Need an adequate desk

[Dorkenstein]

I use a tiny little "hutch" style computer desk that I got for graduation about 8 years ago. It's simply getting to be too small for what I need it to do now.

It stores lots of disks in different parts, and the mousepad + keyboard combo I use is too wide for the keyboard drawer, so it's difficult to position either peripheral correctly for online FPS matches, and I also have a hard time closing the keyboard drawer.

I was thinking of finding some really sturdy banquet tables and putting two of them into an L shape. I don't need fancy or pretty, just sturdy and with more space. A keyboard drawer would be a plus, but thus far my google searches have not produced a candidate with all of the above desired qualities.

Anyone here had this same situation? What did you do? The less money I have to spend, the better. Budget is about 300 USD max, and I do mean max. Thanks!

 

[mpilchfamily]

I say if you can't find exactly what you want then get something that is fairly close and mod it to suit your needs. Any good sturdy table can be modified with a custum built KB tray. You can easily get the hardware for it at Home Depot or Lows.

Here is a worklog of my desk mod. I needed more KB space and leg room. Pluss some added depth was nice too.

http://www.themodnation-forums...wtopic.php?f=25&t=3514

 

[Dorkenstein]

Okay, thanks. I'm not sure how I'd put a keyboard drawer on a hard plastic folding table, but I do know someone who might. Thanks again.

 

[mpilchfamily]

Well a folding table isn't going to be very sturdy. But it wouldn't be hard to do. Get yourself a decent under desk KB tray and use wood screws and some epoxy to secure it in place. Personally i would go to the harware store and see what i can find. Even if i had to build it myself.

 

[corkyg]

Just a thought - something I have done a few years back. Get asturdy door, and put it over a pair of filing cabinets or even sawhorses. You can go from there - add a hutch or a bookcase. Or - use a pair of small bookcases to hold up the raw door table top. You can finish it anyway you like.

 

[Zepper]

You could mount a commercial, slide-out KB tray to the underside of one of those banquet tables - they usually have laminated particle board tops, so you'll need to use something other than ordinary wood screws to mount the tray as regular wood screws don't hold well in particle board. Any well stocked hardware store/home center has special types of nuts that work well for particle board. This is one, but you can get similar for less - it's sort of like the threaded part of this http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=369 but the threaded part is shorter and the flange is larger diameter with a couple of tines that go down into the wood to keep the fittings from turning. This is more like it: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=1592. Regular machine screws can be used with these nuts. And here are some more tee nuts so you'll know what to look for at Home Depot, Lowes, etc.: http://www.mcmaster.com/#tee-nuts/=2p9ndo It is not too hard to install the tee nuts so they are flush with the surface of the desk. I only drill all the full depth of the hole to fit the screw, then drill an inset to fit the threaded part and another, shallow inset to fit the collar. Takes some extra work, but you have an even top surface.

.bh.