---
original_url: "https://jace.pro/blog/treetop-a-handmade-wooden-case-for-your-raspberry-pi/"
format: markdown
ai_optimized: true
---

TreeTop: A Handmade Wooden Case for Your Raspberry Pi- # TreeTop: A Handmade Wooden Case for Your Raspberry Pi

September 23, 2019 [raspberry-pi ](/tags/raspberry-pi/)[maker ](/tags/maker/)[woodworking](/tags/woodworking/)

  Enable AI AnimationI wanted a Pi-Top but didnt want to wait for 3D printable plans that never came. So I built my own - a wooden laptop-style case for the Raspberry Pi 4 with the official 7 inch display.

## [What is TreeTop?](#what-is-treetop)

A nearly all-wood case for a Raspberry Pi 4 single-board computer. The only non-wood parts are the Pi itself, the display, the screws holding the connectors, and the keyboard. Even the hinges are wood.

## [Why build it?](#why-build-it)

I really wanted a Pi-Top, but after the Raspberry Pi 4 was released I wanted to run one as a desktop. The problem was the mess of cables. I wanted something clean.

I reached out to Pi-Top about the supposedly 3D printable models they said they would release. It had been 3+ years. I stopped waiting.

## [The design](#the-design)

The case is a working prototype built from wood. It is designed around the Raspberry Pi 4 and the official 7 inch touchscreen. The connectors are held in place with screws for a snug fit. The keyboard sits on top and the whole thing closes up like a laptop.

## [What I learned](#what-i-learned)

Wooden hinges work, but need refinement
- Cable management in a wooden case is different than 3D printed
- The 7 inch display is usable but tight for desktop work
- Prototyping in the case itself was the right call

## [Next steps](#next-steps)

If there is interest, I plan to either make the plans available or offer these as a buyable product. This was version one.

Inspired by [The Ultimate Typewriter](https://alternativebit.fr/posts/ultimate-writer/) and the [Pi-Top](https://www.cnet.com/news/pi-top-the-3d-printable-raspberry-pi-laptop-anyone-can-build/).

---
[View this page on GitHub](https://github.com/jacebenson/jace.pro/tree/main/./src/posts/2019/2019-09-23-treetop-wooden-raspberry-pi-case.md).

[TreeTop: A Handmade Wooden Case for Your Raspberry Pi](https://jace.pro/blog/treetop-a-handmade-wooden-case-for-your-raspberry-pi/) [Jace Benson](https://jace.pro) ![Jace Benson](https://jace.pro/icon-512x512.png)

---

*This content is from Jace Benson's ServiceNow and tech blog at jace.pro*
*Original post: https://jace.pro/blog/treetop-a-handmade-wooden-case-for-your-raspberry-pi/*