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Can someone Help me with a Desk Please?

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Right, heres the low-down, I am getting a new computer desk, and on the specs it says the desk can only support a 8KG monitor, well my iMac G3 weights 15KG
Oh dear, I dont want the desk to bow, can someone please advise me on what to do to make the desk stronger? What can me done to make it support more?
:(
Anyone Else had any similar experiences?
 

pigoo3

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Right, heres the low-down, I am getting a new computer desk, and on the specs it says the desk can only support a 8KG monitor, well my iMac G3 weights 15KG
Oh dear, I dont want the desk to bow, can someone please advise me on what to do to make the desk stronger? What can me done to make it support more?
:(
Anyone Else had any similar experiences?

How about some pictures? Kinda hard to envision a desk & how to strengthen it without them.;)

By the way...if this is just a "standard" desk (4 legs & a tabletop)...8KG is not very much...and must be a pretty "wimpy" desk.

Thanks,

- Nick
 
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Probably thin particle board.

Assuming this is correct, what I did with my last one (which was actually a fairly strong medium density fiber board), I went to Lowe's (a hardware store stateside, don't know if you have those there) and got metal brackets to put on the underside to keep it from bowing.

This could be problematic, however, if you'll be having a retractable keyboard table thingy.
 

chscag

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If the specs say the desk can only support an 8 KG monitor and your G3 is 15 KG, I would say your choice here is clear: Buy a stronger desk that can hold the additional weight of the G3. Surely the money you would spend on beefing up a flimsy desk could be used to purchase a better one - unless of course you don't mind your G3 unexpectedly bouncing off the floor! :Oops:
 

pigoo3

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If the specs say the desk can only support an 8 KG monitor and your G3 is 15 KG, I would say your choice here is clear: Buy a stronger desk that can hold the additional weight of the G3. Surely the money you would spend on beefing up a flimsy desk could be used to purchase a better one -

This was going to be my next post...but you beat me to it!;)

I've made a number of home built computer desks out of 3/4" plywood...my best desk (which I still use):

- was built for two people sitting side by side
- built to support the weight of two 21" CRT monitors (approx. 70-80lbs. each)
- "nooks" for storing keyboards when not in use
- enough room in between the monitors for a laser printer
- and an overhead shelf for storage of supplies or even a 2nd or 3rd printer.

This desk is strong enough for me to walk/stand on it...with two big 21" CRT monitors on it...and it's bolted together. So whenever I move...it can be disassembled & taken apart (it's actually too large to fit thru doorways).

If I'm not too lazy;)...I'll try to post a picture.

- Nick
 
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I still have the same desk through various computers and it is still in great shape the first
2 desks were cheap and fell apart so the lesson I learned was the money spent on the first 2 would have easily paid for the third freeing up that budget for something else.
 

pigoo3

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Ive just realised it says suitable for an 8kg monitor, so possibly more will do?
Thanks for all your help, here is the desk I want
Buy Malibu Black Desk. at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for .

The link didn't work for me....hopefully it's not my setup.:(

8kg is such a small amount of weight (17.6lbs.)...I almost want to say there is some sort of typo somewhere for the description of the desk. The desk itself must weigh that much at least...or it's a really light weight table.

- Nick
 
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Worked here Nick Try again or it your settings :(

Desk
20101013-mh6nt1b4ch2fkm4w8gqguuwxs6.jpg


I would be getting some sort of strengthening under the area your monitor is going to sit on if your really worried about it. IMO it doesnt look that stable or strong. If you get larger enough *L* Brackets that should do it for you ...
 

pigoo3

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Worked here Nick Try again or it your settings :(

Still not working here...maybe I need to restart my computer & relaunch Safari. But the photo you included is good enough!:)

Thanks,

- Nick
 

RavingMac

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Easiest quick fix would be to glue a piece of 3/4" plywood (8" wide would be plenty) the length of the desk under surface to the underside of the desk. I would also use a metal bracket or short wooden cleat where your desk stiffener (plywood) butts up to the file cabinet.
Hope that is understandable. If not, I'll try to do better job explaining, or post a sketch. Regardless, that ought to provide more than enough additional support without being too obtrusive. If you like, you can spay paint the plywood black to match.
 
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Just to let you all know actually, the imac wont be going directly over the unsupported bit, let me edit a pic and show u where i want the iMac Lol

The Red Areas indicate where the screen will be placed lol

desk.jpg
 

pigoo3

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Here's a photo of my homemade desk(below). As you can see it's full of interesting "crap"!;)

I made it about 12 years ago when my wife & I were in grad. school...and needed a work/study/computing area for the both of us.

The desk measures 83" (6 feet 11 inches) wide x 36" deep x 60" tall. Two people can sit VERY comfortably side by side...and can hold literally hundreds of pounds of "stuff". As you can hopefully see:

- there's a raised platform for placing the monitors on
- 2 "nooks" under the monitor platform for placing computer keyboards out of the way when you need more desktop space for other things (open textbooks, writing, etc.)
- smaller additional "nooks" under the monitors for stashing other small items such as staplers, tape dispensers, computer mice, paperclip holders, etc.
- originally there was a laser printer placed where the middle monitor is now.
- a top shelf (top of photo) for stashing all sorts of "junk" but originally was for a 2nd color inkjet printer, extra paper for the printers, and a lamp (or two) for some additional light.

The whole thing was sanded smooth...about 4-5 coats of polyurethane were applied to the surfaces...so the whole thing is very smooth...smooth enough to write on. All made from just 3/4" plywood (the cheaper plywood used for floors...not the fancy stuff made for cabinets)! I was a student at the time & had to save some money on the project.;)

The desk is really big...and maybe hard to tell in the photo. For scale:

- the monitor on the far right is a BIG/HEAVY 21" CRT monitor. The center monitor is a 22" LCD, and the left monitor is a 24" LCD.
- at the bottom left of the photo is my Mac Pro desktop...you know how big they are...but almost looks "puny" in the photo;)
- and of course you can see the keyboards & how small they look

...by the way...that's a Dell Dimension Tower computer in the bottom right of the photo (so a mixed environment);). I use that for playing older Windows games never released for the Macintosh.

I gotta clean this desk up one of these days...lot of junk!;)


desk.jpg


- Nick
 

chscag

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I gotta clean this desk up one of these days...lot of junk!

I love it! Reminds me of my work bench when I was full time employed in electronic repair. :D
 

pigoo3

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I love it! Reminds me of my work bench when I was full time employed in electronic repair. :D

If you look closely...there's a G3 iMac logic board in the center of the desk area.

- Nick
 
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Just to let you all know actually, the imac wont be going directly over the unsupported bit, let me edit a pic and show u where i want the iMac Lol

The Red Areas indicate where the screen will be placed lol

If that's where your monitor will be, I can't imagine any problems. It is a much smaller expanse over the drawers and shelves (ends of the desk) so there's almost no chance of bending or breaking. Just keep it off the center (larger expanse) and you'll be fine.

Also wouldn't hurt to put one or two of those "L" brackets under the center of the desk screwed into the desk and the wall just in case you forget and lean on it or someone else sets something heavy down on it without knowing the weight limits.
 
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Ok thanks, I dont see it being a problem, you have all helped alot, cheers :D
 

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