Introduction: Corner Dual Monitor Stand
I use dual monitors in comfort while saving space with this monitor stand I made of mostly leftover materials. This solution could be very helpful for people living in apartments where they can't mount things to the walls and don't have room for a desk to hold multiple monitors. This setup actually takes up no extra space. This swiveling chair was already in this corner of the room. I just have to spin around to use my computer. I've been using this for a few months with great satisfaction. I hope this inspires similar solutions for others who are also working from home these days. The attached video breezes through assembly and gives an overview of the construction of this design. For details, read on...
Supplies
I found this dual monitor stand sized for my monitors.
I used casters from a small furniture dolly.
The rest of my materials were harvested from a discarded entertainment center and shoe rack.
I was re-using furniture material which already had a finish, but I added a coat of stain for better uniformity.
Tools:
Step 1: Prototype
After my stand arrived, I mocked up a prototype from scrap wood and rope to hold the monitors in position so I could test the idea and see how big the pieces needed to be. I adjusted the height of the monitor to find a comfortable position for viewing them from my chair. Having the actual monitors mounted helped me size the base for stability. Once I had the basic dimensions, I scavenged my scrap collection for materials and came up with a design...
Step 2: Design
The photos show views of the finished stand. The base is designed to fit in a corner while supporting the weight of the cantilevered monitors. I am using re-purposed materials. The same design could easily be made of wood. The vertical post is approximately the dimension of a 2x6. The base pieces are close to 1x3. Thin supports hold the post up in its vertical position. I made mine from metal tubes.
Step 3: Cut and Drill the Frame Pieces
I cut out some pieces of scrap hardboard and matched the hole pattern as shown. At the main joint, this holds the two base pieces together as they get joined to the vertical post later. It includes the hole pattern for one caster as shown. I countersunk all the holes for the screws that fasten the casters.
Step 4: Prepare the Main Joint
Since I am using a hollow-core vertical support, I made a block reinforced with a piece of steel angle to attach the pieces of the frame together with a strong joint to ensure the cantilevered monitors have plenty of rigid support. I used a couple of T-nuts in the block to receive 1/4-20 screws.
Step 5: Size the Supports
In this design, I used some extension tubes from an discarded shoe rack. Each tube was too short, but the sliding pair was long enough. I just had to pin them in place to prevent sliding. I crushed the ends of the tubes flat in a vice, then drilled holes for fasteners and attached the ends to the frame with screws. I clamped the assembled frame to a vertical post in the garage, then pinned the tubes as shown in this video.
Step 6: Assembly
Assembly proceeds as shown in the introduction. Stills here show close-ups of the joints.
Step 7: P.S.
I have been quite happy with this setup for my computer at home. I've been using a prototype mouse pad on the arm rest with great results. The real beauty of this is that the chair was already in this corner to start with. When I'm not using the computer, I just lift the screens up out of the way and spin the chair around 180 degrees. I can roll the whole stand outside, or in another room, if I want a change of scenery. This is a great tool for all these days working from home as we wait out the COVID-19 bug.
If you like this style of step-by-step instruction, please share with others and subscribe, so you'll be notified when I post more. If you have questions, please post them in the comments. I will try to answer and probably update the instructions, too. Read about more of my woodworking projects and tools at ChipsWoodShop.com.