I got an apartment at my school this year, and thus no longer had a desk supplied. So I took some old PVC pipe that I had lying around and a piece of plywood and several 2x4's and made a deck.
I made the top first. This is what the 2x4's and the sheet of plywood are for. Just cut the plywood to the desired deminsions, mine is about 30in. x 80in., but make it whatever size you want. I made mine long for computer and homework space, and it works great. The thicker the plywood the better. Mine is almost to thin at 1/2 in. If I did it again I would use like 3/4 or 1 in. Then you use the 2x4's around the edge on the underside to make it stronger.
Then you build the PVC pipe legs. Make a PVC frame that fits inside the 2x4s and build your legs down from there. I would suggest that you make sure that you put in bracing, both lateral and diagonal. This helps to prevent rack. If you really want to get technical, you could use pipe of diffenet diameters so that could make it adjustable. When the PVC support frame is built, it should like almost like a table, but without a surface.
Now put your top on and it all should fit together all nice like.
Since (most) plywood is not the smoothest surface, unless you got a vinered (sp?) one, but that stuff is pretty expensive. You need to make it smooth. What I used is stuff that is like 50 coats of varnish. I think that it was called Bahr (pronounced "bear") 50. It can be found at a good home supply center like home depot. Put that on in a two coat process and it dries to be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and clear. Besure to follow the directions on the package. If you do it where there are bugs (like I did) then you can use a propane torch and a tooth pick to help to get them out, just need to be delicate.
Once it dries, you have a desk, and the satisfaction that you made it yourself. If you want to paint it, besure to sand the PVC pipe before you put it together, and the 50 stuff should be paintable too, just sand it too.
Hope that helps. I'm sure you could get really elaborate if you wanted too, like mutliple levels that are adjustable and such.
Total cost for me about $100, I think. It was about $50 for the Bahr 50, I think. The plywood and PVC were "borrowed" from mine and my father's unfinished projects. I really have no clue what it all would cost new, maybe like $200, but I'm not sure on that one.
I have this same KVM, and have found it to be both a great investment and a huge cost saver. I strongly suggest using it. I love mine, and would not give it up for anything.
Slashdot Mirror
Just build it.
I got an apartment at my school this year, and thus no longer had a desk supplied. So I took some old PVC pipe that I had lying around and a piece of plywood and several 2x4's and made a deck.
I made the top first. This is what the 2x4's and the sheet of plywood are for. Just cut the plywood to the desired deminsions, mine is about 30in. x 80in., but make it whatever size you want. I made mine long for computer and homework space, and it works great. The thicker the plywood the better. Mine is almost to thin at 1/2 in. If I did it again I would use like 3/4 or 1 in. Then you use the 2x4's around the edge on the underside to make it stronger.
Then you build the PVC pipe legs. Make a PVC frame that fits inside the 2x4s and build your legs down from there. I would suggest that you make sure that you put in bracing, both lateral and diagonal. This helps to prevent rack. If you really want to get technical, you could use pipe of diffenet diameters so that could make it adjustable. When the PVC support frame is built, it should like almost like a table, but without a surface.
Now put your top on and it all should fit together all nice like.
Since (most) plywood is not the smoothest surface, unless you got a vinered (sp?) one, but that stuff is pretty expensive. You need to make it smooth. What I used is stuff that is like 50 coats of varnish. I think that it was called Bahr (pronounced "bear") 50. It can be found at a good home supply center like home depot. Put that on in a two coat process and it dries to be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and clear. Besure to follow the directions on the package. If you do it where there are bugs (like I did) then you can use a propane torch and a tooth pick to help to get them out, just need to be delicate.
Once it dries, you have a desk, and the satisfaction that you made it yourself. If you want to paint it, besure to sand the PVC pipe before you put it together, and the 50 stuff should be paintable too, just sand it too.
Hope that helps. I'm sure you could get really elaborate if you wanted too, like mutliple levels that are adjustable and such.
Total cost for me about $100, I think. It was about $50 for the Bahr 50, I think. The plywood and PVC were "borrowed" from mine and my father's unfinished projects. I really have no clue what it all would cost new, maybe like $200, but I'm not sure on that one.
I have this same KVM, and have found it to be both a great investment and a huge cost saver. I strongly suggest using it. I love mine, and would not give it up for anything.