Table Cable Management System

I run a school that uses a lot of laptops. I wanted to keep them plugged in at all times, so I developed a way to keep the power cables out of the way. A similar method can be used for any kind of wooden table.

You will need a drill, screwdriver, screws, zip-ties, power strip, velcro strap, double-sided tape, and a basket like the one shown. The basket came from Dollar Tree.

It will be easier to work on the assembly if you don't work against gravity. So put the top of the table on the floor.

My table had some well-placed holes underneath where I could mount the power strip. I put small screws in to mark the places where I wanted to drill, so they would be spaced correctly. Unfortunately if I wanted it to be straight, I would have had to drill through the metal, so I used double-sided tape for the other spot. (Eventually this will give way, but not for several months). I drilled pilot holes for the screws, but not too deep -- I didn't want to go through the table all the way to the top. I used short screws.

Mount the power strip under the table with the screws, and/or double-sided tape. If you are only going to use double-sided tape, use a lot of it. But nothing will beat putting screws in and sliding the power strip into place. Be sure to put the power strip where it won't be in the way of the people sitting at the table. I put mine towards the middle.

My blue Dollar Tree basket had nice handles, which had holes in the bottom, perfect for drilling holes and mounting to the table. It also had nice holes on the side so I could run cables through them. The basket will be installed upside down, but when the table is put back up, it will be hanging upside right. The power supplies will go in this basket, so make sure the one you get is big enough to hold them. I drilled holes in my handles, and ran screws through to the table.

Remove the basket from the table, and begin to run the cables through the holes. If you have a basket without holes, you can cut some or drill some for your cables. My cables had a ferrite bead on them, as well as a velcro. I wanted to use the velcro outside the basket, so I made sure to push that through from the inside to the outside. The power supplies sit inside the basket, the plugs go through the basket to the outside. I didn't have holes big enough for the outlet plugs, so I just ran them over the top. I corralled all extra cables inside the basket, and remounted the basket.

Now it's time to flip your table right-side up. I ran the power strip cable down the center leg of the table. If your table has legs on the corners, you can run the cable down the side of one of the legs. Then I used the velcro strap to keep the cable out of the way.

Since I have several tables next to each other, I ran the power cables up between the tables, and used the velcro from before to make a little bow in the wire, so it couldn't slide back down underneath the table. It would also be good to clip the wires to the top of the table with some adhesive-backed clips.

Now I put the laptops back in place, and plugged them all in. I plugged the power strip in to the floor, and turned everything on. The center table of this group is the one that has the basket and power strip. The other two tables are just plain tables. I made several other table "islands" using the same technique.