new compy desk

[moojoe]

So both my friend and I want a new computer desk. a desk which can do everything we need. so being a student who drafts a lot of structural components to things (studing Technical Direction for Theatre. I.E., I draft every single component of the stage and make it structural), I decided to design a structurally sound desk that has everything we need. this probably wont be built till the summer, but I'm trying to finish my CAD soon, and will post it when I do. here is a list of the things we want though.


large (8x4)
multiple levels. A sublevel which will hold all cabling, acceciable by trap doors to run new cable. also every area that may need a cable going to it, will have a hole fore such a purpose. then the top level which will hold most things, and a smaller level which will have the HVAC (more later) system, and the monitors.
The monitor stand thing can hold either two monitors, or a monitor and 17" lappy
imprinted area on the desk for a corepad glass mousepad, fit to size so it wont move, same for a G15 keyboard
power switches for everything wired into the top level, for ease of turning on or off pretty much anything.
aux edison connectors for chargers and anything else
HVAC system that will use heating coils and a fan, to blow hot air over the keyboard and mouse area for winter gaming, or cool air for summer


so thats a quick rundown of it, can anyone think of anything else?

[Canadian Eh?]

Wicked ideas, i love the fourth one. also i think it might be cool if you used different types (or stains) of wood. It could have a detached part so you can have space for printers scanners or you could put said two monitors on the stand and have your laptop behind you on the detached piece. It would be kinda like a kitchen island. you know what i mean?

[moojoe]

theres also about 2 to 3 feet on the side of the monitors and everything for whatever, so laptop could go there.
this is the design for my desk, I'm also doing one for a friend which will be L shaped, so He'll have a hell of a lot more room on either side for whatever he wants.

[agnat]

Moojoe, I really like your idea for the second layer for running cables! That will tidy things up a lot, and look good too.
Can't wait to see how this turns out.

Agnat

[Canadian Eh?]

:pics:

[DaveW]

He did say pics were coming soon Canadian. ;)

Anyway, i'd suggest a slide out drawer of some sort for easy access to your computer, and also, some sort of slide out ledge for your laptop. I've put a slide out table in mine for one of my computers, but what the whole thing is sorely missing is a laptop ledge. It would need to be low to be comfortable; i'm thinking of ways to install one, but the desk is already pretty heavy as it is, and i don't want to add more weight. Your project sounds ambitious, but i'm looking forward to it! Check out the 'Integration Project' In my sig for my desk, although i really need to update it with more recent pictures. ;)

-Dave

[CanaBalistic]

Have you thought of making it modular? 4'x8' is huge and i know from experience that its hard enough trying to get a 4x8 sheet of wood through a doorway or around a corner. If its not modular, you'll have to build it inside and leave it in the house indefinitly or completely disasseble it.

[xmastree]

How about building speakers into it?

[moojoe]

Sorry for the lack of updates, school has been utter hell lately, and I havent been able to think about this.
I'll post CAD designs as soon as I finish them, their currently being made.

now answers.

DaveW, I hate slide out drawers, they just annoy me, so I'm not going to add them. also, the computer is ontop of the desk, so a slide out thing for that wont matter. Just hvae to make sure there's room for the sides to open.

canabalistic, yea, it will be made in sections to fit through my house. I live in an extremely old home, so the halls are tight with many turns, that has all come into consideration.

xmastree, there will be areas routed out for my current speaker bases to sit in, these being in the optimum position for audio.

now updates

-there will now be a fridge under the desk in one area ^_^
-While I do a lot of drafting in AutoCad, I also draft by hand a lot. I've been meaning of building a drafting table (cause they cost in upwards of $400 for the size I need), and I have incorporated into this design, with it being at one of the sides. and before anyone says, dont you need to make sure the edges are perfectly parallel for a T-square? I dont, because I dont use T-squares, I have a Mayline Parallel Rule which I will be attaching to the board, with Vyco and all.
-the desk is turning into an L-shape, to fit my room better and my needs.
-theres probably more that I forget, I need to find that list I made...

like I said, I'll post CAD draftings soonish. I have two weeks between school and work, and I'll do them then.
I wont be starting this until the fall though, since I'll be away from home for the entire summer for work. I also doubt I'll be starting immediately, since I'll be doing carpentry work all summer every day, and doubt I'll want to touch wood for a few days to two weeks after that.

Electricity is a major concern of mine, since I'll be powering two computers with all their junk, a mini fridge, a tv, lights, heater/cooler thing, stuff for drafting, so I'm going to need to make some good electrical diagrams for this, and make sure I'm not putting to much on one breaker.

[moojoe]

btw, the drafting wont be 3D, I simply dont have to time to do the drafting to my standards in 3D, and dont want to make something crappy, so I'll only be doing a 2D one, considering that the main purpose for these draftings is for build.

[Ichbin]

:pics:
nuff said

[moon111]

I was doing a cleaning of an office and they were throwing away some white laminate boards away. I asked if I could keep the stuff. Took it home and it snapped together to make two 6' flat drafting tables. (Aluminum edges so I figure that was for the old T-squares?) Both have 6' foot drawers in them. Great computer desks. Also works great in that I have my monitor on a swing arm.

[Kristofisis]

What if there was a square depression in the desk where your laptop rests when not in use and you flip up the 'lid' and it is visible. Just a thought

[moojoe]

So I've for the most part been without internet for the past two weeks...and thus havent been able to update...
but attached is a screen shot of the plan view of the desk done in Autocad. no dimensions added due to intellectual property.
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z277/moojoe/Untitled-1.jpg
any questions just ask...

[Tale Gunner]

So I've for the most part been without internet for the past two weeks...and thus havent been able to update...
but attached is a screen shot of the plan view of the desk done in Autocad. no dimensions added due to intellectual property.
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z277/moojoe/Untitled-1.jpg
any questions just ask...

Why the drafting table when you have AutoCad????

[moojoe]

number of reasons.
firstly, in my line of work, there are always revisions to the origional. this way, I can just lay out the prints of my draftings and tranfer the corrections to autocad
secondly, while I use cad all the time, and love it, im still one for hand drafting. while I dont do it for that much, when I do, I love it, and thus need the table.
that, and I have another year of hand drafting in school, and want to keep drafting to keep my skills up when im not in school...

[Tale Gunner]

number of reasons.
firstly, in my line of work, there are always revisions to the origional. this way, I can just lay out the prints of my draftings and tranfer the corrections to autocad
secondly, while I use cad all the time, and love it, im still one for hand drafting. while I dont do it for that much, when I do, I love it, and thus need the table.
that, and I have another year of hand drafting in school, and want to keep drafting to keep my skills up when im not in school...

In my line of work, I do lots of cad. I draw out rooms to put major medical equipment in hospitals, clinics and doctors offices. I used to do them by hand but ever since my company gave me cad programs I don't do them by hand any more.

[moojoe]

In my line of work, I do lots of cad. I draw out rooms to put major medical equipment in hospitals, clinics and doctors offices. I used to do them by hand but ever since my company gave me cad programs I don't do them by hand any more.

every single plate I do for work, I do in CAD, it just doesnt look good to my clients if I hand them draftings done by hand.
but I love the satisifaction of completing a plate by hand. sometimes drafting by hand sucks, but most of the time, its so rewarding when you just stand back and look at it. thus why I still draft a lot of personal things by hand, as long as they're no bigger then a few plates. thus why im cadding this desk, that and im currently at revision 14 and I have only drafted about 1/3 of the construction.

[agnat]

I might draw a poor sketch of something I want to build just to lay out the dimensions - but my best work is done in making the item, not drawing it. If I can see it - I can draw it; if I can draw it - I can build it.
I'm not knocking your use of CAD... I just don't have a need to make a fancy drawing to build something. Generally as I build it, I decide something is not right, or some other way will be better.
Agnat

[moojoe]

Yea, I know what you mean, and I used to do it that way, but this is what I do on a for my industry, so im quite used to it. im handed "designer sketches" which show exactly that, its just a rough sketch showing what the designer wants, I then make technical and construction drawings, and hand them off to my master carpenter who then goes and builds the object with his carpentry crew.
because of this, I cad pretty much everything, no matter how simple it is, since its just what Im used to. not to mention, a hell of a lot more accurate.