I'm constantly plagued with wires, cables, and miscellaneous other crap littering my computer desk. That's fine and all, but whenever I try to organize it, it never works out. My most recent attempt was to try to mount certain devices that I don't want taking up space on my desk to the wall. These include my USB hub and my two power outlets. I have attached pictures with before and after pictures of how my attempts failed miserably. When first assembled; USB hub: http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/Misc/Need advice - room organization/CIMG0511.jpg After a day in the high humidity/heat: http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/Misc/Need advice - room organization/CIMG0510.jpg The method I used was Velcro to attach the device to the wall and have the option to remove it if necessary. The Velcro completely came off the hub and is still stuck to its sticky counterpart on the wall. First assembled; power strip: http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/Misc/Need advice - room organization/CIMG0515.jpg Result: http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/Misc/Need advice - room organization/CIMG0514.jpg Now the next one is currently mounted with mounting tape, a solution that to my knowledge is supposed to be permanent... Device charging station, power strip first assembled: http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/Misc/Need advice - room organization/CIMG0513.jpg After the heat: http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/Misc/Need advice - room organization/CIMG0512.jpg This is starting to really bug me. I can't think of any other way I can mount these devices to the wall! I need the desk space badly so I can't just keep having these consume my desk. Besides, they just look soooo much better mounted than on the desk. Any ideas that can withstand the heat/humidity?
hmmm.... perhaps the 'bigger hammer' approach - http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=145852 This velcro is 2 inches wide, and the adhesive is super sticky - I have two 8" lengths of it holding my modem to the side of my pc, which is way overkill, I can barely pull the modem off if I have to. To get the velcro to stick to the plastic parts themselves, you need to clean them with some sort solvent - that 3M adhesive cleaner would probably be pretty good stuff. Just don't use something that dissolves plastic. If the plastic has a fine nubby texture/grain, then bigger pieces of velcro might help. No guarantees on how well anything might stick to your router and powerstrips, however. To mount the powerstrips, you could use two or four of these 'mounted head cable-ties' zipped around the ends (or perhaps one end, and the main cord) and screw them to your desk and/or the wall. http://www.cabletiesplus.com/Products/5-Mounted-Head-Cable-Ties-(40-lb)-(Natural)__CP-5-40MH-N.aspx They have a variety, choose what's appropriate, I just linked that because it's what I looked at. You have enough weight and pull on the powerstrips that you're asking an adhesive to do a fairly substantial job, so if you go the velcro route there, I'd say you'd the velcro to cover the length and width of the back of the powerstrip. There's also flat, flexible metal banding that is perforated with holes, or I suppose you could get some metal banding and just drill what holes you need and kind of clamp the powerstrips in place by screwing them down w/ the banding over them. Check the bottom of this page for the cordkeepers - I imagine you could get those from a variety of places besides just this one website - http://www.9thtee.com/zipties.htm That's a couple ideas, anyway.
You're seriously suggesting "MORE!"? I didn't think that would help, but I'll try it I guess. If it doesn't work though, then it's just a waste of money. I'd rather spend my last few bucks on food than Velcro... Two things; One - I only have isopropyl alcohol on me (91%) to clean anything with. I'm trying to work with what I have, in case it isn't clear. Two - luckily, it's not a router that I have to mount to the wall. It's a USB hub, which weights a lot less. The power strip on my desk isn't very heavy with the cables in it, but the strip above the plastic bin is a lot heavier due to the power bricks attached to it. You have me intrigued. I haven't heard of this kind of zip tie. I am trying not to drill my wall full of holes though, which is why I'm going the Velcro/adhesive route. While that could be true, why didn't the power strip just fall the second I mounted it? It lasted for a few days before it keeled over, and I assume it's because of the heat. If it is because of the heat, however, wouldn't the even longer strips of Velcro fall as well? Sorry, didn't mean to shoot down your ideas, but I'm just frustrated. I've thought of those solutions but they wouldn't be ideal. With adhesive, I would have the ability to remove it cleanly once everything has to be taken down again, but with the drill method, I'd have to patch up the holes in the future. I guess it wouldn't be as much of a problem, but I want to avoid having to do that if possible. I do really appreciate the link to the mountable zip ties as I might just employ them if things don't work out with the bigger Velcro straps. Could you please provide a link to these? If I'm going to be drilling things, then I might as well get the more durable kind. What I would find ideal (for the drilling method) would be something like the zip ties, but something that's releasable. I know there are releasable zip ties as I have some, but are there any that are "mountable"?
Check that website over more with the mountable zipties - I think they had releasable ones as well. They may not have mountable releasable, but - if you have a standard width zip tie (or wider), I think you could easily run a small screw through the excess length after you've zipped something up and then cut it off. Might work for the releasable ones. I suppose you could zip up mountable ones to releasable ones in some fashion. The power strip didn't fall right away because it apparently had some adhesion, but not enough to overcome the load over time. It may well be that no standard adhesive on a velcro strip will stick well enough; I was thinking the greater adhesive surface area might do the trick. With bulk velcro, you're also not limited to only putting it on the backside - you could, for instance, run it down the side, across the back, and back up the other side, with the velcro sticking to 3 full sides instead of just the back. Another idea that would be simple to try - supergluing the pieces of velcro that you had already on the backs of the powerstrips to the powerstrips (assuming the powerstrips are plastic). The velcro you had apparently was enough to hold the weight of what you're sticking up, at least until the adhesive gave up, so that tells you, you don't necessarily need more velcro to hold it, just better adhesion of the velcro to the items. Test the velcro, make sure the superglue doesn't just melt it into goo, one drop would probably indicate that. There's also epoxy. I tried searching the Lowes website for the strapping I was thinking of, couldn't dig it up - it's the kind of stuff an electrician or plumber (perhaps more likely, plumber) would use to secure a pipe to a wall or ceiling, or suspend and secure it. I have plastic drain pipes in my basement secured and suspended from the ceiling w/ it. I think it would come in a roll, has holes centered an inch apart or so (more or less), I think is about 3/4 to 1 inch wide, is probably galvanized (has a bright metal/shiny zinc look). Using screws to mount anything... - potentially a bit more effective to your desk. Screws into either plaster or drywall sometimes don't grab as much as you want them to - you'd probably want those drywall-type or deck screws that have a lot of thread relative to the screw shaft, vs. just a standard wood screw, if you go that route. A wood screw of some kind would probably be fine for your desk. Some powerstrips I think have some holed tabs and could be screwed into place, consider that as an option, perhaps even to the backside or underside of your desk, and you wouldn't have to screw into the walls. Another thought - affix/secure/glue/whatever the powerstrips to a board or plaque, and then secure that to something. And yes... by all means...... choose food over velcro. I suspect velcro is very chewy, has an awful plastic taste, and is by no means nutritious or digestible.
I did forget to add that the hook side of the velcro will also shred your gums, while the loop side will get stuck between your teeth....
Well, the trick is to pour a bit of barbeque sauce on it so it isn't as dry. That way, when you go to rinse with Listerine, it'll be easier for it to get unstuck. It will also help with the gum scarring. As for the actual issue at hand, I tried cleaning the items I suck the velcro to. I never cleaned the devices before sticking it on, so I figured cleaning it would help. I did that yesterday and my devices are still stuck on the wall, although crooked because I haven't bothered aligning them until I know they will stay. But anyway, where's the BBQ sauce? Mmmmmm....
