How to install a keyboard tray

• Cordless drill with a small bit
• Cross-head screwdriver
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Masking tape

Before you start, lay everything out on a soft surface (the flattened box works) and check it against the parts list in your manual.

• Mounting track
• Tray and arm mechanism
• Wood screws of the right length
• Mouse platform, if included

1. 1

   Step 1: Measure the desktop thickness and choose screws a few millimetres shorter than it, so they cannot break through the top.

2. 2

   Step 2: Clear the space under the desk and check where drawers, frames or legs are, as the track needs a clear run.

3. 3

   Step 3: Hold the track against the underside where you want the tray, usually centred on where you sit, and mark the screw holes.

4. 4

   Step 4: Wrap tape on the drill bit as a depth stop and drill small pilot holes at the marks, no deeper than the screws.

5. 5

   Step 5: Screw the track up into the desk, tightening each screw snug but not so hard it strips the particle board.

6. 6

   Step 6: Slide the arm mechanism into the track from one end and fit the end stops.

7. 7

   Step 7: Attach the tray to the arm, set its height and tilt with the levers, then pull it in and out to check it runs freely.

• Using screws that are too long, which crack or pierce the desktop.
• Mounting the track where it hits a drawer or the desk frame.
• Over-tightening screws in chipboard so they spin and lose grip.