Tips for anchoring/securing external display?

[badlydrawnboy]

I have a standing desk with a Macbook Pro and 24" NEC display. The standing desk has a keyboard tray mounted on the underside of the desk. When I type on the keyboard, even that small amount of pressure is enough to make the display on the top of the desk wobble. I start to feel a bit motion sick after a little while of looking at the screen because of this.

Any ideas for how to prevent this?

 

[Weaselboy]

What you want is a "VESA monitor mount". If you search Amazon or similar you will find many that mount to the desk.

Kinda like this. Make sure your NEC is VESA mount compatible. I suspect it is.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

What you want is a "VESA monitor mount". If you search Amazon or similar you will find many that mount to the desk.

Kinda like this. Make sure your NEC is VESA mount compatible. I suspect it is.

Thanks. Will this help, even if it's the desk moving that is making the monitor wobble? Is it just that the VESA mount holds the monitor in such a way that it's less likely to wobble?

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks. Will this help, even if it's the desk moving that is making the monitor wobble? Is it just that the VESA mount holds the monitor in such a way that it's less likely to wobble?

The mount attaches to the desk, so if the desk is wobbly the monitor will wobble also, but at least it won't fall over. They also sell VESA wall mounts that mount to the wall and extend outward. If your desk backs up to a wall that might work better for you.

 

[ActionableMango]

If it's the whole desk that's moving, you need a better desk.

Alternatively you could mount the monitor to the wall behind the desk with a VESA wall mount.

 

[Apple fanboy]

If typing makes your desk wobble have you considered a new desk? It sounds very rickety.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

If typing makes your desk wobble have you considered a new desk? It sounds very rickety.

It's actually a brand new desk. The problem may be the way I have it set up. It's a standing desk, and I attached a keyboard tray to the underside of it. The keyboard tray is quite substantial/heavy, so maybe with my fingers banging the keyboard it's too much pressure. The wobble is slight, but it's enough to make me motion sick.

My monitor does back up to a wall, but I'm not sure if there's a stud there that a VESA mount could be attached to.

 

[seveej]

The keyboard tray is quite substantial/heavy, so maybe with my fingers banging the keyboard it's too much pressure.

You don't happen to be one of those people who learned typing using mechanical typewriters? I once had a colleague (he started as print journalist in the 60's) who regularly broke one-two keyboard trays per year with his machine-gun two finger system.

Ergonomics is a personal matter, but I'd sincerely recommend trying out a solution, where your forearm has decent support and your fingers merely tap the keys.

RGDS,

 

[Weaselboy]

My monitor does back up to a wall, but I'm not sure if there's a stud there that a VESA mount could be attached to.

Is this at home?. Residential construction should have studs 16" on center apart all across the wall. You could screw a piece of 3/4 plywood say 18" by 18" inches into two studs, then mount the VESA bracket to the plywood. That would easily hold the weight of your monitor.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

You don't happen to be one of those people who learned typing using mechanical typewriters? I once had a colleague (he started as print journalist in the 60's) who regularly broke one-two keyboard trays per year with his machine-gun two finger system.

Ergonomics is a personal matter, but I'd sincerely recommend trying out a solution, where your forearm has decent support and your fingers merely tap the keys.

RGDS,

Ha ha, no. I'm typing pretty lightly. Maybe a picture will help. It's a standing desk with a treadmill underneath it. The keyboard tray extends pretty far out beyond the desk, because of the position of the treadmill. The heels of my hands rest on a wrist pad, and my fingers lightly tap the keyboard. But I think it's vulnerable to motion because it's so far out beyond the desk.

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Is this at home?. Residential construction should have studs 16" on center apart all across the wall. You could screw a piece of 3/4 plywood say 18" by 18" inches into two studs, then mount the VESA bracket to the plywood. That would easily hold the weight of your monitor.

It is residential, but we're renting, so I'm not sure how that would go over with the landlords. I guess it's part of normal wear and tear, no?

 

[Mr Kram]

Whoa. Mount it to the wall. That set up looks sketchy to me. I'd be afraid.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

Here's another wrinkle. You may have noticed that the display in the picture is an ACD, not NEC. The ACD just died, and was replaced by the NEC. The ACD didn't shake and wobble as much (or really at all), so I think it must be something unique to the NEC stand?

 

[Apple fanboy]

It's the keyboard sticking out so fat that's your problem. Even a small amount of pressure will have a lot of leverage. I'm not sure how your landlord will feel about wall mounting monitors. I would check first.

 

[Weaselboy]

It is residential, but we're renting, so I'm not sure how that would go over with the landlords. I guess it's part of normal wear and tear, no?

I think you could get the job done with four drywall screws into the studs. So when you unscrew it when you move all that would be left is four, small screw holes in the wall you could pretty easily patch over.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

I think you could get the job done with four drywall screws into the studs. So when you unscrew it when you move all that would be left is four, small screw holes in the wall you could pretty easily patch over.

Good idea. I'll get a studfinder and get to work. Thanks.

 

[alphaod]

If your desk is wobbly, get a new desk. Otherwise use the wall mount as others have suggested.



In other news, this is the wrong section.

 

[GermanyChris]

Ha ha, no. I'm typing pretty lightly. Maybe a picture will help. It's a standing desk with a treadmill underneath it. The keyboard tray extends pretty far out beyond the desk, because of the position of the treadmill. The heels of my hands rest on a wrist pad, and my fingers lightly tap the keyboard. But I think it's vulnerable to motion because it's so far out beyond the desk.

Image

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It is residential, but we're renting, so I'm not sure how that would go over with the landlords. I guess it's part of normal wear and tear, no?

move some weight down...

alternately you shouldn't need a stud to mount an normal monitor on the wall..it you were mounting a couple apple 30's then I'd look for a stud.