Cheap Easy Excellent Computer Desk Cable Management

I worked out a way to get the power boards and power packs under my computer up off the floor for less than $10. It looks and functions a bit like the expensive commercial solutions that fancy offices have.

Now the cables don't annoy my toes when I'm playing or collect dust or get knocked around when vacuuming. And obviously it looks better. And even a really lazy person can do it in about 10 minutes.

Go to hardware store owned by Huge Soulless Corporation A or Huge Soulless Corporation B and get:

1. A small packet of cup hooks (~$1.50)
   

   I used 15mm and 25mm ones, depending on what the underside of the desk looks like. You'll need to get hooks small enough that the length of the shaft is less than the thickness of your desk plus a few mm (obviously if they go all the way through it is going to look like crap).

2. The cheapest dish drying rack (the sort that goes next to the kitchen sink) you can find. If you can get the one coated with white plastic they are extra good. Don't buy one that's too sturdy - you want a bit of flex (~$7)

While you are at said hardware store if you don't already have these you should get them:

1. A cheap electric screwdriver (~$15) or cordless drill ($30).

2. A cup hook driver bit for the driver/drill. Mine was Ryobi brand and cost $8. Stops sore fingers.

Things you will need from your bits box to make pilot holes:

A driver bit and self tapping screw of roughly the same thread size as the cup hooks' shafts.
Or a suitable drill bit.
Or a hammer and a nail - if you hate easy.

Check out the underside of your desk. Mine had these steel frames that got in the way a bit, so I used bigger hooks to get around it.

Hold the dish dryer rack up where you want it, and make two marks on the desk above where back edge will hang. Ideally you could measure this so everything ends up nice and straight - but I didn't.

Make pilot holes at the two marks using one of the following methods. Don't make them too deep - you only really need to break the surface.

Screw the cup hooks in until the collars meet the surface - don't over-tighten them. Undo them a little until they face the right way.

Hook the dish dryer on, and tilt it up level. Hopefully it ended up pretty straight and level.

Make another mark where you think the last hook should go. Remember it will be shorter once you actually screw it in. Make the pilot hole and then screw the hook in as before.

Hook the dryer on to see how it fits.

Start cabling.

Put your powerboard(s) in first. Use only overload protected boards (they will have a small black button on them somewhere - the circuit breaker) and ideally use one with some surge protection for your gaming computer. My drying rack had a section for cutlery that could be used to hold the powerboard in place and each plug nice and straight.

Next install any power packs and route the cables through the spokes as desired.

Finally coil extra cables up inside the tray. You shouldn't need to use any cable ties or whatever - these will really get in the way one day when you're in a bad mood and need to fix something.

When you're done it should look like the picture, except I should have put the rest of the cables in there too (lazy)