Project: Gametable TV

(From a Twitter thread 6/11/20)

I want to turn my spare 30” TCL Roku TV into an electronic map display table for gaming. (I never watch TV in the office anyway.) But I’m no woodworker (and don’t have the tools for it), so I can’t DIY a map case...

I found and ordered a flat VESA mount to support the TV itself, but still thinking about how to build a case without woodworking tools (or skills) that will sit atop my usual game table.

I’ve been looking at articles, YouTube videos, Etsy ads & more trying to spark some ideas. Then something occurred to me, recalling some recent Kickstarters about plastic platforms that raise your game board above the table a couple of inches.

The idea is to use space efficiently, allowing you to put out character sheets, roll dice, have drinks on the table, etc. without the map/game board getting in the way. I backed a recent KS for one of these.

So... Maybe I don’t NEED a box. Maybe I just need a solid central pedestal to take the weight of the flat TV, plus corner stand-offs that keep it from being tilted. We still get to keep much ov the tabletop room available that way.

That’s a lot less woodworking, certainly. The VESA mount can have something under it to make the height exactly what I want. It’s a shame that some enterprising manufacturer hasn’t built a light but sturdy plastic support like this for the purpose.

The central pedestal’s fairly easy. Something flat to attach the VESA mount to, and something to surround that closely that can support a minimal portion of the weight. The corner legs, however, are another matter.

Flat-screen TVs are only flat on the screen side. The backs have places that jut out here and there, and no two sets are the same. The legs will have to be cut to fit or be adjustable to account for the different thicknesses at various points on the back.

Most of these things are beveled or curved from the edge of the bexel back to the main body on back, which is flat as a rule. Attachment to the back of the TV shouldn’t be an issue, but they should be sturdy. Then it occurred to me that I might already have the answer.

If you know me, you may know where I’m going. What can be made sturdy but light, is adjustable to various heights, and requires no woodworking. Say it with me -- LEGO!

So, probably this weekend, I’m going to try to build a central platform and four sturdy legs of various heights out of LEGO. UTAH (Use Tools At Hand). I’ll let you know if it works.

Original Twitter Thread is here

UPDATE 6/14/20: This project got delayed. I’ve been ill this weekend. I did get a prototype set of legs and a central core built, but I can’t test them anyway because my VESA mount was held up in shipping. I’ll take another shot next weekend, I imagine.