Introduction: Low Profile VESA TV Mount With Pan and Tilt
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I was looking for an inexpensive VESA mount for my 27 inch flat screen TV...about 30 lbs.
I wanted it to pan side to side, and tilt forward and back. I also wanted it to be low profile and sturdy. I actually found a couple that were fairly inexpensive online, but then thought that perhaps I could build one...keep it under $15...and make it instructible. Once the design idea hit me I was on a mission. Yes. My wife hates me when I get like this.
Time for a run to the home improvement/hardware store...I picked the one with the blue and white logo...their people are better trained than the Orange and white store...at least here.
Here is what I ended up buying...
3 - 4 inch junction box covers (they are 12 centimeters square)
1 box of 1" long machine screws with nuts
1 bag of 2" machine screws with nuts. (6 screws)
4 bags of 4 conduit straps 16 total
1 bag of 4 - M4 metric screws with nuts (pitch 7) - VESA mount standard machine screws.
2 lag screws 3"
2 - 1" washers
1 small bag of 1/2" washers
Things on hand:
Scrap 1" OSB
Scrap 2x4
Scrap Conduit - Need 8 inches total - Two 4" lengths.
My apologies. For this project I did not do much (if any) precise measuring...just laid things out...marked it with a pencil and went to work with the saber saw and drill.
I wanted it to pan side to side, and tilt forward and back. I also wanted it to be low profile and sturdy. I actually found a couple that were fairly inexpensive online, but then thought that perhaps I could build one...keep it under $15...and make it instructible. Once the design idea hit me I was on a mission. Yes. My wife hates me when I get like this.
Time for a run to the home improvement/hardware store...I picked the one with the blue and white logo...their people are better trained than the Orange and white store...at least here.
Here is what I ended up buying...
3 - 4 inch junction box covers (they are 12 centimeters square)
1 box of 1" long machine screws with nuts
1 bag of 2" machine screws with nuts. (6 screws)
4 bags of 4 conduit straps 16 total
1 bag of 4 - M4 metric screws with nuts (pitch 7) - VESA mount standard machine screws.
2 lag screws 3"
2 - 1" washers
1 small bag of 1/2" washers
Things on hand:
Scrap 1" OSB
Scrap 2x4
Scrap Conduit - Need 8 inches total - Two 4" lengths.
My apologies. For this project I did not do much (if any) precise measuring...just laid things out...marked it with a pencil and went to work with the saber saw and drill.
Step 1: Cutting and Drilling
The first step I took was to trace around one of the junction box covers on a scrap of 1" OSB. Then I cut out the basic square outline. This piece serves as a spacer that allows us to have machine screws come in from opposing sides of the same plane without directly interfering with each other nor the rotation of the hinge. It also allows for another inch of "stand off" space from the wall to facilitate the final tilt and pan degree of the mounted TV.
The next step was to cut out a section of 2x4 for the wall mount/spacer. This piece serves as the mount and the primary stand off from the wall.
I cut a radius on each end to make it more aesthetically appealing. NOTE: I intend to dress the surfaces with some sort of dark/black covering...perhaps foam sheeting from the craft store.
The next step was to lay out the straps appropriately on the steel squares and on the 2x4. The layout will become more apparent at later steps and you may wish to lay them out a bit differently based on the position of your vesa mounts on the back of your TV.
Once satisfied with my layout I marked the positions of the straps and screw holes, and drilled the metal parts first. Then I used the metal plates as templates to drill the OSB. The holes are drilled all the way through the OSB and the 2x4.
I then used a larger bit to provide pocket holes for the nuts. Please refer to the construction pictures at later steps to be sure you understand which side the pockets are made on. For the 2x4 the pockets are (intuitively) opposite the screw's entry point. The holes in the OSB merely provide pockets for the screws and nuts. The pics are worth 1000 words.
The next step was to cut out a section of 2x4 for the wall mount/spacer. This piece serves as the mount and the primary stand off from the wall.
I cut a radius on each end to make it more aesthetically appealing. NOTE: I intend to dress the surfaces with some sort of dark/black covering...perhaps foam sheeting from the craft store.
The next step was to lay out the straps appropriately on the steel squares and on the 2x4. The layout will become more apparent at later steps and you may wish to lay them out a bit differently based on the position of your vesa mounts on the back of your TV.
Once satisfied with my layout I marked the positions of the straps and screw holes, and drilled the metal parts first. Then I used the metal plates as templates to drill the OSB. The holes are drilled all the way through the OSB and the 2x4.
I then used a larger bit to provide pocket holes for the nuts. Please refer to the construction pictures at later steps to be sure you understand which side the pockets are made on. For the 2x4 the pockets are (intuitively) opposite the screw's entry point. The holes in the OSB merely provide pockets for the screws and nuts. The pics are worth 1000 words.
Step 2: Wall Mount Construction
Really at this point it is a matter of attaching the straps securely to the various sections. A few important points...
I put JB WELD epoxy on the threads of almost every screw...superglue would also work and be less messy, but I am paranoid. I also have JB under the tabs of each conduit strap attached to a metal plate. If you look close, you can see it in the pictures.
I think the pictures are fairly self explanatory from here in. I may come back to add more info later.
I put JB WELD epoxy on the threads of almost every screw...superglue would also work and be less messy, but I am paranoid. I also have JB under the tabs of each conduit strap attached to a metal plate. If you look close, you can see it in the pictures.
I think the pictures are fairly self explanatory from here in. I may come back to add more info later.
Step 3: Mid Vertical Hinge Construction.
This is the side of the center plate that mates to the Wall bracket.
Step 4: Mid Horizontal Hinge Construction.
Here we build the other side of the middle, double hinge component. This is all pretty much a repetition of the previous step...attach the straps...adjust spacing for a tight fit.
This does show how the screws pocket into the OSB again. It also shows 2 of the 3 joining screws that hold the 2 opposing plates together.
This does show how the screws pocket into the OSB again. It also shows 2 of the 3 joining screws that hold the 2 opposing plates together.
Step 5: The VESA Plate and Hinge Construction...
For the most part this is the same as the othe hinges...straps...spacing...tighten...
IMPORTANT NOTE: This pannel attaches to your TV. The standard VESA screw pattern for small to medium flat pannel screens is a 10 cm x 10 cm square. Our steel pannels are 12 cm x 12 cm so we have one hole in each corner...exactly 1 cm in from each edge.
One of those corner holes is just slightly off of the pre-drilled mounting slot in the pannel. Oh well...that is what washers are for.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This pannel attaches to your TV. The standard VESA screw pattern for small to medium flat pannel screens is a 10 cm x 10 cm square. Our steel pannels are 12 cm x 12 cm so we have one hole in each corner...exactly 1 cm in from each edge.
One of those corner holes is just slightly off of the pre-drilled mounting slot in the pannel. Oh well...that is what washers are for.
Step 6: Final Assembly and Function.
Here is how all the parts go together to complete the mount.
With this amount of offset from the wall it cannot achieve it's highest degree of tilt and pan at the same time. To remedy this you could possibly use a 4 x 4 in place of the 2 x 4 to mount it to the wall.
(NOTE: As Fragmaster helpfully pointed out, the head of the lower lag screw effectively serves to prevent the vertical "Pan" tube from working downward. If you were to countersink the head, or place the screws in a different pattern, that hinge pin could potentially drop out sending the TV crashing to the floor.)
Note that this idea could be easily adapted for tilting and leveling a projector either on a table top or ceiling mount or any other purpose that requires a small degree of 2 axis mobility.
Step 7: Tilt Tensioner and Mounting...
This shows the TV as mounted and shows the tilt position tension plate.
The tilt position plate is made out of some scrap polycarbonate. It also serves as a spacer between the TV and the VESA mount plate. 1/2 inch holes were drilled in the polycarb to make seating pockets for the 6 nuts on the back side of the VESA plate.