My Turntablet [A Modified Install]

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For the last 6 weeks, I’ve been communicating with Antonio Gonella, designer of the Turntablet, a third-party aluminum rack for the Wacom Cintiq 21UX that mounts it directly onto your drafting table to allow a full 360º range of motion. The thing is, I’d just scored a beautiful Trident table on Craigslist and was hesitant to bore a 15-17.25″ hole through the center of its surface in case I want to use to table for good old-fashioned analog art. I emailed Antonio my concerns and he suggested an altered installation, of which I am apparently the first. Armed with a 2″ hole saw bit and the included bolts and drill bit, I totally sexed up my workspace in approx. 30 minutes. Click pic for slideshow.

Many thanks, Antonio; this install solution for the Turntablet has planted me in the studio space of my dreams.

  • http://joshnichols.com/ Josh Nichols

    The one reason I didn’t like the Wacom products as much as using paper was because you couldn’t spin them around and make strokes in a natural way. Now I know better! Hmm … now I might have to save up for a Cintiq. I can’t really mount it to the cool drafting table I snagged at the university surplus because of the light in it, but I’ll be sure to save my old one.

  • http://www.wolfslittlestore.be Wolf

    Very cool project, still can’t justify the cost of a cintiq… :)

  • http://thisisjuan.com Juan Navarro

    Wow. That is like the sexiest art tool I have ever seen. I’m fucking purple with jealousy. I can only imagine the hours of glee this is getting you. Your a Sequential Artist from the 23 century now. WHOO!

  • http://floatsolutions.net math0ne

    Very cool! I use a tablet PC and often find myself rotating it, but the way i have my pen calibrated it is not natural at other angles? Do you find this to be an issue?

  • http://www.dalestephanos.com Dale Stephanos

    This looks like a fun project, but I have a couple of questions. First, why? The stand that comes with the monitor swivels 90 degrees, and the keyboard stays in it’s ergonomic postion. The monitor on your board looks uncomfortable to use in that position.

    Has having the Cintiq mounted like this turnede out to be a better option than the stand? Please don’t take my comments as being negative, my first reaction was “cool, I want to do that”. But I’d like to hear about how you feel about the setup after working like this for a while.
    Thanks

  • http://dangoldman.net Mister Goldman

    @mathOne: for me, the pen calibration gets on the vertical axis, if it’s tipped too high or low it can float off-register; i’ve been playing videogames since I was a kid so it doesn’t bother me that much to compensate… the beauty is adjusting the desk so that doesn’t happen.

    @Dale: it’s ergonomics; i spend last year with a ton of backpains and sciatic nerve flare-ups with my workload; this solution is much easier on my back/posture, having my Cintiq mounted on an easily-adjustable tabletop. The ergonomics of the keyboard aren’t as right; for art it’s fine but when I am writing, I swivel the table back up as to not strain my tendons. But that’s the thing: i can swivel the drafting table to suit my tasks’ needs much easier than when the Cintiq was in its stand on my old desk.

  • Nicholas Post

    Smart and effective tool!
    I will buy one if and when I buy Wacom Cintiq 21UX.
    Nicholas P.

  • http://funnygarbage.com dave

    Love the device! I’ve been working on PL-400, the precursor to the Cintiq, and also developed nerve damage in my neck from looking down and drawing 40+ hours / week. (Some call it “surgeon’s neck”… if you picture a surgeon operating 10 hours looking straight down…)

    There’s a reason an animator’s desk is on such a steep incline, so you back and neck are straightly aligned. Peg bars not only keep your drawings in registration, but fixing the bar to the desk will keep the paper from sliding off the steep incline. The disc was added to rotate the paper for easier drawing. Everything has a purpose.

    I built my own crazy desk after being laid up for a week hopped up on pain killers. Access to my keyboard was the forefront of design, not the ability to spin the tablet. If you work on a computer, you need access to EVERY key on your keyboard, always. (Ever watch someone who’s “mouse dependent”? Instead of hot keys they go under the menu bars to select every move? Almost as painful as a herniated disc.) Putting your keyboard to the side and reaching off to type will cause more neck damage in time. (That’s why keyboard trays are located directly in front of you. Everything has a purpose.)

    http://www.funnygarbage.com/flog/index.php?/archives/72-The-DigiDesk.html

  • http://tablet-pc-laptops.com tablet pc laptops

    Hey, got a question about your blog. I noticed it loads pages lot faster than mine. Do you host your blog on dedicated server? thanks.

  • http://dangoldman.net Mister Goldman

    @tablet pc laptops: I have a hosting plan… but I built the site in WordPress that uses the SuperCache plugin; if you’re a WP user, give it a google.
    —cheers—> d!

  • Phil

    Hi, I’m very interested in the Turntablet but, according to their website, they are no longer available. Does anyone of info that will help me acquire one of these?

    Thanks

    Phil

  • http://dangoldman.net Mister Goldman

    @Phil: as far as I know, they’ve gone out of production. maybe ebay is your best bet now. wish I could be more help.