DIY Monitor Riser
The first pass was simple enough, I had a bit of board left over from a previous project, and I just used it with the the four doors-stops.
$7.27 for the doorstops at Lowe’s — on the way to Austin.
Funny, because this started with me grabbing a dictionary off the shelf so I could use that hefty reference tome as a temporary monitor stand. That lead to images of the dictionaries’ contents, and a sideways excursion into the definition of “irony,” and the result was?
I still use those dictionaries from time-to-time. I mean, I use them as dictionaries, not as a monitor stand. Negates the possibility of using the dictionaries as more than a temporary solution.
Which means, I needed a monitor stand. Something cool. Something hipster, rustic. Just a small monitor riser — that is stable. Books, as it turns out, aren’t quite wide enough for good support.
The first pass was half of a two-foot board, which was about 8 inches wide, with the four door-stops screwed in as legs. Worked. Actually worked well, surprising even me.
DIY Monitor Riser
That first pass, I would do a little different, and while it does work well enough, the next pass would be a larger board, wider, maybe not longer, and?
Make it with bolts. Look cooler.
The first problem with the bolts is that this requires holes in the board. The second part of this is the board itself, as an adjunct, the finish I out on that board. The desk itself is Arkansas Walnut, rare, old-growth, and it was “sustainably farmed” before that was a thing. Desk must be close to 30 years old, now.
Poking around, late at night, looking on the inter-webs for ideas, the first one was using a blowtorch to “brown” the wood’s surface, I suppose, like a similar torch to crisp the top of creme bruleé? Then, with my affection for coffee, maybe a coffee-based stain or rub on the wood’s grain, and seal it with a light lacquer?
That first version, the board itself, I sprayed with a light, cheap lacquer, just to seal and protect the surface — not much, but a light coat to see if this will work.
DIY Monitor Riser
The first iteration was too narrow, looked fine, but the door-stop legs for the shelf are not adjustable. Happen to fit perfectly, but not adjustable. Looked great, for the first effort. Kind of surprised myself, it was so good.
Second version is two pieces of wood, held up, held apart, I suppose, it depends on the orientation, but the legs were bolts. Just quarter inch, carriage bolts. Bought a package of washers and another package of nuts for the rest of the assembly. Lacquer itself? Odd, but two bucks cheaper at the other super store, the Wal-Marts. Still have to show an ID to get it. Wouldn’t be a thing but the checker made a snide remark about my age, this last time.
If I ever get motivated to do this again, I’ll get a 12″ x 24″ board, get the store to cut it in two, then I would use the doorstops, one at each corner, and I would call that good.
DIY Monitor Riser
The second board was the most expensive piece thus far — American Red Oak, if I recall. 2 foot board, cut in half, makes two almost square pieces, perfect size.
The size is kind of the issue, and starting with a smaller board, while a better idea, and what that showed me was the height was perfect — for me — and only in this one instance.
So with the second try, I found that I did have to adjust the machine screws, the carriage bolts, down a bit, to make it work perfectly. Even better than before, and now, rock solid.
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That desk, and its height? Originally formatted for a Mac Plus (etc.) on an external hard drive, as was the fashion, back in the day. Works well enough, now.
Vincit Qui Primum Gerit
“First to arrive gets the best deal.”
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