Desk drawer insert list cover thingy... looking for what it's called

January 17, 2019 6:59 AM

Hope someone can help. I am looking for the desk drawer insert plate thing that sits flat in the top of the drawer that that has a glass/plexiglas cover under which you place, for example, a phone extension list so that when you open the drawer, there it is.

Also it slides on the edges of the drawer so you move it out of the way to access the contents of the drawer. My google-fu has failed coming up with the right search terms to even find a picture of one.

Any office furniture sales people that can help? I want to buy one for my desk, but can't figure out what to search for.

thanks!

posted by AstroGuy to Grab Bag (10 answers total)

It sounds like this would have to be precisely fit to the drawer, i.e. it would either have to come from the desk manufacturer or be custom-made.
posted by jon1270 at 7:12 AM on January 17, 2019

I have worked in assorted offices for the last 20 years and never seen anything like this. And as ppl are moving away from landline phones and don’t have allocated desks any more there is going to be less and less demand for that kind of thing I’d think.

What I have seen is little drawer inserts for assorted small stationery items that sit on top of drawers covering them in part, they could be moved along the drawer. Any chance somebody just placed some plexiglass on top of something like that? Or a laminated list could probably also live in one of those inserts.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:33 AM on January 17, 2019

Response by poster: koahiatamadl: No, I've worked at a lot of places that had them. They seem to be common in schools (where I work).
jon1270: Probably, they usually come with the desk. I had a metal office desk years ago that had one. But I was thinking if I could find out what they're called, maybe I could find one that is the right width. You can definitely get the drawer organizers (for paper clips, etc.) that hang in the drawer the same way.
posted by AstroGuy at 9:03 AM on January 17, 2019 [1 favorite]

I can picture this as a solid wood pull-out. Some desks had built-in wooden [things] that you pulled out, and it gave you extra desk space when needed. You could have taped a phone list to this. It would have been part of the desk though. A solid wood pull-out, similar to a pull-out cutting board found in some kitchens. It's not integrated into the drawer, but a separate pull-out just above the drawer.

This isn't quite what I am picturing, but ...
posted by hydra77 at 9:04 AM on January 17, 2019

i believe OP means something like this? except to cover the drawer.
posted by koroshiya at 10:10 AM on January 17, 2019 [1 favorite]

pull out writing shelf, maybe?
posted by koroshiya at 10:14 AM on January 17, 2019

My colleague in the next office over has one of these. It's basically a plastic tray that's the same width as the drawer, and just deep enough to hold a piece of Plexiglass (only about 1/4" thick). The "handles" of the tray sit on the top side edges of the drawer. It is not the same thing as the pull-out writing desk/surface (as seen in "WarGames"); it doesn't have its own drawer pull.

Her tray has the word "Steelcase" embossed on it, which is apparently a desk manufacturer. However, I browsed around briefly on their website, and I couldn't find anything on their website that looks like that tray. The desk is probably at least 20 years old, so that's perhaps not a surprise.
posted by Johnny Assay at 10:35 AM on January 17, 2019 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Johnny_Assay that's exactly what I'm thinking of. And come to think of it, the drawers are a standard width because the file drawers below them are sized for letter size hanging files. I'm going to check with a used office furniture store in my area.
posted by AstroGuy at 4:02 PM on January 17, 2019

I have one in my vintage Steelcase filing cabinet and yes, they are the same size as the drawers in that iconic steel desk.
posted by advicepig at 6:41 PM on January 17, 2019

Best answer: So you're looking for a rolling drawer insert? That's the general term for those kind of upper-deck doodads.
posted by jgreco at 6:48 PM on January 17, 2019