can be easily swapped. A simple nut and bolt is good enough for this purpose.

Cutting and Drilling

Staining

Because of condensation, I need to seal the wood. If I'm going to do that, I may as well stain it, too.

I tried using masking tape to stop anything from getting on the end grain. It didn't work, and made things more difficult. The glue on the tape started smearing onto the face of the piece, and it wasn't a very effective blockade. However, it worked extremely well on the sides of the base and the wall face segments that would be glued to the face.

Sealing

At this point I went to Home Depot for mineral spirits to clean out my brush. While I was there, I realized I could have just used paste wax and already been done instead of spending days waiting for coats of stain and polyurethane to dry.

Sanding

It took a lot of sanding to get the end grain free of masking tape gunk, but the area to be glued to the base was relatively clean.

Putting It Together

Completed Cup Holder

I'd say the project was a success. Now I need to make some other attachments to fit a coffee mug or a glass. The beer bottle holder is done, though, and that's what is most important. :-P

I think it looks pretty good for some Ikea furniture scrap wood.