I think this is the first project log I've ever posted here, Basically i was asked by my boss if i could sort out a computer to display company reports/statistics/video etc.. The original plan was for a low powered computer and a 40" TV. Then the budget for the project became £0, So i raided my garage and came up with a 20" Samsung monitor (not quite the visual impact of a 40" but its all I had going spare. To power this monster display ive got an i5 rig that i bought here a while back but never actually got time to do much more than assemble it for testing. So the whole point in this log is to mod the monitor so that it stands out more and hopefully make people want to see what's being shown on it, The solution? Being a Arboricultural Company we have plenty of logs in the yard of various species, The idea being mounting the monitor into a 'chunk' of timber and mounting it to the wall. I forgot to take any pics of the tree that was selected, but it was quite possibly the biggest elm i have ever seen approx 10' in diameter at the base! a suitable limb was selected to take the cutting from and off to the kiln in the nearby village for some speedy drying, Hopefully not splitting it too much in the process. Removing the material for the monitor to fit was achieved using a combination of Routers,Drills and a Stihl MS880 (it was the only saw i could find). Once the bulk had been removed the monitor was measured and guides made from plywood fitted to the surface to guide the router. The initial plan was to remove all the waste from the rear and leave a lip for the monitor to sit on from the back but due to the lack of tools and the chainsaw being less than precise I opted to route a rebate on the front for the monitor to sit on. Its not perfect but it does the job and has only taken about 3Hrs minus the drying time. The only downside is the boss is considering having all the monitors in the office the same as this Well there you have it, a nice simple project. Theres still some little bits left to do, some sanding and some form of finish so the wood doesnt look quite so rough.
Unless your wife is your boss, I'd say it's a cheap frikkin boss you have! Don't get me wrong, I love my job! But if I was told to use my own money to make something like this for work... Besides my little hickup of love for a cheap boss, I love the actual idea! Btw. If you had opted for a 40", wouldn't that have required a giant Red Wood?
Hes not cheap just has these grand ideas, but because he has no knowledge of computing of any kind (He cant even send an email! and ive shown him half a dozen times) All the parts ive used will be reimbursed at current prices, so I'll probably make a little out of it in reality. I don't think I'd have even attempted it on a 40" this one weighs in at a very healthy 35kgs as it is! You're probably right on the redwood though
Clever use of a whole tree. You also have a big-ass hardwood brick you can use in a home project now.
The rough look looks fine, its how the wood is and I think it just gives it all a nice natural look. All in all i would say a good afternoons work and a very different project.
