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View Full Version : Mounting plasma in recessed cavity - tips to center mount?



netarc
05-25-2005, 12:39 PM
Was hoping I could get some tips re: mounting a plasma within a recessed cavity? The dimensions of the cavity are ~1.5" larger (all around) than the plasma display, but I would like to have the unit centered in the space.

I'm planning to use the Sanus VMSA articulating wall mount (https://www.sanus.com/cgi-bin/web_store.cgi?page=products/wallmount/visionmount/VMSA.html&cart_id=5809093_6067) and I'm wondering if there are any "tricks of the trade" to quickly/accurately measure where to mount the back of the wallmount, so that the display ends up centered in the cavity?

https://www.sanus.com/images/VMSAs.jpg

mr2channel
05-25-2005, 05:32 PM
attach the mount to the FPD and take very accurate measurements as to where the FPD is in relation to the mount, and did I mention take very accurate measurements, and oh yeah don't forget to measure again.

we use only Chief mounts, and they have a backwards keynotch with a safety catch that requires that you take that into account, so check your clearances too.

roddymcg
05-25-2005, 06:20 PM
Oh yeah, measure again just to make sure. I also like to draw out all my measurements on a piece of paper, or off a piece of the box that is sitting in front of me.

Roddy

vwpower44
05-29-2005, 07:10 PM
That Sanus bracket is a PITA! I would suggest the Peerless or cheif mount. I have used to of these mounts with horrible success. You cannot tighten the top and bottom black twist screws. We had to epoxy both of them and tell the customer that they cannot tilt them down.

Like what others said too.... MEASURE ACCURRATELY. Mount the panel to the bracket and get you measurements. Also take into account where you are going to put the AC and AV feeds. Make sure they do not obstruct the arm when the bracket is pushed flush against the wall.

Mike

OEX
05-29-2005, 08:57 PM
[quote="vwpower44"]That Sanus bracket is a PITA!


Greaaaaaat!

I have one to install in a few weeks.

Greg_C
05-30-2005, 01:57 PM
Hated it. Did that mount once, never again.

netarc
05-30-2005, 09:47 PM
That Sanus bracket is a PITA! I would suggest the Peerless or cheif mount. I have used to of these mounts with horrible success. You cannot tighten the top and bottom black twist screws. We had to epoxy both of them and tell the customer that they cannot tilt them down.

Like what others said too.... MEASURE ACCURRATELY. Mount the panel to the bracket and get you measurements. Also take into account where you are going to put the AC and AV feeds. Make sure they do not obstruct the arm when the bracket is pushed flush against the wall.

Mike
An update on this: Thanks for all your suggestions, folks! We did the install this weekend, and - although it took longer than expected, ~1.5hrs with three guys (not including the time we had to take to go to the h/w store when we realized we had to use the included spacers, and the bolts were 10mm too short! ... no big, because as it turned out my Milwaukee drill chose that day to *die*, so a trip to the store was necessary *anyway* - sigh!) - it worked out quite well! We were stunned when we fitted the plasma, backed away, and found a near equal gap, top & bottom!

We measured for the bracket install using the following method:

1. Find exact center of cavity, use level to draw vertical and horizontal intersecting lines to this location

2. Measure exact height and width of plasma, find & mark center point (on back ;))

3. Install mount and bracket onto back of plasma; "close" the mount so that the plasma sits as close as it ever will to the mount (i.e., in "pushed in" position). Position the sliding bracket somewhat off-center with the center of the plasma (preferably so that one of the three large circular holes is over the plasma's center point)

4. Transpose the center of plasma to the bracket (part that mounts on the wall) - note that with this particular mount the bracket will actually sit off-center in the cavity. This sounds easy, but was the most time consuming part! We ended up by attaching a 9" level (vertically) to the back of plasma, so that one guy could hold the plasma "plumb." Then we used a 2' level to measure the exact distance from the top edge of the plasma to the top edge of the bracket; repeat for bottom edge/plasma to bottom edge/bracket. Double check measurement - these two distances plus the height of the bracket should add up to the total plasma height. (we repeated a few times until we got matching numbers in two trials out of three). Once you have these distances it's simple to figure out how far down the bracket the VERTICAL CENTER of the plasma sits. For the HORIZONTAL center you don't need to be quite so accurate, as the wall mount allows for left-to-right adjustment of ~1.5".

5. Hold the bracket in the approx. center of the cavity, and level it. Then use a level to draw a line horizontally and vertically at the points marked (the intersection of these lines on the bracket yields the center of the plasma - in fully recessed/closed position - and will, with this mount, likely end up within one of the three holes ... this is ok, though, and actually preferable, as you'll see).

6. Accounting for SAG: Once in place the plasma can sag 1/4" or more ... this is, from what I hear, the hardest thing to account for, as you don't know how much sag you'll encounter, from bracket to bracket and one panel to another. We ended up *guesstimating* the sag at 1/4" (felt safe doing this, since there was to be a gap of ~1.5" all around the perimeter of the panel). DRAW A NEW HORIZONTAL LINE on the bracket X" (in our case, x=1/4") _below_ the line marking the vertical center of the plasma ... in effect, you're mounting the bracket x" *higher* than the vertical center of the plasma.

7. Now align the horizontal/vertical lines on the bracket with the lines marking the center of the cavity (remarkably easy, since the holes in the bracket allow you to see the lines in the cavity!)

8. Mark your holes, drill and mount!

9. Hang the plasma (oh, and it doesn't hurt to make a blood offering - we used our newest tech - to the A/V powers that be ;))