Introduction: Laser Cut and Assembled Steam Deck Stand

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The Steam Deck doesn't come with a dock, which means that it can be difficult to find a safe place to put it down, other than its holding case. The shape and material of the deck also makes it prone to sliding and possibly getting damaged.

Therefore, I decided to design this stand to keep it secure on flat surfaces. It consists of three laser cut pieces assembled together.

Supplies

  • STP model for the external shell of Steam Deck
  • Fusion 360
  • DXF for Laser extension
  • 20in x 12in plywood
  • Laser Cutter
  • (Optional) Elmer's glue or superglue

Step 1: Download and Open the STP File in Fusion

Valve made the CAD files for the external shell (surface topology) of Steam Deck available for download under a Creative Commons license in 2022. So I'm using the STP model to aid my design.

I uploaded the file to Fusion, and derived it in a new design project.

* The STL model could also be imported as a mesh and turned into a solid body. However, according to posts like this one, it's better to use the STP model when available.

Step 2: Project the Cross Section

Center the model to the origin, and ground it to the xy-plane (in z-up orientation), which I'm using as the horizontal surface to place the stand on. Then, rotate it by 60 degrees to place it at a nice viewing angle. Move it up along the z-axis so that the deck is lifted completely off the "ground".

To get the middle cross-section of the model:

  1. Create sketch on the xz-plane (the cross-section plane).
  2. Sketch mode: Create > Project > Intersect
  3. Choose body for select filter
  4. Select the model and hit okay

A purple outline should appear in the sketch.

This way I have the exact outline of the model to work off of.

Step 3: Design the Shape of the Stand

I derived the cross-section outline in a new sketch. I first drew straight lines connecting to the projection, to create a rough outline of the shape I wanted. Then, to add curved edges, I drew arcs and use the filet tool to soften the lines and corners.

At this point I didn't notice that, even though all edges are connected, and the shape is closed, it's not being considered as a closed surface. There is no extrudable surface.

I was able to use the blend curve tool to connect two existing curves on the projection to close the surface. Though this step created an extra unnecessary curve segment. It didn't turn out to be an issue after extruding.

Step 4: Extrude and Notches

Extrude the shape so that it's as thick as the plywood material.

Copy and paste the extruded body so there are two of them. Move them to suitable locations for the deck, so that they don't block air vents, ports, or buttons.

Create a sketch from one of the slanted surface in the back, where the connecting piece joins the left and right pieces. The joints are perpendicular.

Create rectangles with desired notch dimensions and extrude to create notches. I set the notch height to be 5mm, other two dimensions being material thickness, and 5mm away from each other.

Step 5: Test Pieces

Before cutting the entire design, kerf settings need to be tested first.

I created a test piece from the connecting piece aka the existing notches.

Using the DXF for Laser extension, I exported the test piece dxf with 0.18mm and 0.20mm kerf. In Illustrator, stroke weight is set to 0.05 pt. The laser cutter settings are adjusted to 100% power, 6% speed, and 300% PPI.

Both pairs clicked into each other quite well. Neither felt too loose with the 0.18mm kerf being the slightly tighter fit. (I just realized a larger kerf allowance should make the joints tighter. I probably mixed them up cuz I didn't label them.) With a couple rounds of repeated assembling and disassembling, edges of the plywood notches can start to break and flake off.

Step 6: Putting It Together

I originally didn't want to use any glue for the stand, expecting the joints to be around push fit. I went with 0.18mm kerf to cut my three-piece design.

However, the connecting piece was fitting much looser than both test pieces, more like a keying fit. It could be a machine precision issue. The pieces being larger in size could also have more leverage on the joint, making it come apart more easily.

Since the connecting piece is the only area that stabilizes the structure, I decided to glue the pieces together. (I recommend superglue, or Elmer's.)

Step 7: How Well Does It Work?

The details of the STP model really helped me design the details. The front hugs the curve of the deck and holds the device in place (no sliding issue). The whole thing is quite stable as well.

However, since 0.18mm kerf is added to the entire shape when I exported them to dxf files, the design should fit the deck exactly without kerf, no longer does. The issue isn't really visible in the front, but propagates and get exaggerated towards the top of the stand. As you can see in the photos, the top parts don't come it contact with the deck at all.

In the next iteration of the design, I'd like to adjust for this misstep. Instead of adding kerf using the extension, I'll manually add it only to the notches. I'll also add one additional pair of notches to increase joint strength, and possibly add a front piece to increase overall stability.