Introduction - Tools, Parts and Pitfalls

by Phil Herlihy

Have you ever wanted to have an adjustable articulating monitor for your desk? Maybe your desk is a bit on the small side, but you could really use an extra screen?

This rad little project is for you!

The idea is to take your Retina Display, mount it in an iPad shell, and mount that onto your lamp!

To start, you'll need to gather some parts.

Some important notes about the back cover. For a perfect out-of-the-box fit with the Retina Display, you can use an iPad 3 or 4 backing. They're a little expensive (65 $US+). If you want the device to seal, you'll also need a glass/digitizer panel, which can be had for cheap, but is an additional expense. On eBay and other online markets, the iPad 3/4 back panel is sometimes called a "battery cover", which is technically correct, but isn't an obvious thing to search. You'll also need the Retina Display mounting screws for the iPad 3/4.

This guide uses a broken iPad 2 as a donor for it's back panel and digitizer. For the iPad 2 back panel, there are a couple slight modifications that need to be done for the Retina Display to mount properly, but otherwise, it works. When searching for a donor iPad 2, liquid spills are your best option. This means that the front glass and back panel are intact, and you can recycle the innards. It's also important to note, you cannot use the iPad 2 Screen as your Retina Display. You have to use the 3/4 Screen.

The last option for the back panel is to use an iPad 1 back panel. These are plentiful online, and cheap. The big difference is that the 1 back panel is tapered (not mostly flat like the later models), and the Retina Display will not match any of the display mounting holes on the back panel.

Some mounting hardware:

  • 4x - 2x8mm Machine Screws
  • 2x - 3x12mm Machine Screws
  • 2x - #3 Crush Washer
  • 4x - #3 Plastic Washer
  • 2x - #3 Metric Hex Nut
  • 4x - #2 Plastic Washer
  • 4x - #2 Metric Hex Nut
  • Zipties in your favorite color!

 Finally, some tools:

  • Grinder/Dremel Tool with Metal Cutting Discs
  • Power Drill With Hole-Drilling Bits
  • Needlenose Pliers
  • Wire Cutters
  • Screwdriver (matching the head of your machine screws)
  • Sharpie or Fine Tip Permanent Marker
Preparing Your Lamp
This guide was first published on Nov 25, 2014. It was last updated on Nov 25, 2014. This page (Introduction - Tools, Parts and Pitfalls) was last updated on Oct 30, 2019.