Personally, I only use a scroll frame on larger projects. The only frame that I've found non-irritating is by American Dream. It is beautifully engineered...uses metal inside the knobs, so they tighten and do not loosen. All surfaces are smooth to the touch and finished like furniture. There are adapter bars for several widths...I have 3, the widest being 30". They use rods with narrow Velcro strips on the scrollbars and you apply the opposite Velcro to the fabric.....holds very tight, no loosening till you let it go. Before you buy, do yourself a favor and visit their website. They explain the system, all their options. You don't need all the available options for all the systems, but they explain it all beautifully. I was totally confused until I went to the website.
Then with a list of what I wanted I went shopping for the cheapest I could find. I got the lap stand for half the price on the website. I used Amazon, Overstock.com, eBay, EXS, ands anywhere else that carried the brand and had sales. You have to be aggressive to save a buck in this world.
These other great ladies will tell you their preferences and give you their rules...this is just one option, but do visit the American Dream website at www.adp-USA.com. Their products do deliver the goods.