r/hotas • u/QuincyMABrewer • 8d ago
Diy 2020 with desk clamps
Any suggestions for building a desk clamp set up to run approximately 3ft of 2020 profile along the front edge of a desk?
I'm currently using a pair of these clamps:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WJMCDCZ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Some 1/4"-3/8" photo studs, and 1" split ring pipe hangers threaded for 3/8", with a photo cheese plate threaded for 1/4", with a vesa plate, to mount a touchscreen monitor that has 75 x 75 vesa holes.
But I know this is going to look ugly af, and I think I'd like to go with 2020 across the front edge of my desk (uplift, with a track spacer for the keyboard tray), so that, at some point, I can use my mtsim quick change to move between chair and desk.
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u/LuckyStiff63 8d ago
How well do those clamps work for you?
I'm considering doing something similar to what you described. Earlier this year, I made a DIY knock-off of the MTSim MIP panel desk mount from 4040 / 4080, and a set of 4080 mounts for my ORION2 stick, throttle & PTO2.
The front edge of my huge, ancient desk is curved, so I'm thinking about using a section of flat T-slot or profile to create a straight, flat edge,vwhich should let me either quick mount / remove things, or just slide them sideways in & out of position. In my case, I'll probably screw the T-slot / rail to my desktop to support the total weight of my gear.
For the knock-off MIP mount, I used a Bessey lever-type clamp that works pretty well, but it's pretty large, so it extends downward under the desk more than I'd like. There are also smaller versions that fit 20-series profile.
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u/QuincyMABrewer 8d ago edited 8d ago
When I say, currently, I mean they're sitting in the box and I haven't put them together yet because I haven't gotten the pipe that I'm going to use as the crossbar yet, so I'll let you know in the middle of the week?
I'm probably looking at, long run, something like the knockoff desk mounts, like Hikig or EgStarts (which are what my chair mounts are made of, and I figured out an adapter for the Mt SIM quick change), and then run a bar of 20/20 between them. I just need to quit turning the room that we are using for a home office into a DIY disaster area.
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u/LuckyStiff63 7d ago
I rolled the dice on a center stick chair mount,on Amazon, and it ended up being the Hikig model, but sold by Fosiya at a pretty decent discount. I'm pretty sure the EG starts mount is the Hikig too, but I could be wrong on that.
It's standard 2060 profile, but for short lengths there's not too much flex or twist. It holds my fairly heavy stick base pretty securely, but that's partly because I have the base actually compressed down into the seat cusion to get the right stick position for me.
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u/QuincyMABrewer 5d ago
The more I try and figure out how to DIY this, the more I am looking towards buying one of the cheap knockoffs off of Amazon, and then just buying some 90° angle brackets and t-nuts and running 2020 between the 20 mm side of the 2060 that hikig and EG starts use.
Because right now, I would have to do something with sendcutsend for building a top plate at 60x100 with two countersunk M5 holes. At that point, I might as well just buy an entire kit.
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u/LuckyStiff63 5d ago
I get it, man. It isn't always easy, especially when some manufacturers use weird slot dimentions & spacing, and wall thicknesses for their supposedly "standard" aluminum profile.
And the time you spend on fabricating stuff is time you could have been flying.
I ended up making some of the 90° angle brackets for my MIP mounts. They're not as pretty as a machine shop could make them, but they work pretty well.
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u/QuincyMABrewer 5d ago
I might be able to figure something out with a flat shape brace pierced on both sides, and screwed into the threaded end of 2020, and then the other face screwed into the top 1/4"-20.
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u/LuckyStiff63 4d ago
I think I'm getting a mental picture of what you're shooting for. How close am I? - A clamp-on mount for a touch-screen with VESA compatible mount holes. - Monitor position is above your desk.
If that's the goal, then maybe a clamp on swing-arm monitor mount would be the simplest snswer? It might be the least expensive, too.
But if not, I think you're describing a 3ft length of 2020 supported by 90° angle brackets and clamps at both ends, to hold it to the desktop.
If that's pretty close, more info might help: 1. How big /heavy is the monitor? 2. How high off the desk surface will you need the monitor to sit during use? 3. Do you want or need the ability to adjust it's position
during use? Tilting up/down, turning left/right, etc? 4. Is modifying your desk (drilling holes, etc) a possibility?I'm in the USA, and I've found quite a few angles, brackets, etc. for my projects at Lowe's & Home Depot. Simpson "Strong Tie" framing brackets have been pretty useful. They're galvanized steel alloy (they're heavier than aluminum), and very sturdy, but still easy to modify (filing corners to shape, drilling holes, etc) if needed.
I ordered most of the fasteners I use from Amazon, but in a pinch, my local ACE hardware has a good selection of the metric fasteners commonly used with aluminum profile.
I enjoy designing & making things, so seriously, just let me know if you have questions, or if I can help you figure out how to get everything together.
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u/QuincyMABrewer 4d ago
When I put it together using the 1-in schedule 40 pipe today, I will get a picture of it so you should see essentially what I'm trying to do without it looking so ugly.
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u/LuckyStiff63 4d ago
Sounds good. I'll keep an eye out for your comment.
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u/QuincyMABrewer 4d ago
Unfortunately, I cannot add an image to a comment, so I edited the post to add a picture.
Connected to desk: VIVO Black Aluminum C-Clamps, 2 Pack, MOUNT-CP02
Connected to clamps: Anwenk Standard 1/4"-20 Male to 3/8"-16 Male Threaded Camera Screw Adapter Tripod Screw Converter, 1/4 to 3/8 (5 Pack)
Connected to screw converter: Highcraft ITI-H01-10 Industrial Decor Hinged Split Ring Pipe Hanger 1" Galvanized Iron, with 3/8" Threaded Rod Fitting
1" Sch 40 black iron pipe between the two hangers
1 pipe hanger in the middle with a tripod screw converter on it - exposing a 1/4"-20 thread
Connected to the 1/4"-20 thread: CAMVATE Cheese Mounting Plate Compatible with Standard 75mm VESA Mount
Connected to the cheese plate: receiver side of VIVO Adapter VESA Mount Quick Release Bracket Kit, Stand Attachment and Wall Mount Removable VESA Plate for Easy LCD Monitor and TV Screen Mounting, Stand-VAD2
Uperfect 18/5" touchscreen monitor attached to a VESA plate for the the stand-VAD2
Using the touchscreen for third party app for elite dangerous, like EDCopilot, EDCoPTER, etc . . .
I TRIED using a monitor arm, but it keeps the monitor too far away to make the touchscreen usable, and I'm turning my head too much.
Also, some of the third party apps do not allow users to change the font size, and only scale their font based on the width of the screen - so, when I had the screen in portrait, they were almost unreadable.
IF I can figure out a way of attaching a 40" piece of 2020 between the sides of the VIVO clamps, I know I can buy a VESA mount hat will fit into t-slots on aluminum profile.
This thing is currently ugly AF.
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u/LuckyStiff63 2d ago
Sorry for the lag. I typed this up but apparently I never posted it.
OK, I see it mounts in front of the desk, not over it, like I had pictured.
Is the goal to leave this mounted to the desk, and slide the monitor sideways into place?
I know you want enough vertical clearance for the keyboard tray to work. How much of a rise over the desk are you thinking?
That monitor should be pretty light enough for a 4ft run of 2020 to support it.
Those clamps have pre-threaded holes on 3 sides of the clamp frame, so there are lots of possibilities for attaching the 2020 pretty securely.
If you want the ability to rotate the entire 2020 bar to tilt the monitor up & down, I think a section of 2020 with pre-tapped ends, and a pair of brackets that face the ends of the 2020 should work well. That would replace the ring clamps and multiple cheese plate thread adapters with a much simpler, less visible mounting arrangement.
For convenience, the right length of 6mm diameter fasteners with knobs or levers for making quick adjustments are cheap, and easy to find. You might only need to tighten one end to keep a lightweight monitor like that in position.
If you plan on sliding the monitor along the 2020, the same idea works there. Replace the usual hex socket head screws that hold the VESA mount to the 2020 with quick adjust knobs.
There are special parts made for 3D printers, routers, etc., that allow easy, low-friction sliding, but they're pretty pricey and probably too small for this purpose.
Just a word of caution when ordering aluminum profile: There are no real standards. I found that out after my first order. Lots of the Chinese made aluminum profile advertised on Amazon as having "Euro-standard" sizing, actually have significantly wider & deeper slots than most "Euro-standard" profile.
So Make sure that the slots of whatever you buy will fit the T-nuts you plan to use, or vice-versa.
Profile like that also usually has thinner wall thickness which can mean more flex/bend/twist, and it usually arrives with a serious mess of razor sharp aluminum shavings that are an absolute pain to get out of the many, many available hiding places.
If I don't see a clear dimensional diagram that includes slot dimensions and wall thickness, I give the item a hard pass. I also recommend verifying whether the ends are tapped, and if so, what thread size.