Back Story
A XOOT customer had a wide desk and wanted to be able to pull their XOOT_Pro arm all the way up to the edge of the desk. But the XOOT_Pro arms were to short to allow this. Their ask was to have longer arms that could reach more forward. (Note, the arms between the clamp and the XOOT_Pro base are called the Anti-Topple arms)
Making longer Anto-Topple arms are possible but there are some trade-offs.
- It’s expensive.
Custom jigs to precisely bend the sheet metal for the arms are required. More costly is the plastic molds required for the arm covers. Overall, we would need to sell a lot of parts to recoup the costs on making this tooling. - Longer arms would not be as stable when the arms are folded up.
The Anti-Tople arms do the job of preventing the main XOOT Arm from toppling forward then the screen is pivoted outward. When the arms are folded up, they are at their weakest point because resist toppling through torsional twisting the arms. The longer the arms the less they reduce torsional twisting.
I mentioned that the clamp could be mounted through a 2” hole in the desk. That’s a big hole and the idea was not appealing.
However, what about a small one through the desk? You could simply place a screw through the desk to hold down the clamp plate.
I drew up some plans for a back plate to test the idea.
It’s just a plate of steel with long nut welded to it.
I tested the prototype. Found some problems.
- The back plate hung down too low and could scratch the desk.
- A piece of double-sided tape was needed to keep the clamp plate from spinning around the bolt.
- The desk had a hallow core an required a larger spacer plate to distribute the compression on the desk.
The final version seems to work well.
Final Version
The clamp is attached to the desk by drilling a small hole through the desk then bolting the clamp plate to the desk. It’s simple and it works well. However, it still requires drilling a hole through your desk. It’s not perfect but is a solution that may work for some.
Here are the parts
| Item | Specs. | Source |
| Screw | 5”x¼” | Grainger |
| Washer | 1 ½” Fender Washer | Grainger |
| 2 ¼” by ½” Spacer | 2 ¼” by ½” Spacer | Made With Hole Saw PVC Board |
| Double Stick Tape | 4”x1” PVA Tape | Ebay |
| Nut Plate A | 1” x ¼” Coupling Nut | Grainger |
| Nut Plate B | 2” x 1/8” Steel Bar | Metal Supply |
Installation
Tools required
- Drill
- ¼” Drill Bit
- Tweezers (for removing film from double stick tape)
- Measuring Tape
- 2.5mm hex wrench
- Measuring Tape
Disassemble XOOT_Pro Clamp
Measure Desk for Hole
Measure from the front of the desk to the point where you will drill the hole. A length of around 23”-25” will allow the XOOT_Pro base to come near the edge of the desk.
Also check that the under side of the desk is clear of obstructions.
Drill
Drill a ¼” hole though the desk.
Install Screw in Nut Plate
Loosely install the screw through the desk and into the Nut Plate.
Install Double Stick Tape
Stick the double-sided tape to the clamp plate. Tweezers are used to help peal the film off the tape.
Install Clamp Plate
When sticking the clamp plate to the desk, hold it at an angle and then tilt it down to match with the nut plate.
Screw in the nut plate to the clamp plate
Attach the XOOT_Pro Arm
Finaly slightly tighten the screw through the desk. Do not over tighten so that the double stick tape pulls away from the desk.
If this looks like too much for your own DIY project. Take a look at our Pre-Made DIY parts.