Box Design Suggestions

[Isaac]

In order to alleviate stress in my neck, I raised my computer monitor up higher to be closer to my line of site.

Those boards are just the cut off ends from when I replaced my basement stair treads a couple years ago (it is hard for me to throw things away).

Not exactly a pretty solution, so now I want to make a box, about the same size, say roughly 12"x"12"x4". I'm envisioning it having a drawer or two on the front, so I don't waste the space and probably on some sort of small feet.

I'm not quite sure hot to build it though. The monitor is not particularly heavy, but it needs to support it. Even though this is a unique need, I don't really want to reinvent the wheel, any suggestions on a project I might sort of bastardize for this need?   

[wtnhighlander]

A simple 2 drawer box, having a vertical divider in the center, will be more than sturdy enough. I did a similar box support once, even without the center divider it was plenty strong. Mine was open in front to slide the keyboard into when not in use.

[Marmotjr]

Just like a turned bowl bottom, the weight of the monitor is not in the middle of the base, but distributed around the circumference of the base.  Otherwise it would rock back and forth or flip over.   So you could probably get away without a center divider, as the weight of the monitor is quite close to the vertical walls of the box.  Theoretically, the middle of the box should feel little to no force at all.   Not saying don't use a center divider, as it would only make it stronger, but I don't think it's necessary.  

But consider what things you would want to store in that box.  What size and shape are they and what type of drawer would contain them best.  How deep will your drawer be before you knock your keyboard off the desk opening them.  Maybe drawers aren't the way to do this.  Maybe cubbies to hide the speakers and other hardware.  Lots of options here.

But if you don't get the storage questions right, you'll never use them, or wish you had done it differently.  So play with some mock ups and plan out the drawers.  I Wouldn't worry too much about the weight of the monitor, as long as you build a overall sturdy box. 

[wdwerker]

An extra wide box could have a center divider, 2 or 4 drawers and also provide real estate either side of the monitor base where you could park other desk accessories.

[Isaac]

Thanks guys, these are all great suggestions, got me really thinking.

[Ronn W]

JUst to be different.  If your keyboard tends to sit close to the box, try having 1 drawer on each end - one opens to the left and one to the right.

[wdwerker]

Keyboard clearance is a valid consideration. An open area for paperwork or to slide the keyboard across the bottom and a couple drawers that would clear the keyboard would satisfy that issue. 

[Isaac]

If I make a drop door, below the drawers, I could have a compartment to slide the keyboard in. I guess it would be something like a butler tray. Any suggestions on an alternate hinge option? Seems like a butler hinge would require the panel to extend beyond the bottom edge of the box. If I wanted a look similar to what Lester showed above, anyway to make a false drawer front that comes out and then drops down (or possibly raises up?).

[wdwerker]

I would go for raises up so the keyboard could slide across the desk and go under the monitor riser box. So no floor under the riser , just a back & 2 sides plus a wire cutout.

[Isaac]

So here is what I came up with in the end. I settled on a fairly simple two drawer design inspired by one of the boxes above. the smaller drawer is deep enough for pencils and similar items and the larger drawer can easily accommodate pieces of paper, magazines, etc. Neither is very deep, but they get the job done, and deeper drawers would likely just encourage pack rack behavior.

First the before shot. This was just three slabs of pine cut offs from when I replaced my basement stairs a couple years ago:

And now the replacement: 

And keyboard and mouse put away.

Here are shots of the box in more detail, including some in construction shots:

Material selection, cherry planks re-sawn and planed down to about 5/16" thickness. 

Building the individual planks:

Dry fitting the carcass (I'm proud that I carried the Walnut accent strip all the way through, including the inner divider between the drawers):

I don't have a shot of it, but the hardest part was the glue up, with all those long miters and floating panel pieces having to be placed simultaneously. It didn't go perfectly, but I was able to repair one open corner enough to move ahead (I pretty much never give up on a project). 

Building the drawers:

The completed box:

Half blind dovetails for the drawer fronts and simple rectangular pulls. 

And one shot of the backside so you can see the hole for the cables. 

[Coop]

Very nicely done. Dovetails look great. Did you use any kind of fasteners to attach the sides to the top and bottom? 

[Isaac]

4 minutes ago, K Cooper said:

Very nicely done. Dovetails look great. Did you use any kind of fasteners to attach the sides to the top and bottom? 

No fasteners anywhere on this one. Just continuous glued miter joints. The shelf that runs below the drawers and the divider piece each fit pretty snug in dadoes so I think that gives it some additional strength, and certainly helped hold it together during glue up.  

[Chet]

That came out looking real nice Isaac, well done.

[Isaac]

6 hours ago, Chet said:

That came out looking real nice Isaac, well done.

Thanks Chet!

[Woodenskye]

Nice job Isaac!  

[wdwerker]

That's a nice example of your craftsmanship to show anyone that drops by your office. Can't go wrong with walnut & cherry .

[Tom King]

Looks great!!   If it's one of the newer monitors, it doesn't weigh anything anyway.  They've almost figured out how to make monitors, TV's, and refrigerators out of nothing.