Awhile back I came across this site with photos of how people took the crap on top of their computer desk and placed it underneath. I’m not talking about a slide-out drawer but actually placing equipment like external hard drives, USB hubs, etc., out of sight.

Short on time? Visit the image gallery.

Taking a cue from the examples I built my own rendition. The parts:

• Sheet of pegboard
• Hanger bolts
• Wing nuts
• Washers
• Lots of zip-ties

First off I measured the underside of my desk and bought a sheet of pegboard from Home Depot and had them cut to fit. Pegboard comes in varying thickness so judge what you need; I went slightly thicker.

Rather than use lock shackles and dowels for attaching my pegboard, I went the route of hanger bolts. Tip: go to a local hardware store like Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) because the selection of sizes from Home Depot and Lowes was very limited. When choosing the length of bolt, be sure to include these variables:

• Depth into the desk
• Thickness of the pegboard
• Thickness of the wing nut + washer
• Space occupied by zip-ties between desk and pegboard

Flip your desk onto the floor so you have complete access. Lay down the pegboard and select five locations to place the hanger bolts. I chose four corners and center, although not too far to the edges. The center bolt was set toward the rear of the desk to avoid hitting it with my leg. Hint: get your orientation correct now because it’ll be different when you flip the desk upright.

Drill pilot holes and screw in the hanger bolts. Chances are you’ll need to use two wrenches and/or square nuts to screw down the hanger bolt (shorter bolts don’t have a center turning surface). Secure the pegboard using a washer and wing nut - leave some slack for installing zip-ties.

Place equipment onto the pegboard while the desk is upside down to get an idea of location. Lots of zip-ties later you can see how I ran cables and devices. When done, flip the desk upright and enjoy! It took almost a day to complete with driving to hardware stores, measuring twice, and installing everything. Total cost was around $35.

The front of my pegboard (near keyboard) sags a bit because there is no wing nut installed (to avoid scraping legs and other personal parts). In this case a machine or wood screw should suffice to close the gap and be sure to turn it flush. There may be better options.

Keep in mind the zip-ties will create a gap between the desk and pegboard; this is important when sizing the hanger bolts. With everything being positioned toward the sides and rear it gives me ample room for my legs and avoid hitting anything. It’s important to trim zip-ties close and/or rotate them to avoid a nasty cut later.

I haven’t added new equipment yet and it’ll probably be more difficult with the desk being upright. During the installation I left extra room for new cables and attaching new equipment under existing pieces, building downward to the floor.

Click here for more, and larger, photos in my image gallery.

Related posts:

• Kill the clutter

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