Sliding monitor mount for standing desk
I built a simple standing desk last weekend.
Since the rest of the family also uses the PC and prefers to sit, I had to make it easy to switch between standing and sitting modes.
We already had the IKEA Fredrik desk. I added two things:
- A wall-mounted sliding monitor holder.
- A collapsible plywood keyboard & mouse shelf.
Total cost (not including some scrap wood and a few screws) was $3.50, and it only took an hour or so to build.
For the wall rails, I bought a 10-foot length of 1/2″ conduit. I drilled some deep holes into scrap 2×3’s to sink the conduit into, and secured the blocks to the drywall with wall anchors. The bracket for the back of the monitor uses 3/4″ set-screw couplings (found right next to the conduit in Home Depot). I replaced the set-screws with longer machine screws, so that I could put them through the scrap of mdf board that I screwed into the back of the monitor.
When the monitor is down in sitting position, I rest it on top of an external hard drive. It takes about a minute to convert to standing position. First I move Chrissy’s baskets and slide the monitor up, resting it on the top shelf of the desk. Then I assemble the mouse/keyboard shelf and I’m ready to work.
Some detailed pictures:
The keyboard stand is 3 pieces of interlocking plywood. The two bottom pieces are notched in the middle, so that I can fit them together in an “X” shape. The top piece has a few scraps of wood nailed to its underside, to lock in place around the X. You can see a much more elegant take on the same idea in the StandStand. When taken apart, it leans inconspicuously beside a cabinet on the other side of the room.