Triple Monitor Mount

This is an inexpensive, extremely sturdy, adjustable, triple monitor mount. Below is a list of components needed to build the one I did. The mount can be customized to fit any desired monitor size. This setup is for monitors that are 15" - 23" that are positioned at 30 degree angles to one another. (30 degrees is as far as the 23" monitors can be angled but smaller monitors can go further). The metal pieces I used came from my local metal supply store and were scrap pieces that were already the size, or a little bit bigger than the size I needed. I only cost me around $25 for both the base plate and the C channel beam. The pipe and pipe fittings can be found at your local hardware store. In total, this monitor stand cost me around $80 which is great considering it cost around $300 to buy a fully adjustable professional version.

1 X Aluminum C channel beam 22" long, 4" tall, 1.75" deep, 5/16" thick. (refer to image)

1 X Aluminum plate that is 21" wide, 14" deep, and  1/4" thick (plate can be of any desired width and depth as long as it creates a sturdy base for the monitor stand. It must be at least 1/4" thick, however, as there needs to be room to thread and screw bolts into it. Plate is not necessary if the monitor stand is to be bolted to a sturdy desk.)

4 X 3/4" steel floor flange

2 X 3/4" X 12" steel pipe nipple

2 X 3/4" male -  female 90 degree pipe elbow

2 X Cheetah mounts articulating arm mount Tilt and Swivel 12" - 24" monitor wall mount (can be bought here http://www.amazon.com/Cheetah-Articulating-Bracket-Monitor-Displays/dp/B000WOF5L8/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1352747741&sr=8-17&keywords=monitor+mount  or here http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cheetah-ALAM-B-Articulating-Arm-Wall-Mount-LCD-15-to-32-/150942745186?pt=US_TV_Mounts_Brackets&hash=item2324e38262)

1 X VideoSecu LCD LED TV Wall Mount Adjustable Rotating Swing Arm Mount Bracket (can be bought here http://www.amazon.com/VideoSecu-Adjustable-Rotating-Bracket-Monitor/dp/B001L4AJDW/ref=sr_1_36?ie=UTF8&qid=1352747737&sr=8-36&keywords=monitor+mount)

8 X 3/16" 1/4 20 bolts that are 1.25" long

2 X 3/16" 1/4 20 bolts that are 1" long

10 X 3/16" 1/4 20 slim nuts

4 X 1/4" 1/4 20 bolts that are 1" long

4 X 1/4" 1/4 20 slim nuts

8 X 3/16" 1/4 20 bolts that are 5/8" long

1 X 3/16" 1/4 20 Hand Tap (for threading aluminum base)

Step 1: Adapting the cheetah mount

The cheetah monitor mount has a wall mount at one end and a monitor mount at the other. The wall mount needs to be adapted to fit the monitor stand setup. In order to do this, you will need to unscrew the bolt that couples it to the arm beams. Make sure not to lose the washers that are on it. Once the wall mount has been separated  from the rest of the mount, use a Dremel with a metal cut off wheel or another type of metal cut off device like an angle grinder and cut the wall mount just below the piece that attached it to the monitor mount arms (refer to picture). Do this to both ends so that you end up with 2 pieces that look like the ones in the picture. Then reattach the 2 pieces onto the arms but this time, flip them around so that the holes for attaching the mount to the wall are below the arms and not above (refer to picture). Also, make sure to put 1 of the 1/4" 1/4 20 bolts that are 1" long into each of the 2 holes in the 2 pieces you just cut before you reattach them to the arms. The reason to do this now is because it is impossible to put them through the holes when the mount and arms are put back together.

Comments

[nash krywka]

How I did it: http://imgur.com/a/lGGa2

[techno guy]

i hope my desk will look like this one day

[oakironworker]

Thanks totally rocks

[M3talhead]

This is a great instructable if you already have the components or can get them for free, but Amazon has triple monitor mounts that are built like tanks for around $50. I bought one for my 22" widescreens and love it. The thumbscrews were quickly replaced with lag bolts to screw directly into the desk, but apart from that, they have plenty of adjustability and are extremely durable. Definitely not your typical Chinese junk.

http://www.amazon.com/Triple-Monitor-Mount-Adjustable-Screens/dp/B009S7ALH8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1352912623&sr=1-1&keywords=triple

[wwonsang]

This is true, but the weight distribution is centralized in a single but small point with the tention screw(s) to hold it in place on the desk edge. The beauity of this design is the force / weight distribution across alarger serface area makes this a huge advantage that you exspensivemonitors will be safe.

[M3talhead]

It depends on what kind of desk you have.

I built my computer desk out of 3/4 oak ply I had left over from another project and got rid of the thumb screws in exchange for beefy lag bolts. No weak points here. ;-)

I guess my point was, if you already have a solid surface to begin with, the triple monitor link I posted is well-made and not weak by any stretch of the imagination. Just swap out the thumb screws for real hardware and you're in business for a long time.

[phonkamumblefore]

Yeah I saw it the other day when I posted this. I built the monitor stand around a year ago and I don't remember this being out there to buy so that's why I decided to build my own. Maybe it was around back then and I just never found it.

[Datawolf]

Newbie question : u have 3 graphic cards ?!

[offtherails2010]

Yup, i use Four Monitors !

- Multitasking (& Certain Dual Screen Games!) is Absolutely AWESOME !

Really folks, those using only one monitor should try it out, i only started off with CRT monitors x 2 but over the years saved up and acquired the 4 monitors via the 2 graphics cards in my PC, but for Laptops there are USB to VGA Cable-Adapters available, i need a few of these myself as they will add MORE monitors to my next computer (4 Screens is really enough, 3 is the 'sweet-spot' lol !)

MAJOR THANKS to the author of this instructable as ive needed something like this on the cheap for 3 of my 4 monitors, the 4th being a 42" TV lol !

[tn.]

my desktop has onboard video (which i didn't want but had to take anyway) and a graphics card. at one point, i had the small monitor (18"), the big monitor (27"), and the TV hooked up, all on the graphic card (nVidia geForce). the small monitor is USB, the big monitor is HDMI, and the TV is VGA.

[tn.]

"why"? bec i have a 5yr old who persists in hovering over my shoulder. while i don't mind and in fact encourage her to hover on the instructable site, sometimes i want to go on facebook and that's not appropriate for her. so i put a movie on the TV, i have my email on the small monitor (i get a LOT of email!) and do my "thang" on the big monitor. everybody's happy and *quiet*.

[wwonsang]

There are also some realy nice USB Video Cards that you could use for your laptop to get that third monitor.
- Monitor 1 - Laptop
- Monitor 2 - External monitor port on laptop or docking station
- Monitor 3 - USB Graphics Card

You could fine a collection of them at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=usb+video+card&sprefix=usb+video%2Caps%2C255

[phonkamumblefore]

Just 1 actually. The card is a ATI radeon 6970 which has 2 dvi, 1 HDMI, and 2 mini display ports. This allows me a maximum of 4 connected displays as only one of the dvi ports can be used in a multi monitor setup.

[tn.]

i believe the term "nerdgasm" applies here.

[Jamie bagn]

This is awesome. I had a look at buying a mount for my 3 21.5" full HD screens but I'm not allowed to drill holes in the wall and being a student I have no money. I will probably build something like this some day but I would like to get another 3 screens as I already have 2 AMD Radeon HD 7900 Series graphics cards installed.

[Bobblehead Einstein]

Dude this is some awsome stuff you have there,to build one for myself i need to to get 2 more monitor's :)
lolz

[andrea biffi]

great! It seems very sturdy.