Battle Station
Parts List
- Primary Structures:
- Other Pieces:
- PC Accessories:
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History
This project has evolved a lot since the first purchase of a billy bookcase in ~2019. After moving to an apartment in 2020, I determined I needed a second one to go on either side of the TV. Next I found the cross-member which doesn’t go with billy bookcases, but I made it work.
Version I
With the new cross-member, I thought it was now much more suited for my desk and workstation. I purchased the widest standing desk I could find in my budget to fit the space in between the bookcases.
I placed the PC Tower on the right side so it faces out with the cables toward the center, and on the fixed middle shelf for stability. I added some wall plates to pass the cables from the PC to the back and Split Sleeving to get them to the desk.
I then started collecting doors for the billy bookcase to section off parts as display cases. I added black pin boards to the back of the some of the display sections for hanging small items.
Lighting
I wanted to extend the PC Case lighting to the back of the bookcases. To do this, I bought an RGB Splitter, Amplifier, and simple LED Strip. I mounted the LEDs along the back and top of the bookcases, using clear packaging tape to supplement the adhesive the LED strip came with.
For the display sections, I purchased Ikea MITTLED Lights and a TRÅDFRI Driver. I installed the lights in the display cases, using a piece of black poster paper to create a little light shield around them so they don’t hit me in the eyes at my desk. Lastly I added a TVÄRDRAG light in the center to light up the top of my desk.
Version L
After spending some time growing into the space, it was starting to feel a little small. I had moved the entire thing to the other side of the room, and the side in the corner was feeling underutilized. After measuring to make sure it would fit, I purchased a third billy bookcase in the Fall of 2022.
I had a nice camera that was starting to collect some dust after losing interest in video production. I used some old hardware to fashion a mount for it on the underside of the cross-member.
Version C
My brother moved in and I found it more uncomfortable having my back to him that to the front door, so I moved everything around again. Because the side bookcase isn’t connected to the others, I was able to swap it to the other side and place it in the “new” corner.
I then wanted the entire thing to match, and purchased a fourth billy bookcase in May of 2025. This would be the first “free standing” unit, so I needed a way to ensure it could not tip over.
I ended up buying black metal plates and using black foam board to raise them up over the lip at the side edges of the bookcases. I bought screws to match and used them in as many holes as possible on two plates in each corner.
For the plane corner I picked up two 4’ wooden dowels from Home Depot and wrapped them in black paper tape. I then used metal tape to create mounting brackets that the dowels can slip in and out of, and mounted the dowels across the gap in the left corner.
Custom Parts
A friend of mine that does 3D printing was looking for a small project, and I thought I had just the thing. I wasn’t super happy with the metal tape brackets I had created for holding the dowel rods for the plane corner.
I took the parts over to his place and enjoyed seeing firsthand how an idea becomes a 3D object in CAD. This is something I am interested in, but haven’t sat myself down to learn.
The new plastic mounts for the dowels look nicer, function better, and are more secure than before.
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