Do you want to start using a CRT for retro gaming, or even watching old TV shows & movies? But maybe you don’t have the room to set up a dedicated CRT area? Or maybe you do have the extra space, but would rather connect it to your existing audio setup? Consider building a “CRT Cart” that contains everything you’d need, that you can wheel away out of sight when you’re done!
This page showcases the different “Retro Cart’s” I’ve built over the years. This video is probably the best overview, but I have some more documentation and links below that might be a help. There’s no “right” answer, so I invite you to take a look at each cart and feel free to follow a similar method to what I’ve done!
Here’s links to all the rack’s and cart’s I’ve been using the past few years, that were also showcased in the above video:
Small Wheel Cart / Single Monitor Use:
I use this for both my 14″ and 20″ monitors. It’s a tiny bit high for the 20″ and a tiny bit low for 14″, so overall it’ll be fine for both: https://amzn.to/47W0Ci3
Sturdy, “Rack” Wheel Cart:
These are what I’ve been using for the past few years and I LOVE how they perform! They even can hold very large, heavy CRT’s (D32, JVC D26) although I suggest adding a piece of wood like shown in the video above to more evenly distribute the weight of heavier TV’s. Make SURE to get the good castors that hammer in linked here, as the ones that screw in could eventually back out and your whole setup will come crashing to the floor!
3x: https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/storage/wire-shelving/Nexelate/nexelate-silver-epoxy-wire-shelf-36×30
4x (one set): https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/storage/wire-shelving/accessories/nexel-5-stem-casters-2-w-brakes-polyurethane-set-of-4-w-bumper-1200-lb-capacity
4x: https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/storage/wire-shelving/accessories/34-post-each-silver-epoxy
Cheaper Alternative Wheel Cart:
This one is cheaper than the above ones, but the castors can’t hold nearly as much weight. Also the dimensions listed are slightly off though and they don’t take the space between the poles into account. Here’s the actual dimensions in inches: 15 3/4 deep by 33 1/4 wide between poles, 35 3/4 high with wheels on: https://amzn.to/2O62v10
Heavy duty metal rack for large, heavy CRT’s (No Wheels):
I use some stationary racks with no wheels that do a great job with CRT’s as well. As stated above, adding wood to each shelf is a really good idea for weight distribution and I strongly recommend doing that for all shelves with heavy items: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-4-Tier-Heavy-Duty-Industrial-Welded-Steel-Garage-Storage-Shelving-Unit-in-Black-77-in-W-x-78-in-H-x-24-in-D-HBR782478W4/310651468
Medium duty metal rack for large, heavy CRT’s (No Wheels): These are great for consumer CRT’s 24″ and smaller. It comes with wooden shelves and mine bowed after a few years, so if you choose these, consider “flipping” the shelves every year or so. Also, I had two of these on each side of the above shelf and they matched pretty well, so they’re good “companion” shelves: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Muscle-Rack-5-Tier-Heavy-Duty-Steel-Garage-Storage-Shelving-Unit-in-Black-36-in-W-x-72-in-H-x-18-in-D-UR-185PBB/305553549
Light Duty Wire Rack Wheel Shelves: I mostly just use these for storage, but I also have smaller CRT’s on here as well. Once again, the dimensions listed aren’t 100% accurate: Here’s the actual dimensions in inches 15 3/4 deep by 45 3/4 wide between poles, 76 3/4 high with wheels on: https://amzn.to/2v9EcIQ
Here’s the latest one I’ve been using:
…and here’s the previous carts I built when starting RetroRGB. In fact, if I didn’t build the original “Retro Cart”, RetroRGB might never have existed!
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This is the original cart that was the catalyst for getting into RGB and creating this site. It has a Sony 24″ TV, Nintendo, Super Nintendo, the Master System and even a CDX (those things are really awesome). The description is a bit long, because when I wrote it, this site didn’t exist. Still, it’s a good story and the pics came out great.
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After I realized the Retro Cart needed more systems and needed to be in RGB, I stripped it and made it into a “Nintendo Cart”, which I sold. This page shows pictures, in case you’d like to do the same. Also, I included the entire description from my eBay listing, in case someone was interested in the details.
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I used this setup for about a year. It had nine systems all outputting RGB into a Sony PVM monitor. I loved this thing, but I just got too many consoles for it and needed to upgrade.
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If you’re finished, I invite you to go back to the main page to see all the other retro-gaming awesomeness we have on this site…especially the RGB guide