Can we talk about people who build desks without considering monitor arm clamp space?

I was at a friend's place in Denver last month and he built this beautiful walnut desk but left zero room behind the back edge for a monitor arm clamp. How are you supposed to mount anything without drilling straight through the top?

2 comments

2 Comments

paige_martin12d ago

My buddy in Austin did the exact same thing with a reclaimed oak table last year, it was gorgeous but totally unusable for my dual monitor setup. I had to return a brand new Ergotron arm because there was literally 3/4 inch of wood behind the back edge, not enough for any clamp to grip. It's definitely something people forget about when they're focused on the look instead of the function, especially with thick live edge slabs.

jason11212d ago

Wait, who designs a desk without thinking about where the clamp goes? That's like building a house and forgetting the doors. @paige_martin nailed it with the live edge slab thing, people get so caught up in the wood grain and the finish they forget you actually have to use the thing. I've seen guys spend 40 hours on a slab and then slap it on some hairpin legs with zero overhang, it's like they're making art not a workspace. If you're gonna build your own desk, you gotta account for at least 2 inches of solid flat edge on the back, or else you're stuck with a fancy table and a monitor sitting on a stack of books. Clamps need that flat surface to bite into, and if the back is all rounded or tapered, you're out of luck. Throw some metal brackets on the underside before you even start sanding, problem solved.