Post Subject: Desk "top" PC Mod (Sounding Board Post)
Posted on: Mar 12, 2011
Ok, this mod idea started off as a desire to 'hide' my 23" monitor into my desk. And here's how it's fleshed out past that so far:
1: "flip-up" monitor
2: Hidden keyboard tray
3: 15" Touchscreen monitor 'hidden' to the right of the keyboard tray
4: Mimicking this guy: http://www.desktoppe.....nside-desk-shelving/
5: hidey-hole for Logitech 5.1 system controller (model no longer manufactured, so I don't know which one it is)
6: 17" (my original monitor) wall mounted behind the desk
7: Power/Reset Buttons mounted on left side of desk, hidden
Dimensions of the desk (tentative): 30"D x 60"W x 4"H
Desk will sit roughly 3' off of the floor by H style legs currently used by an older military desk (my current desk).
Issues to overcome:
1: Bringing the 23" monitor up, and raised to bring the bottom edge 4.75" off the desk
2: Bringing the 15" monitor up tilted back 45 degrees, then turning 45 degrees to face user at angle
3: Faceplates for keyboard tray (Magnetic latches + hinges?)
4: Cover for audio controller (Magnetic latches again?)
This is just for me to bounce around ideas and such. If you have any suggestions/ideas, or if you've spotted something like this already (I've spent roughly 5 hours looking and found nothing) I'll definitely appreciate your input. :D
[EDIT] I'll post pics on photobucket or some such later on as I get my schematics fleshed out.
The computer:
MoBo: MSI870A-G55 AM3 ATX
Processor: AMD Phenom II x6 1075T Thuban 3Ghz
RAM: G.Skill RipJaw Series 2GB DDR3 SDRAM
PSU: RaidMax RX-850AE 850W Modular
HDD1: 250GB Western Digital Green Edition (current OS drive)
HDD2: 750GB Western Digital Black Edition (current backup/storage drive)
Optical Drive: ASUS DVD-RW QuietTrack
Other: Akasa Allinone Card reader/fan controller
man this looks like it'll be a pretty sweet project. For the mobo tray and back plate, are you able to just salvage those from old PCs? seems like you could cut some costs there, then again, it might not be as pretty in the end.
I'd love to see a sketch of what you're planning. I've got an idea, lol but i'm only guessing it's the same as your idea
If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
I could just buy a cheap chassis, but right now the only chassis I have (I don't actually keep the towers from old builds...which is a shame, now that it would have been handy...) but ultimately, I want something of quality. Hence the Lian-Li mobo tray, and the MNPCTech back plate. Odds are good that when I go to get my lumber for the desk and the framework for the chassis, I'll be getting some aluminum and plexi-glass as well. I was thinking about veneering the top of the desk, but I think I'm going to go with a paint-scheme that was part of a design of a much older design; Red/Black caution stripes. I'll just need to find something to cover the gaps between the layers of plywood. (2x 1/2" thick pieces, and 3x 1" thick pieces). I'm actually getting ready to buy some of the hardware now, since my tax return came in, but the other materials are probably going to have to wait a bit. That 15" touch screen is going to hold up my designs though, as I don't trust the measurements posted on the Egg. And that monitor is gonna be around $600 after S&H most likely.
Just got everything but my desk hardware. Probably go and get the materials and that hardware next Monday after I get my paycheck. And, I even managed to get a rather large portion of my liquid coolant stuff. I'm happy. :D I'd been wanting to get that stuff for the last three revisions of my computer. :D
On the down side...I have to wait until I can get my desk built before I'll really be able to use any of it. But, by then, I should be able to get the rest of my coolant stuff, including the fans that I'm going to want for the build, which I haven't decided on yet. Silent fans, or high RPM fans? :P
It'll probably get several updates throughout the day and into tomorrow while I work on the designs, so feel free to check on it again tomorrow. :P (limited bandwidth)
I'd go for the higher RPM. I mean are they going to be in your face or anything? With 120mm fans, you'll be able to really keep the sound down, and depending on where they're placed, you may not even notice the sound.
If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
The chassis will be to the left of my monitor, on the desk. I'm intending on one fan in the front of the chassis, then one in the rear. The right side of the chassis will be sectioned off for my 'air tunnel' for my radiator. The left side of the chassis will actually hold my motherboard, and my DVD drive and my card reader will be positioned at the bottom of the chassis; basically right in front of me. No more leaning over to access my DVD drive, or to silence the alarm on my temp sensor. I'll probably be buying parts for the framework of my chassis tomorrow.
On the monitor...I'm trying to find a mechanical arm to bring the monitor from a 'rest' position to a 'standing' position with the bottom edge of the monitor sitting no less than 3" off my desk. I've tried searching for 'mechanical arms' and 'mechanical devices' on ask.com only to get reference material. I don't suppose you know where I could find a device to manage this? (Further detail: The monitor when at rest will sit recessed into the desk, with about 1/2" from the face of the monitor and the top of the desk. When standing, it will be completely vertical with no less than 3" between the bottom edge of the monitor and the top of the desk)
Just in case anyone missed it the last time I posted it.
I'm afraid there won't be any more updates until I have the money to get the rest of the materials I need, which may be next week after all my parts have arrived. I'll start work on the chassis first.
I've made some changes in the design to the desk, and am working on fleshing out the design for the chassis. Though I have a feeling I'm going to have to contract someone to make the chassis, as I doubt I have the tools to make it properly. As far as the chassis goes, right now, designing the mobo tray and I/O panel into it are giving me a very hard time; probably because I'm trying to use metric-measured parts in a standard measured chassis.
On another note, I think I've found my monitor arm: http://motorizedmount.com/lft100/ @ $1300. It's gonna be a couple months before I can afford that. I'm open to suggestions on that, btw. Lemme know if you know of anything else that should work for the application of raising the monitor on a vertical axis. Especially if it costs less. :P (Take into account, that finding that has taken me roughly 15 hours of searching thru ask.com)
That seems like a lot, but it does look pretty awesome. I've gotta think there's a more affordable approach, but I have no idea where I'd even start looking!
If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
I've got the chassis designed finished at this point. I'm heading out to pick up the materials for the framework tomorrow. The aluminum for the panels is going to cost me around $200 though, so I might not get that until I get my next paycheck. I'll make sure to post pics on my photobucket account as I build the chassis.
I'll also notate any changes I make to the chassis design as I go along.
Well, despite acrylic rods being cheaper than the wood rods I was going to buy at Home Depot, I still wound up spending $120 on the parts for the chassis frame. I'll have to order the panel pieces next week. I also won't be able to start work on the chassis until probably Friday when the parts get in, which will be fine since I'm still waiting on the the rest of my liquid coolant parts.
I was going to make the panels out of aluminum, but the price difference between aluminum sheets and acrylic sheets is rather vast, especially when ordering pieces around 19" wide and ranging from 4"-19" long.
I did get a few new bits and accessories for my dremel though, so the day wasn't completely wasted. :D
