It is not always possible to use the commercially made mounting kits for an HD LCD television. This article will show you way to make one for a special situation and hopefully get you "thinking outside the box" so you can adapt it to your project. In this case I was installing a Toshiba 19AV500U HD-TV but the mounting holes on the back of all the models I reviewed all met the same VESA standard.
We aren't ready to replace our large screen TV in the family room just yet but we did decide to replace the smaller one in the breakfast nook. As you most likely already know choices almost always come with limitations. In this case my limitations, imposed by my spouse were that it had to fit in the same space as the existing television because my wife is very attached to the Charleston Forge corner baker's rack where it sits.
I was very pleased to discover that the available space would accommodate a much larger screen than the piddley 13 inch one that has occupied the space for the last 13 years. I almost managed to squeeze a 22 inch one in there but came up an about an inch short on headroom. I could manage to fit a 19-20 inch one in there IF. Always an if, isn't there? It would fit if I could figure out some way to mount it without using the Toshiba base.
My goal was to safely and securely mount the television to baker's rack without modifying or damaging the baker's rack or the television. After considering several different options I decided that two pieces of perforated metal pipe hanger attached to the mounting holes on the back of the television, when wrapped around and secured to the vertical rods would be enough to hold the 14 pound television in place. Since the outside entry door to the deck is right beside the baker's rack I also wanted to provide a pair cushioned feet because this particular Toshiba HD-TV has a rounded profile along the base which would result in all the weight bearing on a single point in the center of the screen.
The least expensive mounting plate that I could find for this size television at Best Buy was about 15 dollars. The money was not the reason I did not buy that one. It just would not have worked in this situation. The total cost of this mounting kit was $9.00. I bought all the materials for this job rather than search the house for a couple of small items like 1/4-20 bolts and electrical tape that always seem to hide.
The materials:
1 25 foot roll of perforated metal pipe hanger
1 package of 5 (4 needed) 1/4-20 x 3/4 pan head bolts
1 roll of electrical tape
2 rubber corks for the feet
The tools:
screw-driver
slip joint pliers or a wrench to fit the bolt's nut
aviation or tin snips to cut the hanger metal
The rest of these tools are only needed if making the "feet".
locking pliers (vise grip)
utility knife and fresh blades
a Dremel with a small drum sander (not absolutely necessary)
The actual construction is explained in Part 2.
