Making my own dual-monitor stand!

MrFunex · 21 May 2006 at 11:01

Need some advice!

I have two 19" widescreen tfts and am thinking about making my own monitor stand to keep them both together; I'm tired of having two separate screens already and would love to have them both as one unit. I've also been put off buying a ready made stand as they are far too expensive!

Has anyone here tried this? I have seen the mounting brackets (75x75mm) on the bay for less than a tenner each. I was thinking about constructing some sort of sturdy wooden affair to begin with, and maybe a metal stand at a later date once I have finalised the design. If anyone here has done this kinda thing, I'd love to see some pics!

I was gonna go for the bog standard long piece of wood along the back of the screens with the mounts on each end, a join in the centre, dropping down to a central plate to sit on my desk. Is there a better way of doing this? The screens weigh, I would imagine, about 5Kg each.

Thanks for any help you may have

McDaniel · 21 May 2006 at 18:17

im not sure myself - i shall point NathanE this way, as his Dad built a few custom ones a while back

MrFunex · 21 May 2006 at 18:29

thanks mcdaniel.

I've been thinking and perhaps perspex might be the material to use. Strong, has the potential to look cool and can be bent so the screens slightly point towards each other...

NathanE · 21 May 2006 at 18:49

I'd just do it in metal straight away. A wooden stand isn't really going to stand the test of time I don't think.

Also with metal you don't need to worry about the weight of the monitors.

Check of these photos of my TFT stand:

This thing could hold up two Tanks on each side! ;~)

MrFunex · 21 May 2006 at 19:55

that's the absolute dog's! love it! looks very nice when sprayed up. I like the mounting brackets you have, did you get those off the bay too?

I would ideally go for metal straight away, but unfortunately i have no welding experience or welding tools - damn! Looks like perspex is the coolest option at the moment...

NathanE · 21 May 2006 at 19:59

Thought you'd like it

Everything you see there is custom made. Including the mounting plates and ball/socket joints

MrFunex · 21 May 2006 at 20:01

Wow, I'm impressed! You obviously have a lot more skill/patience than myself. Those ball and socket joints look very professional. A top job!

McDaniel · 21 May 2006 at 21:03

well to be fair Nathan, your dad did it

NathanE · 21 May 2006 at 21:15

Yeah, sorry I probably should have mentioned that

My dad's a bit of jack-of-all-trades. Metal work, "TIG" welding (what ever the hell that is), basic electronics... hell he even made one of the first sheet metal cutting laser machines at some institute in Cambridge when he was a lot lot younger!

Pr0t0c0L · 21 May 2006 at 22:41

McDaniel said:
well to be fair Nathan, your dad did it

granted

Burbleflop · 21 May 2006 at 22:59

NathanE said:
"TIG" welding (what ever the hell that is),

TIG = Tungsten Inert Gas, used when welding aluminium but can also be used with steel and the like.

That stand looks really good. I'd intended to make something like that (but with bought ball joints - no way I can make them myself) but I'll never have enough time to do it so I wussed out and bought a couple of Ergotron Neo-Flexes.