The Hanging Shelf of Babylon (Yes, there are pictures)

[kasei]

My desk is tiny, and considering the amount of time I spend at it, I really have been trying to make the most of what I have.

One of the things that has been bugging me a lot lately is the fact that everytime I want to use my graphics tab, I have to shift my mousepad onto the top of some books behind the laptop (the mousepad sits on top of the graphics tab you see). It looks messy and precarious up there, and if I bump the table and make the mouse move while I'm in the middle of using the graphics tab, it can lead to some messy digi-paintings as well.

The other day I came up with a solution: 'The Hanging Shelf of Babylon!!!' - Dont ask me why I called it that....I just did. Basically, its a fabric shelf, reinforced with strong cardboard, that hangs from the underside of my desk so I can quickly slide the mousepad (with the mouse) into and out of it with ease.

Here are the promised pics.

This is how the desk looks in normal 'pfaffing-about-on-the-intertrons' mode:



The awesome Hanging Shelf of Babylon. Quite a simple sewing job and attached to the desk with some sturdy broad-headed nails:



And here is how she works, graphics tab ready:



I know its a bit anal to get cheesed off over something as simple as where your mousepad sits when your not using it, but it was really getting my goat. Now my goat is free and happy and munching grass in the field with it's goaty friends.

[Eliea]

I"m glad I'm not the only one who gets anal about these things. I plan to totally re-arrange my craft room just becasue my doorway is narrow when I fold a leaf down on my sewing cabinet.
Your solution is wonderful isn't it nice when something simple works! Great job!

[suganspyyce]

That's a great fix!  I have a tablet too and run into the same problem!

[Asheri]

That's a pretty neat solution.
I bet you can reach down and use the mouse mid-tablet-ing, too. That's gotta be pretty handy in itself.

[kasei]

Thanks for the props guys!

I bet you can reach down and use the mouse mid-tablet-ing, too. That's gotta be pretty handy in itself.

Actually I can, its sturdy enough to hold a bit of pressure too. I'm absolutely loving it, and cant for the life of me work out why I didn't think of it before.

 

[kriminie]

lol.. i hear you, im anal like that too.. i hate messing about with stuff when i could be working.. erm.. or something like that ... I think it looks great.. and it was a fantastic idea!! plus, i give you kudos for the vegemite container as a pen holder .. <3!!

[Snowhite09]

great idea. i bought my desk at a thrift store for $3 and i think it used to have a mouse slidey thing but it is no longer there. but hey for $3 i cant complain.

[kasei]

plus, i give you kudos for the vegemite container as a pen holder .. <3!!

Tee Hee...thanks. It's a nice little addition to my desk I think. A little reminder of my homeland every day

[Ambri]

That's a great idea!  I admit, my solution when I need to use both Wacom tablet and mouse is to just open the side desk drawer, put a clipboard or other hard surface across the top, and put the tablet on that.  Unfortunately, that doesn't work so well anymore, as my cheap-a$$ desk is starting to come apart at the seams . . . Damn you, big box store crap!