Paul Thomsen at myITforum.com

The ultimate computer management console

Summary: computer management is a mutli-disciplined art form that is very computer intensive. You need a lot of applications open at any time to do the job right. How do you keep an eye on all of them? With the ultimate Command Central, of course! Your own up close and personal bridge of the Enterprise.

Picture time:

(expanded version)

I did a fair bit of web searching to find some kind of monitor arm that would support 3 LCD displays of a good size. Everything I found was fairly expensive ($500 to $1000) and they were very ambiguous as to how they would get the monitors to exactly the position I wanted, without being attached to a wall, and in a solid manner that would survive a Seattle earthquake.

So I figured it was time for a do-it-myself project. For about $250 it's done. And dozens of my fellow Microsoftie computer geeks have paid it great compliments - everyone loves it (most of all me, since I get to benefit from it). Ergonomically it's sweet. Full computer management sense-surround precisely where I want it. The desk is freed up for tons of papers (which I keep a lot of in my office, as you can see). No ugly piles of phone books or sheaths of paper to try to get the monitors to about the right height (and from which monitors will topple with the mildest earthquake or similar emergency).

About 5 people have called it "scary", as in something from a science fiction movie ("Brazil" was mentioned a couple of times). The picture below may explain that. Another bunch of people have suggested I should start a business selling these things. I can dig being entrepreneurial, but I don't want to get too far away from my first love - computer management. So I've decided to 'open source' the details - anyone that wants one can build it themselves.

(expanded version)

BONUS DISCLAIMERS: I'm not a mechanical engineer so I can't guarantee that it will surive an earthquake. Or that it won't fall on your head someday. Or fall over in the middle of the night and break your beautfiul monitors into a million pieces. It's also labor intensive to build it just right (say 2 man-days, and some brute force) and it takes some mechanical improvisation (so don't be surprised if you get it half built and then find you can't figure out how to complete it).

So here's the basic approach to building your own:

1. measure out the basic dimensions of where you want the monitors - height, depth, and spread. You won't get it exact right (reality differs from theory), but this will serve as a starting point for your shopping list
2. go to the hardware store's plumbing section. Find the galvanized steel piping. I recommend 1/2 inch dimension, but that's based on gut feel. Smaller might work and bigger might look more robust. Get:
1. 1 long section (about 4 feet) to be the main piece from the ground, past the desk surface, to the high point)
2. a 4 way joint
3. a 3 way joint
4. 4 long pieces suitable to the dimensions you measured. A shortish (8"?) one to the central monitor, two long ones (18"?) to the sides, and a medium one (12"?) to be the center support. Chances are you'll be surprised that you need to make some dramatic adjustments from your original plan, so buy a few extra of various lengths.
5. 2 45 degree angle joints to connect from the center bar to the long sections going to the side monitors
6. a bunch of short sections of various lengths (shortest to about 3 or even 5 inches). You use these to fine tune the actual lengths to what feels comfortable. They're cheap and you'll need more than you expect, so get a bunch (10?). Otherwise you'll be making a bunch of trips back to the hardware store
7. about 6 90 degree angle joints. These make the right angle connections from the long pieces to your monitors. You can also lower or increase the height of any arm by throwing two of these in the middle (with a suitable length from item 6)
8. about 5 connectors. These are short pieces that are 'female' on both end. They connect straight pieces to other straight pieces and allow you to fine tune lengths using combinations of the above pieces.
9. 5 floor mount pieces (those are the ones that attach to the monitors, but you'll also need one for the center support at the point it contacts the desk, and a similar one at the floor)
10. 2 wood press clamps. I'm not sure that's the proper name, but they're usually used to clamp wood while glueing them together. One such clamp is the orange pieces in the picture of sample pieces. One half of each 'binds' to the pipe and the other threads onto the end of a piece like your 4 foot pipe. The problem here is that you'll have to use it in the middle of the pipe (to clamp the monitor stand to the desk). So the binding part works well but the other part has to slide over the pipe. So you'll need a half inch clamp set and a 3/4 inch clamp set. More about this later. (but if you can just drill a hole in your desk and screw the base to the floor, then you won't need the clamps and you'll have an even more solid stand). And the clamps are about $30 each, so this is your second biggest expense
11. a package of 1/4" by 2" bolts. You'll need two bolts, and they probably get the most stress of all the items in the stand, so the stronger the better (automotive quality would be ideal, but I couldn't be bothered to go hunting for such bolts).
12. a package of least nine 1/2" long bolts (with nuts), of any small size. They don't get much stress so any size will work.
13. some very solid bungie cords, preferably black so they're not obvious
14. for the finishing touch, you'll want cable wraps to go over the pipes and to hide the monitor and power cables. I suppose you could paint or tape instead, but the cable wraps seem to give the rigth "scary" effect.
3. now go to a TV store and get 3 wall mounts for flat panel displays. You just want the basic ones that would allow you to mount the display directly to a wall - no pivots or anything fancy. I got mine at Sears but have seen them elsewhere. They're something like $35 each, so they're easily the biggest expense.
4. Assembly time! Screw all the pipe pieces together using the right dimensions for what is comfortable for you. Do a bit of drilling and bolting. Clamp it to the desk. Attach the monitors. Cover with cable covers and you're done!
1. ok, it's not quite that easy, but you're going to have to experiment to get the placements just right, so there's not much point in me being very prescriptive
2. when attaching the floor stand pieces to the flat panel wall mounts (see the rear-end picture above), you'll find that only one hole matches. So you'll have to drill two holes. The metal is soft, so that's easy
3. attaching the clamp to the longest pipe at the desk level is one of the trickiest steps. You'll have to drill the 3/4 inch half of the clamp, so that you can put the 1/4 inch bolts through the clamp and the pipe. The clamp is rounded and fairly solid metal so that will take a few minutes but any ordinary drill and drill bit will do the job. When you clamp that pipe to the desk you'll find that you can apply a lot of pressure (and thus get a great hold on the desk) but that's putting a lot of pressure on the bolts. So make sure they're well placed.
4. the clamp handle is too wide for tightening in the middle of the pipe so you'll have to use a hacksaw to shorten it up. Then use an adjustable wrench to tighten the clamp
5. for the right and left monitors the vertical force is partially against the threads of the pipes. That's probably a confusing statement, but it means that when first mounting the left and right monitors you may find they sag as one of the pipe joints pivets on its axis. Basically the threads aren't 'biting' enough. So you'll have to turn the pipe around that axis one full rotation. You've probably already tightened them pretty good, so that last rotation is going to be hard, especially since the fully assembled stand gets quite awkward
6. attach the bungie chords at the lowest level of the main vertical pipe (the one behind the desk) to the desk legs. Make them as tight as possible. I think of them as a backup solution in case the clamp ever gives. The monitors would cause the stand to fall forward and possibly to either side. The bungie chords would be counter force to hopefully keep the stand from crashing to the floor (but I don't guarantee that)

Hmmm. That actually sounds hard and complicated. But you're a techie - you do 5 hard and complicated things every day before breakfast. If you really want to build your own monitor monitor stand but need more details, let me know and I'll add some more.

p.s. Given the reaction so far, this project qualifies as TechSexy, but I'm not going to label it as such because I'm using that word in the narrower sense of meaning exciting technical SCCM improvements.