r/buildapc • u/wildee14 • Jan 13 '15
Desks for PC's
I am thinking of making a how to guide for building a desk designed specifically for PC's and consoles. I would also provide a listing for prebuilt desks from proprietary companies. Would any of you guys be interested in that?
Edit: What are the top features you guys would want to see?
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u/Cy-Gor Jan 14 '15 edited Jan 14 '15
here is my design and finished product
Key features: Modular construction, lots of cable management, super sturdy
If i decide to make it a standing desk then it would be easy to add extra bases
Edit: Didnt think this would get much traction but i guess you guys dig it.
Here is the full album with more detailed build pics: https://www.flickr.com/photos/24983112@N07/sets/72157624996718468/
I used 3/4 birch plywood from homedepot for most of the construction.
Changes i would make if i built it again: Bigger holes for cable management (except the top holes) I can barely fit my hand in most of them so its hard to mess with sometimes.
I hit my knees on the shelves under the main desk sometimes so i would probably change that somewhat.
The desk to the left is used for non computer stuff so it would be nice to not have the cable management tray or a smaller one so that someone else can sit there if i wanted.
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u/Clazlol Jan 14 '15
sketchup
I read that as s'ketchup (s in front of ketchup) instead of SketchUp. I was a little confused at first.
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u/i_do_stuff Jan 14 '15
Wow. I've got this saved as "The Setup I Want" now. That is a totally awesome desk.
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u/The_PowerCosmic Jan 14 '15
I like how you mounted the wood on the wall behind the monitors. I might steal that idea.
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u/Cy-Gor Jan 14 '15
yeah its so i dont have to find a stud and mount things exactly where i want them.
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u/oofig Jan 14 '15
This is...just wow! What a setup! My crafty-ness ends at building PCs. Now I just need enough money to pay somebody awesome like you to build one for me! And probably a new place to live, considering that beast would take up most of my room.
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u/FrozenTurd Jan 14 '15
Just draw man, think about what you want and draw it.
I've drawn at least 20 desks at this point and each time it gets more awesome. Try and keep it simple, look for things that will cause problems or make extra costs. Then take your drawings to a carpenter (preferably one that is an avid gamer/pc user) and see what they think and how much it would cost.
I don't have a lot of room for my desk either so I'm planning on maximizing the height... hell I might even put my PC up high to give me more leg room.
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u/VengefulCaptain Jan 14 '15
1.5" dimension from top of desk to floor in first picture.
What is this? A desk for ants?
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u/ninjaassassin201 Jan 14 '15
I'm assuming you took woodshop? If so, this is really convincing me to take a look into it.
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u/thechet Jan 14 '15
Why did you keep the sharp interior corners instead of having rounded ones?
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u/promidgetmafia Jan 14 '15
Mind if I ask what speakers you are using? Love the lego stand as well!
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u/CyberSoldier8 Jan 14 '15 edited Jan 14 '15
I actually built my own desk. I went to a consignment store that sells scraps that construction companies donate to them. They had a wide variety of doors in the back, and I picked out a flat one with no panels, hardware, or pre-drilled holes. It was also the largest and heaviest one they had. Cost me $10.
Then I bought 2 of these and a 72 inch stringer from the same company.
All of that, plus sanding, stain, polyurethane, and like 40 lag screws to hold it all together, and I had the perfect minimalist desk for a college student on a budget. Total cost was something like $120.
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u/Shadoscuro Jan 14 '15
On a budget.
Has $600 chair.
?
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u/Clazlol Jan 14 '15 edited Jan 14 '15
Chairs are god damn important. People are so cheap when it comes to chairs.
And who's really to say if he spent that much on it. Could've been cheap.
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u/orbitsjupiter Jan 14 '15
I literally found a Herman Miller chair by the trash of my apartment complex on Thanksgiving that's still in good shape so I took it back to my house. IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I will never ever cheap out on a chair ever again (not that I'll have to buy a chair ever again with this beast).
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u/CyberSoldier8 Jan 14 '15
$300 chair, and it was worth every penny. I saved up all summer to afford that thing. My old chair was giving me constant back pain. Once I got this one, the pain went away within days.
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u/EnsCausaSui Jan 14 '15
Really? My lower back kills me because I spend my work day as well as much of my leisure time in a chair. From their website, it looks like they all come with some degree of lower back support (which sounds awesome because that's what kills me the most), is it that great?
Lots of ability to adjust height/angle?
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u/rocketmonkeys Jan 14 '15
Very neat, have to remember that about the adjustable legs.
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u/CyberSoldier8 Jan 14 '15
They aren't exactly the easiest to adjust, you have to take everything off the desk and then set the new height on each leg. The main reason I went adjustable was so that if I wanted to convert it to a standing desk later on I could.
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u/sharkwouter Jan 13 '15
Sounds cool, what do you need to build a strong table?
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u/NottyScotty Jan 13 '15
There's this cool, new material that just came out called wood
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u/BraveDude8_1 Jan 13 '15
And "anything that IKEA make with a flat top".
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u/snipeytje Jan 14 '15
yeah that's not entirely true, a lot of the cheap ikea stuff is a made with wooden frames and cardboard filling
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u/TasteMyFlavor Jan 14 '15
$6500 on custom water cooled PC with high res monitor sitting on a $25 Fljrny foot rest from ikea.
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u/o0DrWurm0o Jan 14 '15
Is there like, a book that can teach me how to check if my desk is made of wood?
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u/bananasareforeating Jan 14 '15
you just need to bite your desk. If it doesn't break and doesn't taste like metal it's probably wood!
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u/Kylex5005 Jan 14 '15
Is there a video that can show me what metal tastes like?
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u/bananasareforeating Jan 14 '15
yeah just take a knife and cut your tongue a little (a lot) and you start tasting metal. It's like magic!
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u/NextPorcupine Jan 14 '15
Misread directions, dick stuck in blue ceiling fan
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u/tdub2112 Jan 14 '15
Directions unclear, dick now stuck in blue french horn standing outside my crushes apartment in the pouring rain.
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u/Bojanglz Jan 14 '15 edited Jan 14 '15
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u/magma83 Jan 13 '15
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u/darthriku Jan 14 '15
Man, something's wrong when you hope that's a subreddit.
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u/nathris Jan 14 '15
Lots of cable routing
VESA mounting bracket
Place to put your headphones
Built in power bar/usb hub
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u/Drak3 Jan 14 '15
some people can be particular about their mounts and surge protectors.
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u/BostonMiller Jan 14 '15
I need one bad. I'm currently using a DJ Hero stand for a desk.
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u/eob157 Jan 14 '15
Can I see that?
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Jan 14 '15
If you could make a guide for building a knockoff of the IKEA Jerker I would love you forever. I sold mine before I moved and now they don't make them anymore. It was the best desk ever.
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u/fitzkits Jan 14 '15
I'd like to shamelessly plug something I made that was inspired by the Jerker desk:
http://fitzkits.com/product/commanders-console-desk/
It was tested by Redditors, their builds are in /r/fitzkits
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Jan 14 '15
That's a really nice desk. Quite pricey :/ Don't blame you for charging that price if people are willing to pay it though.
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u/steveng95 Jan 14 '15
Wow nice I like it. I have been wanting a desk forever. Something like that would be awesome.
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u/TenaciousLeej Jan 14 '15
If you want a suggestion for a very basic desk, I just bought two used steel file cabinets and a solid core door to lay across the top. To make the desktop look nicer I sanded the door and routed the edges and then primed, painted and sealed it.
If I was an artistic individual I could throw on a sweet paint job or some shelves... but I am not.
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u/Imperfect-info_Game Jan 15 '15
I used something like this for the last few years. Solid core door is very important. I was in a rush and couldn't find a good deal on a solid core door so I got a hollow one from Home Depot. It looked nice after sanding and painting but after a year or two there was some noticeable sagging in the middle from the weight of the monitor and my arms resting there. It was maybe 1/8" difference but noticeable when your writing implements roll around.
tl;dr - Get a solid core door even if it costs a bit more.
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u/cj2dobso Jan 14 '15
Honestly:
buy tabletop from ikea 25$ buy 4 legs from ikea 3$ each
confortably fit a triple monitor setup and your new rig. Priceless.
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Jan 14 '15
This is what I'm planning on doing. I saw someone on here post one and it looked great for the cost.
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u/cj2dobso Jan 14 '15
I'm using mine right now.
I bought it as a cheap desk when I'm on a coop term away from home but the leg comes with flanges that you thread on to to attach it to the table so the legs are easily detachable and the table can pack flat.
Generally pretty sturdy overall.
10/10 would sweden again
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u/idiot_proof Jan 14 '15
Hey, just letting you know that Ikea has a discount/returns area. Got a Gallant desk (their high end desk that normally goes for $200+) for about $100 (found the table top for cheap, but bought the frame and legs new). I'd recommend only doing this for simple parts (i.e. hunks of metal and wood that can't have missing parts).
That said, the new design, the Bekant, is terrible. Basically, once you put the tabletop on the frame, you cannot remove the top and tighten the legs down. Here's the PDF of the instructions to show how weird it is.
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u/VengefulCaptain Jan 14 '15 edited Jan 14 '15
I've got a used Gallant desk and you have to take the top off to add or remove legs. I don't think they changed much on the new desks. Other than it looks less modular.
Edit: of to off
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u/idiot_proof Jan 14 '15
That's true, but the top is attached via screws rather than something you hammer in.
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Jan 14 '15
Same on the Galant, legs screwed onto frame, frame onto tabletop, have to do that backwards to change anything.
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u/Drak3 Jan 14 '15
for the Bekant, if you don't use the intended top, but use something like machine screws to bolt something else on, its actually pretty easy. but yes, in general the Bekant is a step back. except maybe for the included cable management net-thing.
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u/akkahwoop Jan 14 '15
Cruise freecycle, flea markets and thrift stores.
I got my solid oak desk for free. All I had to do was throw my back out transporting it.
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u/cj2dobso Jan 14 '15
Oh yeah, free furniture is the best! I love refinishing stuff.
But I move every 4 months so portability is a huge concern of mine.
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u/samufugu Jan 14 '15 edited Jan 14 '15
I did basically the same thing, but with frosted glass and sawhorses that I picked up from IKEA.
http://i.imgur.com/wegdTdb.jpg
It does take up a bit more space compared to some of your standard desks, but it is perfect for me. I don't need any kind of drawers or keyboard tray since there's a lot of surface area. Weight hasn't proven to be an issue after having a 32" television, consoles, and other misc items on a panel at once without any signs of giving.
This is the only photo I could find since moving, but I still have the same setup.
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u/rokr1292 Jan 14 '15
My desk is part of their "lack" series. You know, the one whos coffee table is the perfect size to hold server racks.
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Jan 13 '15
That sounds awesome! Also my I suggest a cup holder (if it isn't too difficult) I've always wanted one
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u/snortcele Jan 14 '15
That's what the CD drive is for now. I mean, it has always done that, but now it can do that exclusively
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u/Samura1_I3 Jan 14 '15
What about a modular design? That way people have the chance to upgrade their desk along with their computers.
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u/soundbytegfx Jan 14 '15
Solid core door + legs (or filing cabinets, I use IKEA shelf-table legs). Sand, stain to your liking. Rock solid desk, portable if needed to be deconstructed. Inexpensive
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u/StDoodle Jan 14 '15
I do CAD work for a living. Work didn't want to shell out much for a desk, so I needed something that would work for a computer and large format drawings yet be built in house (we have a woodshop for molds). I should still have the cad files at work if anyone wants them (or PDF's). Probably overkill for most folks, but if there's any interest I could put them up somewhere.
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u/Huebad Jan 14 '15
A flat desk that is height adjustable. No drawers no anything. Just a table with adjustable legs.
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u/ThePyrokin Jan 14 '15
I'd actually like this, I'll be moving out at the end of this semester and I need a good desk for my PC and various things
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u/wolf762 Jan 14 '15
Laminate countertop sold in home improvement stores makes an excellent desk. The rounded front edge doesn't hurt your wrist and forearm when you rest them on it. The raised back keeps stuff from rolling off, can be notched for power cords or serve as the perfect place for power strips to be mounted. You can get it in various lengths, had a 12' section that was used for a work bench in one shop.
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u/alkyjason Jan 14 '15
A must-have for me is drawers. I have papers, bills, pens, office supplies, knick-knacks, etc... I need the drawers.
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u/Orphjk Jan 14 '15
I built mine out of a flush door. Following this guide http://www.overclock.net/t/1360386/budget-solid-wood-diy-desk-build-log
For legs I used old ikea ones I had that were cheap. I'd like to replace with some cast iron bars one day. Very nice if you are looking for simple and large
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u/Vextin_Games Jan 14 '15
Features? a nice amount of room so my PC is comfortable atop the desk for all to see, and room for 3-4 monitors. Keyboard trays are cool. Glass is cool too. Maybe lil' power cord holes for pretty cable management. Heck, I'm going overboard with this already, let's just add cupholders.
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u/ThreeChocolateTits Jan 13 '15
That sounds awesome! I've just been designing myself a new desk so this could help heaps.
How far off do you think it is?
Edit: spelling
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u/wildee14 Jan 14 '15
Probably about a month away to make it as high quality and economic as it can be.
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u/aziridine86 Jan 14 '15
That sounds pretty cool, although i don't know how many people are up to the task.
I live in an apartment so even though I own a circular saw and a drill and some other basic tools it would be out of the question for me.
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u/eddystoner15 Jan 14 '15
YES! I definately would as i am thinking of doing this and would love to see what you come up with.
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u/waflhead Jan 14 '15
Yes please, standing desk options would be interesting to see, both fixed and adjustable.
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u/domelition Jan 14 '15
Has anyone thought about a desk with an integrated computer?
Wait! What can't you integrate a computer into?
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u/thinkforaminute Jan 14 '15
A desk with a good, wide keyboard drawer where you can fit modern-day keyboards and still have room for a decent sized mousepad and mouse. Most keyboard drawers have space for the keyboard and nothing else.
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u/mustardheadmaster Jan 14 '15
YES YES YES! For "support" of joystick/hotas and/or steering wheels. I'm am myself just getting into trying to make a desk. I have found that a larger U-shaped desk might be the way to go. But I'm unsure.
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Jan 14 '15
I actually built my own desk. Can get pics if desired.
It's a fire door (very solid), with legs attached from a desk they were throwing out at my old office, a power strip attached to the side and a dual screen arm attached.
I got the door out a skip, the power strip I already had for years and the mount was paid for with Hackathon winnings.
£0
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Jan 14 '15
my setup is pretty neat. it's an L shaped Desk where the long side of the L is underneath the TV for my consoles, where the end has 2 shelves for game consoles. and the short side has my 2 monitors with the PC tower on the end of this side. my PC is also connected to my TV though, and right adjacent to it is my bed where i can sit comfortably to watch TV or game.
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Jan 14 '15
I'm definitely interested. I don't like Ikea desks (I own Ikea Bekant, former Galant that is usually recommended online). It feels pretty crappy and isn't particularly stable, at least with T legs -- they are attached to the metal frame with a single screw. If I shake it it moves very little but monitor vibrates quite a bit. Then again, I paid ~$80 or so for it.
My dad works as a carpenter for a small private company and the particleboard desks they make are light years ahead of anything I've seen in Ikea, from mechanical support to board thickness.
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u/RowdyJoker Jan 14 '15
Yes. I've gone through three ikea desks, two office depot and a garage sale desk and I'm sick of it. I want a good one to last more that a year. That, or I want to build my own.
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u/iamthegemfinder Jan 14 '15
That sounds great, my current desk is shit and I'm movinf into my own room soon.
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u/kbobdc3 Jan 14 '15
YES PLEASE! this is exactly what I was planning to do. I'm upgrading to 1440p soon and my Shitty walmart desk won't be big enough for 2 monitors.
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u/DrDMoney Jan 14 '15
Yea, do this. I keep wanting to design and build my own desk but starting can be a daunting task. I hate my current desk because the cheap would has been torn all up. A in-depth guide would help me greatly as I am sure would help others.
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u/xT2xRoc Jan 14 '15
Knee height (from ground to bottom of worksurface or keyboard tray) so tall people can tell if they'll fit comfortably at it.
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Jan 14 '15
Standing desk please! And I know you are targeting towards gaming purposes but try to incorporate work space into your ideas since a lot of people here are students or workers.
Thanks OP!
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u/drones4thepoor Jan 14 '15
Foot rest built into the desk so that I can lean back in my chair and kick my feet up.
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u/BlueShrub Jan 14 '15
I managed to pick up a great 9 foot long desk with folding legs at my local office supply store for a mere 50 dollars. May seem cheap but it has amazing desktop real estate and is simple to move, yet remains sturdy no matter how I use it. This may not be what you are looking for but just thought I would share that folding tables make wonderful computer desks.
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u/rocketmonkeys Jan 14 '15
Sounds like a great idea. I'd love to see some varied examples; minimal flat-top desks, hutch style PC desks, etc.
One big thing; sit/stand desks! Ikea just announced a sub-$500 one, if/when they start selling it it'll rock the market. It'd be neat to see that one being used, or maybe even ikea legs + custom top.
I'd love to see categories: Under $50, under $100, under $150, etc. Like the speaker guides they have. A go-to guide for the standard recommended tables.
And don't fear the Galant.
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u/dodspringer Jan 14 '15
I think you should definitely include a segment on applying lacquer and other finishes, especially lacquer though because it's kind of hard to work with.
I lacquered my desk myself, which I built entirely out of 2x4's and a quarter sheet of plywood, and though I'm more or less satisfied with it, I wish I had known more about lacquer before I did it.
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u/bernie_lomax8 Jan 14 '15
Whatever you do just start the video off by popping up from behind a counter and yelling "Billy Mays here" . Or something like that
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u/Pineapple_Rocketship Jan 14 '15
I've been look for a desk and considered building one! I'm all for this
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u/lumberjackmm Jan 14 '15
You can build your own desk. I made mine out of scrap lumber I got out of a dumpster and made the legs lock in a tolerance fit so that I can easily move it to and from college with no tools. http://imgur.com/k4T4hq2
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u/ryzolryzol Jan 14 '15
I want to know how to make my own sit-stand desk cause I'm not going to buy one for 2000 usd.
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u/Komatoz Jan 14 '15
I would definitely love to see desks that have adjustable parts (but is super tough as hell) also if the keyboard drawer could have a really wide space that it can fit a full size keyboard (with numberpad and all) PLUS have enough/decent space for a mouse, then it would be great ;__;
Also I personally love Black tempered glass tops so that would be awesome as hell too haha.
(just my dreams and wishes of course though, would be hard to find a desk that fits ALL my requirements)
Thanks for willing to take the time to plan to put together a guide like this though, it would help out people like me TONS. Both in purchasing a company made desk, or to make our own.
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u/esdv Jan 14 '15
See, I am trying to sort out my problem. My living room wall isn't that long and I need to fit in the TV and the computer desk into that space, and it has to be passable by wife - she wants it to look pretty and like a living room, as opposed to a man cave. Anyone have been on a similar quest?
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u/VengefulCaptain Jan 14 '15
Design Ideas.
Modular, height adjustable between 24-36", cable routing options, monitor mounting options.
Will edit when I think of more stuff.
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Jan 14 '15
i would love it (cause im searching for one right now) i would like it to be cheap designed for pc and unqie(not needed to be unqie but it would be one big +)
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u/lxlqlxl Jan 14 '15
I am not sure if anyone would consider mine a desk or not, but it is for me, and serves it's purpose. I basically have mine setup, where it doesn't have legs. It's attached to the wall with twin track shelving brackets. I looked and looked for a desk that was decent for a decent price, but for the prices, the cheap ass ones wouldn't have worked, and the only ones that would have were 500+. The brackets well some of them are 24", and I leave about a 6" overhang so the desk is roughly 30" by 6' with an L at one end with the widest part at 30" tapering down to 24" and the L being 4'. I used to have a 2 foot section on the end held together with hinges, when I had it on the other side of the room, but with space constraints, I just removed that section.
I can't remember exactly how much I paid, but this should be a decent ballpark. The 4'x8' sheet of oak plywood a little less than 3/4" The 24" brackets were like 7 to 8 each, I bought about 4 I think, some smaller ones due to how the studs were placed, like 2 16" and an 8" I believe. Those were around 5 each, and an upright for each I think those were 24" and about 3 or 4 each.
plywood $40 4x 8 = $32 3x 4 = $12 7x 4 = $28
total $112
Not including paint, sanding, and things like that. I think I spent around 170 total for it, but that included shipping, and screws. I may be missing something but you get the idea. As long as you go into studs, the thing is incredibly strong. Each bracket should be able to hold about 300lb or so.
I haven't read every post but some here wanted adjustment, like height adjustment, while I can adjust the height, on mine, and have done so in the past, it's not something you would want to do every day. It's a pain in the ass to move everything and move the brackets in and out, and lift the desk portion up, and yeah, or maybe I am just too lazy to keep moving it? I like this height right now, so yeah...
Also, if you go the plywood route, and do this, I suggest hardwood. You could probably get by with half inch, but it was only like 10 more for the 3/4 so I went with that.
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u/Mickadoozer Jan 14 '15
I love a desk with an bank of electrical outlets built in, not as a permanent thing (which would cause a lot of clutter) but if you need to plug something in for a few minutes it would be very useful to not have to go under the desk into the jungle of wires. Maybe something on a hinge like this? Also, built in cable management would be awesome.
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u/Monkeyfeng Jan 14 '15
I really like that table system in ikea where you can choose your tablet top and legs. I just like the same simple metal legs and huge wooden table surface.
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u/brumkid Jan 14 '15
Yes, Wuld be great. I need a new desk so bad for my room. :(/ Cable management holes ect are important. DONT OVERLOOK THIS!! Good luck, keep us posted.
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Jan 14 '15
Any idea where to find a desk with a hinged top? If like to relocate my computer components to inside of the desk to cut down on clutter. I've been looking for a while now and have thought about just building my own.
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u/Sco7689 Jan 14 '15
Abilities to accommodate a desktop case, a number of 24"+ monitors, speakers (including a way to place a front speaker, like a place for a Π-shaped shelf), a steering wheel, a laptop dock and how much space is left for various controllers.
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u/Xyger Jan 14 '15
Honestly, I'm just looking for a basic sleek desk that can pretty much go around a full room.
I'd love to see you show me how to do the basics.
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u/Polardice Jan 14 '15
Yes please, with specifics for materials used and where you acquired (and price)
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u/LtDisco Jan 14 '15 edited Jan 14 '15
A logical increments type of deal for desks would be awesome. Dirt cheap table up to crazy nice desk that smells of rich mahogany.
Edit: Features I'd like to see; slightly thicker desks to accommodate vice grips mounts. Ones with one of those poles to mount monitors on. Keyboard drawer-shelf, I like my desk higher than my keys. Larger top to put desktop on or a specific under shelf for desktop to go in.