I have a small corner space in my bedroom, to which I want to fit a counter for computer use.
The corner is only 4 foot and 3/4 inch by 1foot 6 inches. Current thinking is to allow the counter to protrude along the shortest wall to a width of
2 foot 4 inches.
I'm assuming I can fasten softwood battens to the wall to support the counter. Would I also need a supporting leg at each extremity. I've drawn a diagram of the straight lines outlined above, but I'm not sure how to plan the curve I want at the front of the counter.
Are there any websites that could help with this, or does anyone have any advice.
I think that the main issue you will need to think about is weight of any monitor that you put on there if it's a CRT one unless a 15" type. In that case, I would put a supporting leg at each front corner. With an LCD monitor and putting the PC base unit on the floor, you could get away with wall battens only.
You can mark out a curve by placing the piece of material on a large flat surface. Using a looped length of string around two pegs spaced apart and in front of the worktop and a pencil so that a triangle is formed, as you move the pencil, it will follow an elliptical path.
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the technique for a flower bed, but the principle is the same. You can play around with string length and peg positions to get what you want. If you use one peg, you get an arc of a circle, of course.
Another easier option is to cut an angled corner rather than a curve. I did this for a similar project, although space rather larger, and arranged the corner to be angled at 45 degrees. Then the monitor goes in the corner and keyboard in front. This works better than a curve for this purpose.
Cutting of work surface is another topic and depends on what you are thinking of using.
The other issue is the depth of a CRT monitor. If you put it on a shallow shelf, the screen will be very much in-your-face.
I have a very similar situation here, and even with a forward extension shelf for the keyboard [*] I couldn't use anything larger than a 15in CRT. All the 17in CRTs available at the time would have put the screen too far inside my comfortable focusing distance. Changing to a 17in LCD allowed the screen to be pushed a lot further back, which left a lot more room for papers and saved me having to buy a new pair of glasses.
[*] A keyboard shelf below the desk level would be a good idea anyway, because the keyboard should be at a lower level than the desktop and the screen. All you need are a few bits of wood and a pair of kitchen drawer runners.
The only trouble with underslung keyboard shelves is that although you can position the forearm as it should be (horiontally) and have a neat solution; it doesn't easily provide wrist or forearm rest places.
It's not that important that the keyboard should be below the desktop
- the key things are rest positions and angle for the keyboard and having the monitor at a range of angles relative to the eye line of the user. The factors are the desk, monitor height and seat position in relation to the user.
As 17" monitors are under £200 and 17" monitors with inbuilt televisions (or televisions with PC input) under £300 I think LCD is the way to go. Depending on the purpose of the PC and the layout of the bedroom, a wireless keyboard with trackpad might mean that a counter isn't needed at all.
Not answering question, and not DIY (typically of me), but ... Would you not consider one of those things on castors they call 'workstations'. I have one (Homebase? many years ago) in nice solidish timber (~2" strips that look like glued together -- but very solid). Has taken loads of abuse over six years. Otherwise look for a metal frame.
2 ft by 1 ft 7, with keyboard 'drawer'; I wouln't want much smaller. Can extend workspace temporarily with a wide shelf (fixed down with screws as necessary).
Can just about fit (along with chair with me in) in a 3 ft 10 landing. Nice shelf for computer and loads of peripherals. 17" CRT fits easily; but hardly 19" -- which, in any case, should be banned as a (physical body) health hazard.
Incidentally, bedrooms appear to be particularly dusty. Advice on dust protection or countermeasures may be worth seeking.
I'll second that one should look at that route first.
About 3 years ago I'd planned on replacing the hotch-potch of tables and junk in my office with a good corner unit; cost wasn't a huge factor -- I work from home, and can justify it -- but getting a workable unit was important, and I was happy to spend a few pounds to get it right. I worked out a design and costed the materials at around £100 (sheet materials, legs, shelving, paint, varnish, etc.).
At the time, Homebase was doing a large corner unit for £80; I bought it on one of those 10% off days, so it came in at £72. (Aren't my sums good? I did that without a calculator....) It put together in a day -
- a bit complex: lots of bits -- and does exactly what I wanted, for about £30 less than materials would've cost and for *lot* less time and effort.
I strongly agree... but when you apply those basic principles, it almost invariably means that the keyboard should be below the standard desktop height.
There is a danger of getting into Holy Wars about this, but IMO a wrist rest is a bad solution. The problem isn't lack of wrist support - what makes people's wrists ache is bad computer furniture that forces the arms to reach forwards and upwards to get to the keyboard, with the wrists cranked unnaturally downwards. And then they're expecting us to waggle our fingers, without it hurting?
There's stacks of information on the web, but the basic recommendation is that the upper arms should be able to hang vertically in a neutral position, with the forearms roughly (but not rigidly) horizontal, and the wrists roughly (but not rigidly) straight. In other words, it's a lot like the piano-playing position, with the keyboard quite low down and quite close in to the belly. For most people, that position doesn't need any wrist support at all. If any support is needed, it is from chair arms a few inches forward of the elbows.
The ideal situation is to start with a decent chair, with adjustable dimensions to suit the individual. Then the objective of the computer desk is to position the keyboard where the fingers need it to be, and the screen where the eyes and neck want it. Never the other way round.
(IMO, anyway. This workstation is designed on those principles, and I've been using it full-time as a technical writer for over 16 years with absolutely no sign of wrist, arm or shoulder aches... much less any clinical problems. But at a client's site where the keyboard is perched up on a desk, I quickly notice that it's much harder work.)
I suppose it depends on what you're used to. When I started typing (cira age five, and my little fingers used to get squashed between the keys), it was a manual typewriter on the coffee-table, then I grew big enough to be able to reach the kitchen table.
I am still not used to soft spongy keyboards. In t'olden days we used to do speed tests on manuals because you could whack the carriage over faster than the electrics did. And daisywheels were particularly sluggish, type a line and then wait for them to catch up.
They were around £150 at Christmas, and have come down in price since then. I think I've seen them at around £125 at computer fairs, but not been keeping an eye out for them recently.
Wow! Thanks everyone. Did'nt expect that many replies. Even the TFT posts were useful, as I might buy one soon (currently have 15" CRT). Are they as cheap as they're likely to get now ?
From what some have said, it seems that I should have a look at corner units in places like Homebase, MFI, Staples etc. Anywhere else ?
Ian W, I've always been in favour of resting wrists on the desk, and for that reason, thought I would'nt get anything with a keyboard draw, but your saying that thinking is wrong, and I should'nt need to rest my wrists at all! If so, I'll have to have a re-think. Any recommended sites to read about this ?
I've now realised I really need a printer shelf as well, so it looks like a corner unit might be a better idea than a counter. Also now realise that I need more depth than I thought (unless I go and buy the TFT now) which would have meant the counter needed supports at the front.
15" probably are, the glut has pretty much gone and they are dropping off the bottom end of the market.
17" may go down a bit more but not much.
19" should keep coming down, if you want to wait.. and wait.. Like all IT things, you'll always get a better one for less money in a few months!
The desk I'm at now has a drawer which is long enough that I can have the keyboard 4" from the edge and rest my wrists if I want to anyway..
TFTs are a lot lighter than CRTs too ;-)
Difficult to sit your fluffy toys on top though.. 8^D
It is possible to mount TFTs on the wall, there is standard for the mounting plate at the back than enables it to be taken off the desk stand and fixed to a wall bracket. I know Dell TFTs do this and I assume others.
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