Dual LCD lift

[pierhogunn]

Anyone have any simple ideas for a dual LCD lift

something that doesn't use electricity,

I have space 26.25" of width to mount 2 monitors in a portrait orientation ( I like'm that way, lets me view an entire 8.5X11 document at once w/out scrolling)

something that I can either trigger by pulling a keyboard tray out, or something that I can push down on to release, and then put back down by hand...

gas strut?

spring?

gear?

I have 2 monitors that weigh about 10 lbs apiece, and I have access to server rails that are 36" long or better

my thoughts are to make a drawer like enclosure that I mount vertically and have a gas strut or two on either the sides, or the back, and mount the monitors in the drawer

[balzac.thegreat]

That sounds really ambitious.

This dual monitor arm from Ergotron takes care of this problem for me.
http://www.ergotron.com/Products/Mul...S/default.aspx

It can be found cheaper. The monitors can rotate all over the place and the hydraulic arms allow you to change their vertical positioning, front to back positioning, tilt, etc. with ease. It is an extremely solid and robust product. What you want to build sounds like you'll be locked into one position and one position only.

[pierhogunn]

looks good, but I am looking to hide the monitors inside the cabinet when not in use, sort of a james-bond meets the designers at ikea sort of thing

[stocktr8er]

Try this. Looks like an easy concept to adapt to a desk

http://www.instructables.com/id/TV-L...r-three-hours/

He uses this site for parts.

http://www.firgelliauto.com/

[Tequila]

We use something like this on our server racks at work. Might give you an idea.

http://www.racksolutions.com/rack-monitor.shtml

[rnelson0]

looks good, but I am looking to hide the monitors inside the cabinet when not in use, sort of a james-bond meets the designers at ikea sort of thing

So...why not build a cabinet with no back to it and place the bracket inside? Open the doors, slide the monitor out...when you're done, put it back in and close the doors.

[pierhogunn]

the cabinet is a 36" tall cabinet that is the base for a bookshelf that goes to the ceiling.

I want the monitors to pop up from inside the cabinet .

so a gas strut with a travel of 24" and about 40 lbs of tension, so that the monitors eat up about 35lbs of that tension.

I will mount some server-rails vertically so that a box holding the monitors and cables rise up, and when not in use, I just push it down.

I would like to stay away from motors, sorta scared of them honestly

[rnelson0]

If you don't like motors, then get the fancy folding mount for the monitors and mount it to a thick piece of wood (1"? Maybe more?) that pulls up from behind the cabinet on your 36" server rails. Your problem, no matter what you use, is that adjusting the monitors when they're up will put sideways force on your lift that is meant to go up and down only. Unless you can secure it to prevent front-to-back and side-to-side motion, then it's only a matter of time until you break the board or rails while adjusting the monitor.

That and, even with the monitors pushed flat, they're going to be pretty deep with the lift and board. Are you really saving any room by hiding them behind a cabinet that will have to be pushed out from the wall or have its depth decreased?

[pierhogunn]

the intention is not to save space, but to hide my office when not in use.

My LCD's are pretty flat, and I have a pretty good idea of what level they need to be for me to comfortably use them.

Anyone have any thought on using the pistons from old screen doors?