I made a wall mount for my 17" HP laptop. It has an articulating arm for a wide range of motion for positioning the laptop. Watch the video below and if you would like to make one too, click here to download the PDF plan.
I made this wall mount using some scrap maple, walnut, and Baltic birch. It is nice to have a dedicated place for my laptop in the workshop when running the CNC machine or just watching YouTube videos.
The hardware is readily available at the big box store. All of the details about the hardware I used are in the PDF plan.
This wall mount is perfect for my 17" laptop that weighs about six pounds. If you will be mounting a larger or heavier laptop, I suggest making a more beefy mounting arm.
My great grandparents' 1937 Philco Radio no longer works, but it looks really cool. I plan to do some research to see if the radio can be repaired, but in the meantime, I decided to convert it into a Bluetooth speaker. Watch my video to see how I did it.
This is a Model 37-60 AM radio, so it is 80 years old. It does not work, so I am sure that all of the electronics need to be tested and some parts will need to be replaced to get it working again. This will take lots of time and patience. So, I think that the Bluetooth speaker will be fun to use while I look into getting the radio repaired, plus it looks awesome!
I used the Oontz Angle 3 Ultra Portable Bluetooth Speaker for this project. I chose this speaker because it will fit inside the radio, it got good reviews and sounds good, plus it stays on in standby mode if you keep it plugged into an outlet. I will not have to reach into the back of the cabinet to turn it on, which is a huge convenience. I made a mount to hold the Bluetooth speaker using the original speaker screws. I used a pine board with dowels to attach the radio knobs. I printed a Bluetooth logo to cover the radio dial opening, and positioned an LED USB Extension Cable behind it to light it up in the dark. I covered the light with foil to reflect it toward the front.
If you come across an antique radio like this one, I encourage you not to turn it on until it has been checked by an electrician. I know it's hard to resist turning it on, but doing so can do irreparable harm to the electronic parts.
Check out all of the wiring in this radio. It really is amazing that this radio has lasted over 80 years. I have no idea where to start with the repair, but I intend to find out. Thanks for checking out my 1937 Bluetooth Speaker!
Here's a quick shop update video about what's going on in and around my workshop. I haven't done one of these in 8 months so it's long overdue. There are a couple of cool events coming up and I've got some new project videos coming soon. Below the video are links to everything I mention in the video. Check it out!
I made a DIY monitor stand for my new Vizio 24" Smart TV. The stand has a height adjustment that can put the TV at eye level for computer use. Check out the video and pictures below.
The Vizio D24F Smart TV has mounting holes that are 10cm apart on center. The holes require four metric M4 screws. I used 16mm long screws that were too short to go through 3/4" lumber, so I drilled counter-bores to recess the screws. Make sure there is only about 1/4" of screw that goes into the TV to prevent the screw from damaging internal components.
I made my own adjustment knob using epoxy and a 1/4"-20 bolt cut to size. It screws into a standard 1/4"-20 threaded insert in the bracket. This worked out great and saved me time and money by eliminating a trip to the hardware store.
Isn't that walnut just beautiful? This was an easy custom project that can be made with just a jig saw and a drill. If you need a monitor stand, try making one yourself!
PROJECT UPDATE! After using the stand for a few days, I realized that the back of the TV is a little rounded, and as a result, the monitor was tilted forward slightly. I decided to cut the bottom of the upright piece at a 3-degree angle so the monitor would tilt back a little. This simple fix did the trick!
