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Vertical Laptop Dock[8/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 5 laptop docks
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths / 4-6"
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
Stand your closed laptop on edge next to the monitor and get your desk back. Each dock is a heavy hardwood block with two slots: a wide one for a laptop and a narrow one for a tablet or phone. Every board makes one dock, so one pack gives you five — one for every desk in the house, or the office.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layers | 10 | Boards 1–5, two each | 9" × 4" × 1¾" | 9" × 3½" × 1¾" |
Block: two 9" layers face-glued, long grain to long grain. No screws.
Slots: laptop slot ⅞" wide and tablet slot ½" wide, both 1¼" deep, running straight across the 3½" top. Felt lining sizes them to your devices.
Finished size: S4S 9" L × 3½" D × 4" H · S2S 9" × 3½" × 3½" H. Laptop slot ⅞" wide, tablet slot ½" wide.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- Self-adhesive felt sheet (to line the slots)
- Felt or cork pads for the bottom
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Table saw with a crosscut sled (or a dado stack), or a router with a straight bit and guide
- Chisel (to flatten the slot bottoms)
- 3–4 bar clamps, 6" or longer
- Tape measure, combination square, pencil
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first. No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 1¾" × 4", ¼" to square an end · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean); we plan S2S at 1¾" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 One board, one dock. Each board makes one dock from two layers. Keep each board's pair together so the grain and colour match.
- 2 Crosscut. Square one end. Clamp a stop block at 9" and cut two layers from every board. You need 18⅛" per board.
- 3 Face-glue the pairs. Spread glue on one wide face and lay the second layer on top, ends and edges flush. That's long grain to long grain. Clamp it and watch that the layers don't slide. Leave overnight. Each block is 9" long × 3½" deep × 4" tall.
- 4 Square the block. Sand or plane the top and bottom edges so the two layers are flush and the block sits flat without rocking.
- 5 Measure your devices. Most closed laptops are ½"–¾" thick, and most tablets in a case are under ½". The slots here are ⅞" and ½" wide. Felt lining takes up the extra.
- 6 Mark the slots. On the top face, mark the laptop slot ⅞" wide, centred 3¼" from the left end, and the tablet slot ½" wide, centred 6¾" from the left end. Both run straight across the 3½" depth.
- 7 Cut the slots. Lay the block top face down on a crosscut sled. Set the blade 1¼" high and clamp a stop block. Nibble out the laptop slot in several passes, moving the stop each time. Cut the tablet slot the same way at the same height. A dado stack or a router with a straight bit and a guide works too.
- 8 Clean up and sand. Pare the slot bottoms flat with a chisel. Sand all faces 120 → 180 → 220 and ease every edge, including the slot rims.
- 9 Finish and line. Wipe on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly, 2–3 coats. When it's dry, line the slot walls and bottoms with self-adhesive felt until your laptop and tablet fit snug. Stick felt pads under the block.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish 1¾" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 One board, one dock. Each board makes one dock from two layers. Keep each board's pair together so the grain and colour match.
- 3 Crosscut. Square one end. Clamp a stop block at 9" and cut two layers from every board. You need 18⅛" per board.
- 4 Face-glue the pairs. Spread glue on one wide face and lay the second layer on top, ends and edges flush. That's long grain to long grain. Clamp it and watch that the layers don't slide. Leave overnight. Each block is 9" long × 3½" deep × 3½" tall.
- 5 Square the block. Sand or plane the top and bottom edges so the two layers are flush and the block sits flat without rocking.
- 6 Measure your devices. Most closed laptops are ½"–¾" thick, and most tablets in a case are under ½". The slots here are ⅞" and ½" wide. Felt lining takes up the extra.
- 7 Mark the slots. On the top face, mark the laptop slot ⅞" wide, centred 3¼" from the left end, and the tablet slot ½" wide, centred 6¾" from the left end. Both run straight across the 3½" depth.
- 8 Cut the slots. Lay the block top face down on a crosscut sled. Set the blade 1¼" high and clamp a stop block. Nibble out the laptop slot in several passes, moving the stop each time. Cut the tablet slot the same way at the same height. A dado stack or a router with a straight bit and a guide works too.
- 9 Clean up and sand. Pare the slot bottoms flat with a chisel. Sand all faces 120 → 180 → 220 and ease every edge, including the slot rims.
- 10 Finish and line. Wipe on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly, 2–3 coats. When it's dry, line the slot walls and bottoms with self-adhesive felt until your laptop and tablet fit snug. Stick felt pads under the block.
Why face-glue two layers? One board is only 1¾" thick — too narrow to hold a laptop upright. Two layers glued face to face make a 3½" deep block that's heavy and stable, and the glue joint is long grain to long grain.
Why cut the slots after the glue-up? Cutting through both layers at once keeps the slot walls lined up and square. The glue line runs across the middle of each slot, where nobody sees it.
Why felt instead of a perfect slot? Laptops and tablets come in many thicknesses. A slightly wide slot lined with felt fits more devices, protects the finish on your laptop, and is easy to adjust later.
Make It Yours
- Two laptops: cut two ⅞" slots instead of one laptop slot and one tablet slot.
- Cable notch: saw a shallow ⅜" notch across the bottom under the laptop slot so the charging cable can pass under the block.
- Two-tone: glue a walnut layer to a maple layer for a striped block.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Cut the slots on a crosscut sled with the block clamped or held firm against the fence. Never cut slots freehand or against the rip fence.
- Keep your hands at least 6" from the blade and let it stop before you clear the offcuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
No. The hardwood block weighs about 1½–2½ lb depending on species, and the laptop sits 1¼" deep in the slot. Keep the dock on a flat desk and slide the laptop straight in.
Measure it first. For a thick gaming laptop, widen the slot to suit before you finish.
Yes. Use a router with a straight bit and clamp a guide on each side of the slot. Or saw the two walls with a handsaw and chisel out the waste.
Planned offcuts only: the end trim and about 5⅛" (S4S) or 4⅞" (S2S) at the end of each board — perfect for testing the slot cuts. All 5 boards go into the docks.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes 10 docks: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan twice.
