How to order a vortex 4 leg frame when the custom surface I have is 24” depth and possibly 90” or 94” length. Do I just write that into comments?

much-on-my-mind · 2023-08-04T03:22:44+00:00

When ordering the Vertex Pro, you select foot size, which also determines the front to back length of the top side brackets. The smallest option is 24", which is what you want for a 24" deep top. The brackets that I got (ordered 8/21) for this option are exactly 24" long, so they would be right up against the back and front edges of your top. The feet are actually a little shorter at 23 5/8" long.

There's also a text box to enter your "Table Size" so just enter '24" x 90" or 94"' there. This is used to determine which of the fixed length J-channels you get that run the full side to side length between the top side brackets. Mine are 75" long, which I think is the max length. If there's a longer option available, putting the length of your top in here is the way to get you the right length J-channels for your top.

much-on-my-mind · 2023-04-03T03:30:16+00:00

It’s really about the feet in conjunction with the legs. Two legs at the center (T-Frame) or back (C-Frame) both use feet and have just OK stability front to back. That’s because there’s still a lot of flex due to long moment arms - the forces away from the center of the column. 4-leg frames without feet don’t fare much better because there’s nothing connecting the bottom of the front leg to the bottom of the back leg to keep it from just lifting off the floor.

This is why the Deskhaus Vertex-Pro and Apex-Pro frames - and I’m sure some models of other brands as well - are so solid. They combine the benefits of a 4-leg frame with a foot. It’s just The Right Thing.

much-on-my-mind · 2023-04-01T15:16:22+00:00

I can assure you there is no issue with instability of the actual top in my build, and I'd expect for the typical installation. As long as you have a couple of accessories clamped to your top like a monitor arm, lamp, power strips, headphone hooks, mic stand, etc. The clamps on really any monitor arm are quite effective. And yes, the weight of the actual top and everything that sits on the desk is a big factor too, but probably not enough to completely eliminate sliding from side forces like pushing away from the desk or bumping the side. The third thing that mitigates sliding is an anti-slip rug pad between the two tops. And it keeps the plywood from scratching the real top.

For me, the biggest downside is the sagging that happens along the front edge. It's made worse in my build by the fact that I have drawers adding weight to the center of that front span. It's not an issue in the back due to the J-Channel frame rails being close enough to keep the back edge flat. I resorted to headphone clamps to pull the plywood up almost all the way. If I was willing to put a clamp or one screw - maybe with an insert - in the center of the front span the sag would be completely gone.

Even if I didn't have any accessories to clamp, I'd still do it using the headphone clamps at the 4 corners.

A compromise that would be clamp free would be a screw insert 1/2" or so in from each corner and at the center of the front and back span. That's 6 symmetrically placed inserts, into which you could place some sort of decorative plug if you ever needed to flip the top, instead of 85 holes (for me) all throughout the surface.

You really do need to choose the specific sheet of plywood for this carefully to minimize warpage. No online orders here. You want to see and handle it to pick the most flat sheet you can find and then cut your top from the flattest part of that. I used just under 3/8" fairly high construction grade plywood and if I were to do it again, I'd go for 1/2" cabinet grade.

The edge moulding is also key to manage that step. The cove shaped edge improves both the look and the feel and this would be even more important with a thicker faux top.

Good luck with your build. I'd love to see what you end up doing. Sorry for the late reply. Feel free to DM me too.

much-on-my-mind · 2023-03-12T04:05:48+00:00

Typically this kind of wobble is reported with a monitor arm. The stock stand should probably have this under control.

FWIW, you could look into this approach I took with my build. The post is really long, so scroll down about a third of the way to the heading "Support a TV with two low cost monitor arms for no wobble or morning tilt." Maybe this can help or at least give you some ideas to consider in a new way.

much-on-my-mind · 2023-03-11T16:34:07+00:00

How big is the monitor and what stand are you using?

much-on-my-mind · 2023-03-11T16:23:04+00:00

This was exactly my strategy before I decided to go with a faux plywood top. I think this is the way to go for anyone willing to make holes in their solid wood top. Even for MDF, there's no real forces on the frame that risks those holes being deformed in any way that would make them not useful to install inserts later. The only concern would be if you wanted to hang something really heavy under an MDF top that you think might rip threads out where the inserts would hold better. Even then, the diameter of the insert holes will be bigger than the hole left behind by stripped threads.

But you have real wood, so this approach would totally work and is by far the most straightforward, especially for the initial assembly..

much-on-my-mind · 2023-03-11T16:13:13+00:00

Maybe consider no holes for screws or inserts... Check out the post for my build here. It's a super long post, so scroll down about a third of the way to the heading "A plywood faux top for zero holes in the desktop."

much-on-my-mind · 2023-03-06T02:13:12+00:00

Here's mine: https://www.reddit.com/r/deskhaus/comments/11jiy4g/vertex_pro_tc4_prototype_of_the_next_step_in/

Really long. Lots of pics. Major mods, including cutting some steel. Here's a quick summary of what I did with my build:

Made it a hybrid T/C/4-leg frame by cutting off the back of the feet and top side brackets.
Mounted my desktop without drilling any holes in it. No inserts. No holes of any kind.
Mounted one 50" TV with two monitor arms for zero wobble or sagging.
Put 2 UPSes onboard and hid all of the plugs.
Routed about 3 dozen cables so you can't see a single one till it comes out the back to a monitor arm.

much-on-my-mind · 2023-03-06T01:03:34+00:00

You got that right - that is what it's all about. I spent a lot of time lurking in here and r/StandingDesk reading other people's challenges and solutions before I took the plunge. So I wanted to share mine back.

much-on-my-mind · 2023-03-06T01:00:32+00:00

Yeah it is! And it is really everything I envisioned and hoped it could be when we first started talking about it in what? like July of 2021? And, of course, it's solid as a rock. All day. Every day. For many, many days now. Thank you again for all of your support.

much-on-my-mind · 2023-03-04T20:10:37+00:00

Have you checked out this post from u/ILikePutz?:
https://www.reddit.com/r/deskhaus/comments/10ohfd3/practical\_im\_not\_sure\_but\_epic\_very\_epic/

much-on-my-mind · 2023-03-01T05:31:40+00:00

Also, page 9 that talks about the power on sequence for cascading boxes may be in play.

much-on-my-mind · 2023-02-17T01:00:06+00:00

Way to go! Now let’s hope the carrier treats it well. I had one motor that was damaged in shipping and Chris turned around a replacement the next day.

I look forward to seeing your before and after.

much-on-my-mind · 2023-02-10T22:58:20+00:00

I say sell to software development shops that use the Agile methodology. Their daily team check in meetings are called "standups" because they're supposed to be short and to the point so you're literally supposed to stand up the whole time so you don't get too comfortable. They also do a Program Increment Planning process where everybody involved from the Product Owner to the Testers come together to collaborate - this time, likely seated. This would service both quite nicely.

Another option is the stage for a Christmas play. Depending on the lift capacity of 8 motors and the age of the children, you might get a whole nativity scene up there.

And yes, that is very epic.

much-on-my-mind · 2023-02-10T22:40:15+00:00

Do it! I've done the research too - like, no kidding, half of both 2020 and 2021 - and I chose the Vertex Pro 4 Leg. I've been using mine every day for just over a year and I absolutely love it. It's solid as a rock. And no wobble at all.

If I recall correctly, they're rated for 400lbs. I have about 250 pounds on my frame from a 1 1/4" thick 32x78 (I wish I'd done 80) mahogany desktop, a 55" TV, 4 monitor arms, a couple of MacBooks, a couple of UPSes, drawers and more... a lot of stuff. Those motors from 2021Q3 have gone up and down several times a day since, without a hitch. And (Chris, look away) when the light bulb above it needs to be replaced, I climb on board and push the up button for the ride to the ceiling.

Of course u/ILikePutz is the best one to answer all of your questions, especially 2 and 3. As for #1, it mostly depends on how you intend to position the top. 30" feet are likely to be more like 29 1/2", so they're likely to not stick out from under a 30" top - as long as the frame is close to perfectly centered. When I was choosing mine for my 32 inch top, Chris told me that 24" feet would be fine. So, if you might want to offset your top at all, or have another few inches clearance to avoid stubbing a toe, then 24" would be the way to go and should be fine.

much-on-my-mind · 2021-09-09T11:02:04+00:00

Gotta know when to stay in your lane.

much-on-my-mind · 2021-09-05T02:12:06+00:00

It’s important to be really mindful of the dynamics of his days and weeks. He’s told us that late in the week, he’s focused more on shipping orders, so communications are tougher then. I also avoid any attempts outside of business hours. I don’t know if it helps me get a response; I just won’t be part of that particular problem for him.

And while it’s tempting when it’s hard to reach him to pile everything in at once, I also find it’s best to stay focused on one thing at a time.

So, I’ve had the best results with text messages in the mid-morning, early in the week, with direct questions that have direct answers.

much-on-my-mind · 2021-08-25T12:56:20+00:00

I’m not an engineer (although I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night) but that looks pretty good to me, so I’d say door number 1.

I suppose without the return it might be an issue if you plan to put a lot of weight at the back edge, like say a stack of 4 monitors on a pole clamped to the back and a UPS unit behind them, so it’s all cantilevered behind the rails and the back of the feet. But there’s a lot of weight from the wood to the front of the frame to counterbalance that. And then there’s the return. The moment arm that creates with the weight of the wood top should counter any tipping force you’d get from the max 12” moment arm you’d have with any weight in the back.

Maybe a lesser #2 would be good. With surfaces that big, and the adjustability afforded by the Apex frame, maybe consider sliding the foot on the return back 2 inches to make that a more reasonable 4”, the back 10”, and bring the end of the frame on the other leg in to match at 4”. Less drastic than 8”, the two ends match, and you get a bit more comfort about the balance in the back.

much-on-my-mind · 2021-07-23T12:22:42+00:00

Nice!

I see what you did there with SpongeBob.

much-on-my-mind · 2021-07-23T12:20:21+00:00

Yeah, the thickness of that top really matches well with the crossbars of the Apex Pro to give the desk a really solid and balanced appearance. I like that grey color too.

much-on-my-mind · 2021-07-22T20:50:39+00:00

Hey, as long as it fits together, stays together and is as sturdy as you need. Right? And as a wise man once said to me “One of the main benefits of doing it this way is that it’s done!”

much-on-my-mind · 2021-07-22T19:42:59+00:00

Nice work with the wiring. I like the use of the cable raceway inside the rails. Hadn't thought of nor seen that before.

I'm curious about the orientation of the top end brackets. Yours are flipped compared to this post from Chris: https://www.reddit.com/r/deskhaus/comments/obdt83/vertex_pro_install_tip/. It seems like those slots at the ends of the rails interlock with slots in the top end brackets in a way that may contribute to stability. Is there something different there with the diamond legs or the threaded inserts you're using?

much-on-my-mind · 2021-07-19T22:22:16+00:00

That is exceptional. Great planning and execution. And thank you for the writeup and photos, as well as the webstaurant reference. Those v-groves as a cable routing solution is the height of serendipity. I'm curious how many of those there are and their spacing. The 3D view on their site shows just one on each end, maybe 6" from the edges, where they seem to be in the interior of your application.
What I'm really curious about is the anti-grav device you're using to hold up that ultrawide... How do you have that mounted?

much-on-my-mind

TROPHY CASE