A bent acrylic phone stand is a classic first design project: one flat piece of acrylic, laser cut, then bent on a strip heater. This guide shows the phone stand design process in SchoolCAD, from a flat sketch to a folded 3D model and a laser file that still knows the flat shape, with the bend lines marked so students know exactly where to heat.
Step 1: sketch and extrude the flat blank
- Click Sketch and choose the Top plane.
- Draw the outline of the flat sheet. A rectangle is fine to start, but this is where the design work happens: rounded ends, a slot for a charging cable, a shaped back or an engraved name.
- Dimension it until the lines turn black, then ✓ Finish sketch.
- Extrude it to the acrylic thickness, such as 3 mm.
Tip
Use Parameters for the sheet thickness (t = 3) and the width. Students can then try different sizes without redrawing anything.
Step 2: draw the bend lines
- Start a sketch on the big flat face of the blank.
- Draw a line right across the sheet at each place it should fold: typically one for the back support and one for the lip that holds the phone.
- Finish the sketch.
Step 3: bend it
Bend is in the Advanced tools (switch at the end of the toolbar, or find it with Search tools, Alt+C).
- Click Bend and choose the sketch with the lines. The sheet under them is found for you.
- For each line, tick it and set its Angle and Direction (Up or Down).
- Choose which side Stays still, check the preview and click ✓.
The Inside radius defaults to the sheet thickness, and SchoolCAD makes the flat sheet long enough for each bend, so the size you cut is right. You can bend a flap that's already bent by adding another Bend with a line on that flap.
Step 4: check it holds a phone
Use Measure to check the gap for the phone. Students can model a simple block the size of their phone and place it in the stand to check it fits.
Step 5: make the laser file
Export, then Laser cut file (DXF). A bent part comes out as its flat shape, with the outline in red to cut and each bend line in blue (bend up) or purple (bend down), labelled with its angle and direction. Those lines aren't cut: they show where to heat.
Note
In the workshop, heat along the marked line on the strip heater, then bend over a jig to the angle. Making a simple angle jig from scrap MDF keeps every stand in a class set consistent.
Phone stand design ideas to extend the project
- Engrave a name or pattern on the back (a shallow cut on the face, or a traced logo with Insert image).
- Add a slot or hole for a charging cable.
- Make an adjustable version with two pieces and a slot, or a timber base with a Housing joint for the acrylic.
- Render it in clear or tinted acrylic in the Render Studio for the folio.
More help
- Bend and Laser cut file (DXF)
- Sketch and Extrude
- Forum guide: How to make a DXF file for laser cutting
Design your phone stand at schoolcad.app. It's free.