Reworking My Large System

Here's the new monitor stand...



... The stand is on the left, obviously. Still needs a little modification, but it's not the most difficult aspect of this project. The item on the right is a quick release VESA mount. It will allow me to mount it on this dual monitor arm, which will have both monitors mounted on it.

All I'll have to do is slide the arm on the stand, plug in the power and video (RJ45 jacks), and I'll be ready to start up my computers. Should save several minutes of setup time, and hopefully fit in the same monitor case I've always carried. Monitor arm arrives tomorrow. Mods to the front of the slant-top rack are next.

Well... It's back to the drawing board on the monitor mount. The new monitor arm arrived and would have worked great EXCEPT... the stand won't handle the weight, and the place where I was going to mount the stand also sagged under the weight of the dual monitors and the new monitor arm.

Soooooo.... I'm back to my first design. I'm pretty sure my first design will work and handle the weight, but it won't be quite as attractive. My only concern is the height. The brackets I have are about 1-2 inches shorter than the monitor stand I was planning to use. I guess the good thing is, I have all the parts I need, so I won't have to wait for deliveries or go back to the hardware store. I'm a little disappointed, but these things don't always go smoothly. The good news is I had not cut the rack or drilled the holes in it I would have needed to do in order to mount that monitor stand.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm kinda disappointed I was not able to complete this project by the end of February. The weather had a little to do with that (being too cold to work in the garage), but mostly it was my inability to make some key decisions. The monitor arm was one of those. The one I chose, though, is PERFECT! I can keep both monitors on it and leave them mounted while still in the case. So even though the old stand I was going to use didn't work, I'll still use this new monitor mounting arm.

Now, though, I'm not sure I'm satisfied with the height. I liked the height of my old system. It was about six inches higher than this new rack. I've looked at options to raise it up six inches or so, but none are very cost effective. I'd really like to put some electric vertical actuators in the bottom rack that would jut out and become legs. That would be cool and pretty fun, but would cost nearly $900 for the four legs. I also considered putting an electric lift between the bottom rack and the upper slant-top rack... $400. Still not very cost effective. I looked at putting a 2U rack in between the racks, which wouldn't be too bad. I probably should have bought the 6U slant-top rack instead of the 4U. I'm not sure I'm ready to buy another rack. The easiest and cheapest way, I think, is to put blocks of wood between the bottom of the bottom rack and the casters. It would need to be bolted securely, and of course it would need to look good. Looks like this is another issue I'll have to keep thinking about. At least it's not a show stopper, since the rack is perfectly usable at it's current height. It's just a little low. I could always sit down.[emoji1]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Today's trip to the hardware store yielded... not very much.[emoji1] Spent a lot of money, but didn't get everything I need. Gotta go to ANOTHER hardware store, but after wandering the isles of Lowes (for what seemed like hours), looking for but not finding what I need, I'm pooped![emoji90] Gonna sit down and ponder for a while.[emoji1]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Haven't posted in this thread for a few days, but the project continues, albeit slowly. I'll be posting some pics shortly. I think I've finally solved two of my biggest issues. First, I have a solution for my monitor stand, and though it was inspired by one of my early designs, none of the parts I had on hand worked, so I bought an inexpensive item to use as a hinge, then I cut a pole from a piece of 1 1/2" aluminum tubing I had in my garage. I attached the tube to the pole, then attached a VESA quick connect mount to the pole. My new dual monitor arm should then attach to the pole as planned.

The other issue I hope I solved is the HEIGHT issue. The current height of the new rack puts my controller at a height that's just not comfortable. I had several possible solutions, but the one I chose was the easiest one to implement, if not the cheapest. I decided to order a 2U SKB Roto rack like this...

... which will fit between the 4U slant-top upper rack, and the 6U bottom rack. This solution provides an additional 6.5 inches of height. I'll move my Eliminator light controller into the 2U rack, and then I'll put a second 3U aluminum drawer in the bottom rack.

Having the third rack section, negates somewhat the reduction of items I had achieved with my initial changes, but I still think, over all, I'll still reduce the size and complexity of my large system.

I've also been working on preparing my garage for ALL the projects I've been working on, as well as those I have planned. My garage is a little bit of a mess, and I needed some additional work space. A few years ago, I put metal storage cabinets in my garage, and it helped provide places to store stuff, but still didn't give me enough workspace. I have a 6 foot long table in there, but it seems all I do is use it to pile stuff on. So I ordered a couple of base cabinets like these...



... and I bolted them together and put casters and a wooden worktop on them to provide a portable work surface (kind of an island).The cabinets and worktop arrived today. The casters came Saturday. It didn't take me long to get them turned into an island. Now I'll take all the junk that's on the table, and store it inside the island. The best part will be having a work surface I can mount my new miter saw on, and my vice as well. Never had a permanent place for those things. I also bought a new portable table saw, so replacing the table with this smaller island will provide the space I need to set the new table saw up. Once I get it set up, I'll have a better space for doing a lot of the other projects, and they should go a little faster too... at least that's what I hope.[emoji1]



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

DJ TJ said:

Ummm...you sure that 2u roto rack will stack properly?
As far as I know the roto racks aren't designed to stack with the dj shuttle cases or the gig rig expanders as the interlocking patterns are different.

Click to expand...

Pretty sure it's a match. I have the SKB r1906 and r104 ... both Roto Racks. This is what I have...

If the measurements are correct, it should fit perfectly on top of the R1906.

DJ TJ said:

This is the mixer case I have which houses my mixer, dmx controller and adj dp2 audio controller.
As far as I know it's the only mixer case that is designed to stack on top of the roto racks.

View attachment 33799



The interlock pattern on your R104 is different and I believe is only designed to accept the lid that came with it as a height booster.
View attachment 33800

Click to expand...

Well... I hope you're wrong, 'cause otherwise it's back to the drawing board.[emoji4] If it does fit as I think it will, I am a little concerned about getting the front cover off because of the lip on the top of the R1906. Not a big deal, since I can lift it up a bit and set it back down after removing the cover. But if it doesn't work, I'll send it back and try something else.[emoji4]

Won't know the answer for a while though, because the 2U rack isn't scheduled to arrive until March 28.

So... I haven't worked on this project for a few days. I started working on the garage, in order to get things set up so I'd have space to work on this and other projects. Still have more stuff to put away out in the garage, but it's getting close to being done. Not sure if I'm gonna work out there today. It's windy, so if I open up the garage door, leaves and stuff will blow into my nice, clean garage. I got my new table saw and compound miter saw set up and can't wait to use them.[emoji4]

I'm still waiting on a piece of hardware that's essential to the mods I want to make to the slant-top rack. It shipped, but hasn't arrived yet. Looks like the end of March is going to be a realistic completion date for this project, since I have a few other pieces I've ordered that won't be here until the last week in March. That's the down side of having to buy almost everything online; just takes time, and anything that doesn't work out has to be returned and reordered. [emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I AM SMOKIN'!!![emoji1]... Got a lot done out in the garage today. Nothing directly related to the large system rework project, but it's definitely gonna help me find what I need, when I need it. I tossed out a lot more CR@P... at least I tossed it out of the garage.[emoji1] Big trash day is next Monday, so it all goes out on the curb Sunday afternoon. Good timing. Right now it's all piled on the side of the house. There's a monster-sized bush blocking it from view from the street... I'm sure the neighbors appreciate that.

Another good thing... my friction lid support came today, and it looks like it's gonna work with the mods I plan to make to the slant-top rack. All I lack now are the magnetic closers I ordered. Didn't know the stupid magnetic door closers had to be shipped from China. I bought them on Amazon, but had I known they shipped from China, I might have looked for a different source. It looks like (from the tracking info) they've at least reached the US mainland, so maybe I'll get them before March 28.[emoji1]

I have enough (materials and parts) to start mocking up the keyboard shelf and the monitor mount. Only thing I'll need to do out in the garage, though, is get my new saws set up, because there will be a bit of woodworking involved.[emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

dunlopj said:

Oh lord...are you ever gonna finish??

Click to expand...

That's not first time I've been asked that question... but it's usually in regards to quite different circumstances.[emoji1]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk