We’ve seen many a desk PC through the years, however this wooden gaming PC setup is in a special ballpark. Reader Martin McDonald wished to construct a nook desk to deal with his two-monitor PC setup, but additionally to make use of for marking up massive paper design work. The result’s this distinctive piece of carpentry, with automated monitor lifts and a devoted management console.
Because of our quickly rising PC constructing Fb web page, we’ve seen many {custom} gaming PCs, from mods primarily based on present case designs to scratch PC builds. You possibly can even submit yours for consideration proper right here. Right here we discuss to Martin about how he made this wooden gaming desk PC construct.
: So how did this mission begin? Why did you wish to construct a wood PC desk with motorized monitor lifts?
Martin: We had simply moved home, and quite a lot of our furnishings is produced from pure wooden with copper accents. Nevertheless, the PC desk I had on the time was white, so it didn’t match with the opposite furnishings, plus I wished to sit down going through into the lounge, reasonably than taking a look at a wall.
Additionally, one of many issues that at all times bugs me about laptop setups is the screens. They’re huge slabs of black that take up area and block your view, and I would like to have the ability to use the complete measurement of the desk after I’m marking up drawings or doing design work on paper, so a raise mechanism was the way in which forwards.
What’s your background in furnishings making??
I received into it round seven years in the past with my first construct, after not doing any woodwork since I used to be at college. I wanted a PC on the time, however didn’t have area for a standard desk setup, so I got here up with a design for a espresso desk with a touch-screen PC and Xbox 360 inside it, which I may use whereas sitting on my couch.
How did you go about planning how it will all match collectively?
All my designs begin with the area the place it’s going to be positioned. I take a photograph of the realm, and draw a tough sketch of the place the setup can be positioned and the way I would like it to look. Then I draw all of it up in CAD in 3D so, I can see the way it will match and the place fixings and helps must go.
Being a design engineer for my nine-to-five job actually helps. The designs are likely to evolve barely as they go alongside, as I’m at all times asking myself how I’m really going to realize what I would like. The CAD drawings actually assist throughout building, as I can explode them from the 3D mannequin to make slicing diagrams with the appropriate measurements.
We love the management console. How does it work?
I’ve two younger youngsters, they usually at all times wish to get on Daddy’s laptop. On earlier builds, I’ve saved them away by making the method of switching on the PC much less apparent than a easy energy button, however they quickly work issues out as they become old. Together with a 7-inch monitor on this construct, there’s a centrally mounted key change that’s wired to a double-pull double-throw change, and to a momentary change. If the secret is eliminated, or within the off place, nothing works.
What does the console unit management?
I take advantage of the 7-inch display for PC stats, and the switches management the up/down on the monitor lifts and PC energy.
We watched the video of the monitor lifts, and it’s cool how they stand up from the flush desk floor. How did you go about making the raise system?
I began by looking on Google and YouTube to see what others had carried out, however then ended up arising with a way that hadn’t been carried out earlier than to suit what I wanted. Almost each sort of hidden monitor or TV raise I noticed had a hinged flap to cowl the raise, or a bit of spare wooden to be eliminated, however I couldn’t actually try this because the desk was L-shaped.
Initially the monitor bins had been going to be produced from aluminum, however after just a few points with weight and the lifting drive of the actuators, I needed to go together with wood surrounds as an alternative. The actuators push on the highest of the field, with the screens hooked up through the VESA mounts to the perimeters of the bins. There are helps underneath the desk that permit the screens to remain in place as they transfer.
The lifts look a bit gradual within the video. Is there any solution to pace them up?
I’ve obtained just a few feedback in regards to the pace of the raise, nevertheless it’s been calculated to be at its quickest. If it goes any quicker, the drive of the actuator, plus the load of the monitor field, will pop the joints on the bins or bend the wooden. That is how I spotted that aluminum wasn’t an appropriate materials for this – even with welded joints at a sure pace, the lifting drive both bent the aluminum or popped the joints.
Inform us about constructing the desk. What woods and instruments did you employ, and the way is all of it secured collectively?
The desktop is produced from a single maple slab, the trunk is produced from a sycamore tree and the monitor bins are produced from pine. The desk is joined with dowels and wooden glue, and primarily supported by the 2 logs. I didn’t have a workshop for this construct, so I solely used hand energy instruments – a round noticed, a router, a jigsaw, a drill, and a rotary sander.
You’ve drilled by means of the console from the underside for cable routing – is there any related inner cable routing in the remaining of the desk?
The one different inner cabling is for the powered USB hub that sits within the different nook. One of many different design factors was that different folks in the home would be capable of use the desk for laptops if I’m not utilizing it. I lower out a gap within the log for the hub, then routed a channel for energy cables on the underside of the log. All the opposite cables are tied and clipped to the underside of the desk and hidden behind the mesh.
Why did you select the Phanteks Evolv Shift X, and had been you tempted to make your personal wood PC enclosure to suit the theme?
No. The concept of this desk was to be a bit of furnishings reasonably than displaying off any PC internals. In addition to the Shift X being the one case in the marketplace that would slot in the area, it’s additionally one of many cleanest and understated-looking instances for my part.
You’ve constructed just a few items of PC furnishings – inform us about a few of your favorites.
Martin: I’ve received a gentle spot for all my builds. Each has had a design that no one else has carried out earlier than, and I’ve realized so much about totally different constructing strategies and dealing with totally different supplies alongside the way in which.
There’s one referred to as the Captain’s Chair, as an example, the place I needed to train myself upholstery to go together with the woodwork, and making this present desk construct was the primary time I’ve used epoxy resin. My Pedestal Desk might be my favourite although. I took an outdated desk I discovered on eBay, and put a PC inside one of many pedestals, so it was all hidden – it was a really clear and easy construct.
How huge is the entire desk unit when it’s all arrange?
The desk has a 1,400 x 1,400mm L form, and it measures 800mm excessive to the desktop – with the screens up, it provides one other 500mm. The sycamore log within the nook goes nearly all the way in which to the ceiling, with a peak of two,150mm.
How lengthy did it take you to finish the entire desk construct?
From design to completion took round six months. Nevertheless, as I didn’t have a workshop on the time, I used to be restricted to constructing it exterior on weekends with good climate. The precise time spent on constructing the desk was in all probability round 14 days.
Are you utterly proud of the top end result, or do you want you’d carried out a few of it in another way on reflection?
Ideally, I’d like to have made the aluminum monitor bins work, particularly after I’d spent a lot cash on the custom-cut items. There are additionally a few little mods I’d have made if I may do it once more. Nevertheless, it’s good as a nook for work and enjoying video games, and it’s a gorgeous slab of wooden on which to work as nicely.
Maple Nook desk PC specs
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700 X
- GPU: Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 590 8GB AMD fiftieth Anniversary Version
- Case: Phanteks Evolv Shift X
- Storage: WD Blue 500GB SSD, 2TB onerous drive
- Reminiscence: 64GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 3600MHz
- Screens: 2 x Acer KG1 27in 240Hz, 7-inch 1080p display
- Extras: Logitech C920 HD Webcam, SteelSeries Arctis 5 with GameDAC, Apex Professional TKL, Rival 700 and QCK Prism
- Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 I Aorus Professional WiFi
- PSU: Corsair SF750
- Cooling: NZXT Kraken X62 all-in-one CPU cooler
Wow, a lot work has gone into this Martin – we’re in awe of your carpentry abilities, and the motorized monitor lifts are simply good. We’d like to see any future woodwork PC initiatives you do.
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