Redditor builds height-adjustable desk for under $400

Height-Adjustable desks are popular but not cheap. If your mind doesn’t allow you to spend high amounts, don’t be upset as you can make one by yourself for under US$400, just like the Redditor Drivenbyentropy. He has posted detailed procedure for the DIY build at Reddit and Imgur which can be followed to try making one at your home workshop. As per the pictures, it’s clear that you will need knowledge of electronics and woodworking. To start with, you will need linear actuators, some electric components, equal-sized wood planks, plywood, screws, drill, and full extension drawer slides with over-travel. If you don’t know much about actuators, see our earlier post to select the right one for your standing desk.

We have already featured a few handy standing desk converter accessories that can turn your existing desk into a standing desk, but if you’re looking for something professional, you can surely try to build a permanent standing desk.  Here we have summed up some instructions to get you started with building your own standing desk.

• First of all, you need to build legs for both sides and outfit them with drawer slides. It is the most difficult task in the DIY Build. Unlike traditional standing desks, you will need to put in two drawer slides in each for stability. Keep in mind that all the inner components should flow smoothly.
• Next step is to build the main frame and add some slats for structural stability, so your height-adjustable standing desk can hold necessary things you need to put on it. But also remember to mark a central spot for the air conditioning unit. It will be the inner part that gets inserted into the main table structure, so you also need to paint it first.
• Install linear actuators on both sides of the table, and now for wiring the table, you will need a pre-planned wiring diagram, AC/DC converter, two relay switches, and buttons.
• Now glue plywood pieces to form inner walls of the legs.
• You can use MinWax Red Mahagoni oil based stain to finish internal legs of the standing desk, but it would be better to erect them properly to remove unwanted wood particles.
• Make platforms on both sides with small plywood pieces to keep all the height-adjusting electronics in one place.
• Now glue all outer elements around the legs and finally install the lower part of the table after drilling holes for the buttons to control the height adjustment. Install buttons and organize the wiring for the last time.
• Finally, it’s time to glue the top plate to the DIY standing desk, sand all corners and stain the outer shell to see the final result. It’s up to you which finish you choose and apply it how many times.

This US$400 DIY sit stand desk seems to be an easy build. Whether it’s your home studio or home office, it will surely bring fantastic essence and functionality to any office with cool rustic composition. Most interestingly, this electronic height-adjustable desk gives you enough freedom to adjust the desk height according to different moods during the day.

See images below: