Convert Old Display Panel Into Sleek Monitor

I’m a huge fan of retro gaming and it’s really been a long time playing any sort of games, So I was wondering if I can build a retro gaming setup with raspberry pi and an old display panel. But while building, the idea just spiralled out and I had other ideas to build the retro setup, which I will discuss in the future Instructable. 

So, instead of shredding down all the work I did so far, I converted the old monitor into a thin-bezel secondary monitor. Already there are plenty of videos/articles around the internet explaining how to convert the LCD panel into a Monitor or a Tv. So we'll focus more on the design and making the display sleek. I think this would be a great project if you are just getting started to work with wood just like me.

This is the list of products that can help you do this project with ease

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• 3d printer: https://amzn.to/3trVWKw
• printer upgrades: https://amzn.to/3hbK3Ga
• Black filament: https://amzn.to/3orgpiA
• Glue gun:https://amzn.to/2WiuKUa
• Screws: https://amzn.to/3vdF1zj
• drill: https://amzn.to/3yYFA0S
• jigsaw: https://amzn.to/3zweaRD
• Isopropyl alcohol: https://amzn.to/3BdokHS
• Black Spray paint: https://amzn.to/3z3Wxaf
• V59 universal board / inverter / LVD cable: https://amzn.to/3J1e9YN
• TV base stand: https://amzn.to/3otKnTi

I got this LCD panel from an old LG monitor that I borrowed from a friend. If you like you can also buy the same LCD panel directly from various vendors, but that doesn’t seem too exciting and it doesn’t do any justice for a DIY project so, I highly recommend getting a used monitor or a monitor with a broken display controller. 

That’s right, I mentioned broken controller because in this build I will use a v59 universal driver board to control the LCD panel, by which we get a variety of options like HDMI, VGA, audio port , USB media, etc. To confirm if the driver is compatible with your LCD panel just look at the back, for the model number. Which will help in confirming the compatibility with the universal driver. After confirming the compatibility, make sure to get an inverter as well, which will supply the power for the back light. If you like to buy the similar driver and the inverter I have given the link for both in the on the supply section. 

For the rest of the construction I’m going to use a ¾ inch wood, which will act as the support, frame and the housing for the driver and inverter. Start with cutting the support frame with the same dimension as the LCD panel [Might vary depending on the display you have], to keep the footprint, small as possible. Then make a small cut out in the middle which will act as the housing for the electronics [Also depends on the size of the circuit you have].

Then don't forget to drill a few holes in the bottom for the plastic stands which we’ll later include in the build. 

To separate the LCD panel and the electronics between the cut out, I’m going to use this 3mm wood [from one of my old project] and make some slots and holes to pass through wires between the driver and the LCD panel.   

Once you have placed everything in place and feels good move on to painting. 

First, start with masking the LCD panel with newspaper and painter's tape. In my case, I used insulation tape, which was a very bad idea because of the marking that was left on the LCD panel.

I used black acrylic paint for the panel and the wooden frame.

[Note: Be careful not to get the paint on the display] 

Once the painting is done, remove the newspaper carefully without damaging the LCD panel. To remove the tape marking you can use the isopropyl alcohol to clean the surface.

But for the wooden frame and the 3mm wooden panel, cleaning might not be necessary because the LCD panel will concealed them. 

Once you are done with cleaning, you can start the electronics assembly.

The assembly was easy as cleaning, just attach the 3mm wooden sheet to the cut-out and screw them in place. 

Now we can add the electronics to the pocket that has been created. You can see I also mounted a stand-off for the raspberry pi, but you know the story why It’s not gonna be used anyway. Also, don’t forget to cover up the metal parts of the screws, because this is where the display will be lying on top. 

Once the insulation is done, lay the LCD panel slowly on top of the cut-out while ensuring all the wires are properly reaching the driver and the inverter. 

Then the rest of the electronics assembly was pretty standard. Just connect the wires to the right slots and set up the universal driver, which might be different for different panels.

check for more info here: https://www.androiderode.com/ledlcd-tv-universal-main-board-panel-settings/

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This only partially completes the build, still, we have to deal with mounting the LCD panel to the frame, as it's just handing without any support. 

To solve this I will quickly jump into fusion 360 and make a 3d model which can support the LCD panel with the wood.  

Then with some larger layer heights, I started the 3d printing using black PLA filament. Also, You can see in one of the pictures my janky way of holding the first layer using cellophane tape. But all the parts were printed without any issues. Then screwed the 3d printed parts to the edges of the LCD panel. 

For the stand, I’m using this mount which I got with my TV. You can check the link in the supply to get a similar one. Once all the assembly was done, it was time to clean the LCD panel once again. 

This completes the thin bezel monitor!

To power on, supply 12v 4amp. This should light up the LCD panel and start searching for the HDMI signal by default. Now to test, let me connect an HDMI cable between my laptop and the monitor. 

Surprisingly it works so well!

The image quality is pretty good when considering it’s a 7-8year old panel. But it’s not good enough when compared to a display with HDR supported or a recently launched monitor. 

But anyway it was really amazing building this and I learned a lot along the way. If you like to cover the back of the display, you can use acrylic glass. But I left it open for easy access to electronics for my future project.

From my experience, If you are looking for a secondary display and need it for work, I would strongly suggest you buy a new monitor instead of a DIY.

Finally, If you liked the Instructable, make sure to read my other Instructable as well from my profile. Also if you like to support one step ahead of everyone, you can check out my youtube channel, and also you can buy me a coffee link.