A crate is not a crate

I got this nice collapsible crate not to use as a crate, but rather as a laptop tray.

I recently added more RAM to an older laptop, so I can use it for in-bed reading. The problem was, with the added RAM, the bottom of the laptop became scorchingly hot. I needed to put it on something.

Enter the nice collapsible crate. It was the right size. It was light. And because of the way the panels folded together, I could attach a small fan inside it to blow air on the underside of the laptop.

You can see the fan on the top right of the photo above. It is a small 12V CPU fan salvaged from an old PC. I just blue-tacked it to the underside of one of the panels. The fan is powered by a transformer that used to run my old scanner.

And here it is finished and in use. There was a convenient gap on the side where the power cord can exit. The black plastic even matched the laptop! And it is surprisingly comfortable on the lap. Bonus: the space inside the folded crate actually worked well as a cable tidy - where excess cordage can be stored away from sharp little teeth.

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