Tilt, tilt, sweet plane of existence! Exactly 0-90° please.

October 10, 2013 7:27 AM

I need to build a cheap drafting desk that is sturdy, free-standing and fully adjustable. Let's say a 48" x 36" surface, 35-48" range of height and 0-90° motion. How can I make this happen for under $100?

I have access to tools, scrap materials and handy friends. I'll need to assemble the piece on site and be able to take it apart in the future. This thing has to be a workhorse! I'm in a tight space, and it's acting as a vertical drawing easel, a calligraphy table and a standing desk.

Is this project bonkers? Surely there's a clever DIY to save my day!

posted by fritillary to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

Ikea hackers have always been a great source of tips and inspiration. They modify and combine IKEA furniture to make something functional and cheap. Perhaps something like this or this?
posted by JiffyQ at 7:40 AM on October 10, 2013

Best answer: Take a look at a sample project like this one. It folds up into the wall, into a very small space which means it has two legs instead of four. The total cost for materials is $150-ish but this includes pieces that you might be able to source elsewhere. The key part is the "adjustable drafting table hardware" However it only goes from 0-50°. You want this to be a wall sometimes in addition to a table? In that case you probably need something like this though I don't know what that hardware piece is called (or the fancier sort which is a semicircle, seen here)
posted by jessamyn at 7:45 AM on October 10, 2013

Keep an eye out for old drafting tables - a lot of them are around. I got one off ebay for £30, from an old electrical engineer who was retired. I've seen older and better tables advertised for free in art shop windows.
posted by The River Ivel at 7:49 AM on October 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

I highly recommend Craigslist instead of making your own.
Here's one for $75:
http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/fuo/4102314662.html
Or a smaller one for $30:
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/fuo/4120333996.html

You can almost certainly take the table surface off the legs, and take the legs partially apart to make it fit in a car or transport more easily. Also, at least with mine, you can fold it in a way that makes it fit into tighter spaces than you might think- put the surface vertical and as far down as possible and it's actually pretty east to carry.
posted by Adridne at 7:59 AM on October 10, 2013 [1 favorite]