Home Computer Furniture Solutions 23
Yet Another Anonymous Coward (that will be an acronym, someday) asks: "I'm tired of trying to cram my 17" monitor, keyboard and case on my desks. And I'm tired of compromising having a nice-looking writing desk for a genero OfficeMax pressboard-desk for my computer. Does anyone know of, or have any personal experience with more creative and ergonomic solutions for their computer? I have investigated quite a few monitor/keyboard arms, but they all require that you mount them on a desk or wall or something. Does anyone know of a free-standing monitor/keyboard swivel-arm mount that actually LOOKS GOOD? "
Re:Make it yourself........ (Score:1)
Good suggestion. If you want a nice looking desk/computer table cheap, then you might want to try laying a door down on a couple of 2 drawer file cabinets. It sounds silly, but I bought a $250 9' x 4' finished solid oak door. Note I said oak; it's real wood not the particle board junk. It is solid, and it looks expensive. Outside doors are more expensive than inside doors, but (fortunately) you need an inside door so that it will be flat. It is much easier and cheaper to use ~7' tall doors, so use that if you don't have enough room for one larger or you need to save money. It had a cut-out for the door knob, but I used that to my advantage. I routed cables through it. You can find several different heights of 2 drawer file cabinets, so keep looking if you don't find the height you want at first. My 9' wide desk is plenty wide for me to have plenty of room for both my 21" monitor, an X-terminal w/ 17" monitor, and space left over to use to write on.
The original post mentioned monitor arms. I found that doors are much better to clamp things onto (from my clamping o-scope shelf, magnifying glass, desk lamp, etc.) than a desk. With a door, you have a 1" - 3" wide flat surface around the entire desk to clamp-to. I don't have a single place on my desk at work to clamp my magnifying glass to other than the small place where I sit. A door might do you well.
IKEA! (Score:1)
http://www.astro.rug.nl/~tim/desk.jpg [astro.rug.nl]
unfortunately, the US website doesn't appear to list it so i'm not sure if one can get it there ( i got mine in NL). if you can find it, it's worth it. it's one of the coolest (IMHO) computer tables i've seen anywhere.
tim
Re:IKEA! (Score:2)
situation -- bought it in Canada, took it to California, and then came
back to Canada, so I left it with my brother in Seattle, who uses it
with his SPARCstation, 20" monitor, etc.). It's a nice desk, and is
very adjustable (provided you get someone to help you hold various
pieces in place while you move the screws -- I put it together by
myself, but needed help to take it apart and put it together again).
The Jerker was available in the States as of April, 1999 -- I saw it
there when I was visiting Seattle.
I'm currently using an Effektiv desk from Ikea's business furniture
section. It's a beautiful (beech top, silver legs and rails), if
basic desk, 160 cm x 80 cm (5'3" x 2' 7.5"). We splurged and got an
80 cm x 80 cm section as well (yes, that's right, the desk is 80 cm
(2' 7.5") deep and 240 cm (7' 10") long, with a total of seven legs,
one of which is a special leg that supports the joint between the
desktops but still allows you to scoot back and forth without hitting
anything). All of the legs adjust in height. Total cost was
somewhere around CN$550, I believe. My computer sits in the corner,
with my monitor next to it, and my keyboard and trackball in front.
Our printer lives on the far end, leaving me plenty of space in the
middle for writing, piling stacks of paper and books, and all the
other traditional uses for flat surfaces.
For a chair, I'm using a PostureBall [postureball.com] -- a 65 cm diameter
rubber ball. Believe it or not, it's really comfortable (once you get
used to it), and it's helped my posture a lot (since you need to keep
your legs on the floor to keep yourself sitting up, you have to sit up
straight). The PostureBall sells for US$45 (we also bought the
optional pump).
Put the PC into a corner (Score:1)
Put a simple, cubic stand/drawer box into the corner as monitor stand and place a table in front of it (blocking access to the stand/drawer box) for your keyboard etc. Then you have plenty of space on your table, hidden all the cabling (behind the desk) and a good distance to your monitor.
There are commercial solutions as "corner desks". Maybe you might want to try one of these...
If you have too much money, you might want to have a look at this quite representative PC workstation(http://www.poetictech.com/ [poetictech.com])...
Re:Monitor 'arms' (Score:2)
What you need is a keyboard monitor that can be hung from a ceiling joist. Make a bracket that could hang off of a 2x4 (not just bolt into it), put some decorative facade to hide the hole in the wall, and hold the damned thing from on high! You eliminate most of the torque problem, since the monitor can be directly below the arm.
Anybody ever see anything like this, or know where to get an industrial-strength Erector set for same?
Re:Make it yourself........ (Score:1)
I took two 8 foot long 1 x 12 pine boards, and attached them to the top of a frame I made out of six 4x4 posts (for legs) and a three 8 foot 2x4 studs (front, rear and sides of frame - to hold the legs together). All of it is held together with 3.5 inch deck screws.
The top of the desk is about 36 inches tall.
On top of the desk, on each side, are two 3 foot wide shelves I made from 1x12 pine - each one about 4 feet tall with 3 shelves. They are bracketed to the desk and wall.
A front shelf for the keyboard and mouse completes the desk.
It can only be moved by unassembling it - due to its weight and overall size.
I have no clue how much it can support - but I am a big guy, and even with me sitting on it with all the books and computer equipment currently on it - it don't budge - not one iota.
Because it is made from cheap wood - I don't worry when I need to do some soldering for hardware mods, etc - if the solder lands on the desk and burns - hey, just another character mark!
Formica (Score:1)
However, I'd like to mention one of my bad experiences with formica:
In the past, you were able to get 4'x8'x3/4" formica sheets from Hechinger's (or atleast, the one I went to). With a little finessing, we cut the board down to form a table to mount some computers into a van I was converting for the 1995 GM SunRayce. (ah...nothing like 8 spare deep cycle batteries, and 2000W of power inverters, a few misc radios, a laser printer, and 3 machines with 21" monitors)
The problem that we had, however, was with the edge of the table...Formica is very hard, and when cut, leaves nice sharp corners, which dig into your wrists making lots of use annoying if you're like me, and have a tendency to rest your wrists on the table edge.
My solution was to take 2" wide teflon tape, and cover the edge with it, however, I'm guessing that's most likely not a product that people have sitting about. These days, I use a wrist wrest, and if you do, too, you most likely won't have any problems, but it's something to be aware of.
Monitor 'arms' (Score:2)
Well, I've used some really nice desk-mount keyboard arms from SteelCase at former jobs.
Monitor arms is where you're just asking for problems--
First, you need to accept that a 17" monitor isn't light by any means. We'll just assume they're 50lb, as mine specs out at 49lb. You're then looking at most arms can be extended by 2' or so...so we're talking about 100ft-lb of torque on the arm. Most arms attach into a little tiny bracket, maybe 6" across or so, and 4" deep.
As we're looking at the weight of the monitor to support, plus the torque it creates, we increase the shear on one side, and decrease it on the other. So, well, assuming that we're only dealing with a line, we've got (50/6) lb/in for the weight, and if memory serves (it's been a few years since I've had to do this), ~200 lb/in at the extremes. So, somewhere about 210lb/in, along a 4" edge, on somewhere near 50psi.
And you want that free standing?
And so you think 'but what if I don't extend it all the way?' Well, unfortunately, I've actually tried putting a 17" monitor on a stand. (well, it was for a friend at work). We cut a hole into the sheet metal, so the bracket could attach, had his desk put back together...only to find that the arm's hydraulics/springs/whatever it had (and it was a SteelCase, also), couldn't keep the monitor lifted...it kept falling back down from the weight.
So, now that I've been completely long winded, here are my recomendations -- if you're going to be shelling out for a swing arm, shell out for an LCD panel first...it'll make it actually functional.
(After that article of the recliner with built in fridge, massage, etc, I was thinking someone needs to upgrade it for a swing arm w/ LCD & keybd, so you could keep a watch on your systems while watching TV.)
I like my "Kavalier" hutch from IKEA... (Score:1)
Make it yourself........ (Score:2)
Nothing will ever meet your needs as well as something build and customize yourself.
Modular (Score:1)
Well Ikea has modular furniture. You get two uprights, couple of platforms, and there you go. If you need more (and we all do), there are 45 degree corner pieces, there is a keyboard mount that slides in and out, etc.
On my main level I have about ten linear feet wrapped around me at desk hieght, with either two or three shelves in each section. My monitor, keyboard and books go on a 6" (1.80m) high tower of shelves. There are more shelves to my right, with printer, scanner, more speakers, CDs, more books, board games, work, an antique 3 1/2" floppy collection...and more!
The whole contraption cost less than $300 American. It isn't the prettiest thing, but what do want?
Re:IKEA! (Score:2)
Herman Miller (Score:1)
If you dig, OfficeMax can help (Score:2)
I was in a similar situation not long ago, though my monitor is 21" and my computer a full tower.
More folks should consider ergonomics -- especially furniture manufacturers. Most of the truly ergonomic furniture is extremely expensive, but if you're mindful of the seat-desk-keyboard-monitor relationship, then even lowly stuff can be made to work.
Here's what I bought:
OfficeMax#:01215553
Product Name:Cherry Corner Desk
Dimensions:29-5/8"h x 47-3/16"d x 47-3/16"w
I also purchased a 36" Desk from this collection -- the Bush OfficePro Cherry Collection -- to complement the right side of the corner desk; that way I can place my printer and some other devices nearby but away from the general work area on the corner desk.
OfficeMax#:01215688
Product Name:Cherry 36" Desk
Dimensions:29-5/8"h x 26-13/16"d x 35-3/8"w
The corner desk costs US $179; the 36" desk costs $139. I also purchased on clearance a retractable keyboard arm that normally sells for about $225 for about$100 but still haven't installed it; the combination of a good chair and the corner desk orientation gives me loads of depth so that I can rest my arms on the desktop. (The high-quality office chair w ason sale for $99 from $170).
Though we're fortunate to have an IKEA nearby, they didn't have a desk with the depth that I required. Also, the Bush furniture has been of decent quality -- and it's far cheaper.
Good luck.
Go to OfficeMax [officemax.com] and follow the links to "Desks - Modular Office Systems" for more info.
Re:Put the PC into a corner (Score:1)