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acidic — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:57:42 -0800

Building a standing desk two-parter: 1) Should I get a mini stair climber, manual treadmill, or mini elliptical? 2) What's the best way to attach legs to this "desk"? For the exercise machine, I only intend to use it for slow movement, and not for intense exercise. It *seems* like mini stair climbers are far more common, and although I never use them at the gym, it might be a good option for just moving my feet a bit while I work. Thoughts?

Second, my desk is an old printer shelf made out of oak, so it's quite heavy. The ability to roll would be nice, but it's not necessary. Should I attach legs to the bottom shelf, or to the sides, and what type of legs would you recommend? I am comfortable building something myself if that is the best option.

Building a desk. Should be simple?

Willie0248 — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:16:04 -0800

I want to build a desk into a recessed area along a wall. It seems like a simple procedure, but I have a few questions. DIY-Fites, set me straight! There is a recessed area along one wall that I would like to turn into a work area. This area measures 24" x 76" and runs all the way up to the ceiling; from the looks of the scarring along the walls, the previous owners used this area for built-in cabinets and tore them out some time in the past.

So I want to use this area as a desk. I had planned to buy a board from Lowes cut to 18" x 76", paint it with a few coats of matte latex paint, and just mount it in the space using a few braces (don't know the name, the metal ones shaped like an L?).

The procedure seems simple, but there are a few issues keeping me from doing it:

1.) What material should I use? Plywood seems like it would warp given how long the piece would be, and it looks like most of the pieces they sell at the hardware store are warped to begin with. I was thinking about MDF, but I've read that it is way too much trouble to work with. Are there other materials I should consider?

2.) I don't think I will have many studs along the walls to anchor the braces into. Should this be a problem? The walls are drywall if that matters. I don't plan on sitting on the desk, but I might build a hutch to rest on it later.

3.) What should I consider when deciding the height of a desk? I'm a taller gentleman at 6' 1" so I was thinking of going a few inches higher than the standard 30" but I'm wondering if that would cause some horrible repetitive strain injury or some such. I mean that has to be the standard desk height for a reason, right?

4.) On close inspection, I noticed that the walls on either side of the recessed area aren't quite square. They are not quite parallel to one another and seem to walk a slightly crooked line. Basically if you put a perfect rectangle into the space, either side would have some small areas that don't touch the crooked wall. I would imagine that this would make sides of this thing look pretty sloppy, so how can I mitigate this?

So what do you think, folks? Am I over-analyzing a simple project, or am I wise to foresee these problems before rushing into it? Has anyone done something similar, or seen a good project site on the web?

What's the best way to find plans for building an office desk from scratch?

carlodio — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:27:02 -0800

I'm a tall, skinny software developer, (6'5"/196cm) who cannot find a desk even remotely what I need/want in terms of style, quality, and size. I am going to have a carpenter build me a desk. Google has found me nothing. Do you have a desk you love? What makes you love it? Are you a tall person who finds they need keyboard/mouse at exactly the right height? How did you solve this? Do you have plans you love or a desk design you can recommend? i am quite particular about desk height as i have long arms and if the desk is too high it causes overuse/carpal tunnel-y problems.

My office is a 100+ year old building in Buenos Aires, Argentina so I'm not looking for ikea-style semi desposability, more big-old-oak durability. There is no 'office depot' but that's not the style or quality i'm looking for anyway...

What's the best way to find (I'm willing to pay) a set of desk plans that I can give to a carpenter to have a desk built from scratch? Alternatively, If I draw my own, what do I need to provide?

Any and all thoughts about how to tackle this problem are welcome... help make my 10 hours a day more enjoyable!

What kind of plywood should I buy fo a desktop?

robotdog — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:15:58 -0800

What plywood is guaranteed to be straight and rigid? i.e., suitable for use in furniture construction? I have never built anything before, but getting into the idea of carpentry and wanting to build this very-easy-to-make desk:
cheap desk

My problem is I don't understand all the wood choices at my local Lowe's... there seems to be so many different types of plywood and particleboard and mdf... some of the plywood is clearly warped and bowed... some of it appears to be relatively straight and rigid.

Since I want this to be a desktop I, obviously, want something that will not bow or sag.

How do I choose a plywood that will give me a flat, straight surface and will continue to do so after years of bearing weight?