Custom HDTV Mount

Mount

Having a hackerspace has totally changed the way I look at the world. I just moved into a new place, and the best place to mount the tv is in a weird corner. Before hackerspace: “ugh. Where else can it go.  $200 for a swivel mount is way too expensive!”  After hackerspace: “$30 in steel and a welder. This is going to be AWESOME!”

Design

tvmount design

Originally the plan was to weld one solid mount, but when it comes to welding, and construction in general, things don’t always go according to plan. I went the safe route and used a sectional design: two arms lag-screwed to the studs, with cross runners bolted between them.

Construction

weldedpaintedmocked-up

Construction was pretty straight-forward:

  • Cut the steel to length with a bandsaw.
  • Use a milling machine to cut slots for extra adjustability. (Oh. Did I mention we have a milling machine?)
  • Weld it together
  • Paint it (to hide my ugly welds)

Mounting

L-Brackets on TVMount SlotsTV Attached

The Mounting procedure was pretty easy as well:

  • Do some pull-ups on the mount to make sure it will hold the weight
  • Mount slotted, slightly bent, L-brackets to the TV
  • Bolt TV to the mount
  • Make left-right, tilt adjustments
  • Tighten everything down

And that’s it.  I’m really proud of it.  Mostly I’m proud of the fact that my TV hasn’t fallen in the middle of the night.  Materials cost wound up being $40. 1.25″ slotted angle, 4 L-brackets, and a can of spraypaint. I probably could have done it for far less if I had used found materials instead of going to Home Depot.

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