How To Make A Drawing Desk

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Welcome to our newest web log series,My Total Part Makeover, in which Curbly's editor-in-chief, Chris Gardner, realizes that as a full-time blueprint and craft blogger working from dwelling, he'd better transform his second bedroom into an inspiring space where piece of work can actually get washed.

Part V: The DIY Drafting TableHaving figure out adequate storage solutions, a media workstation, and an all-purpose desk-bound for full general piece of work, the last major furniture solution loomed: I needed a large work surface for art and craft projects: sewing, fabric-cutting, drawing, papercrafts, design and layout, etc. It'd have been awesome to have a defended cutting table and an drafting table, only I wouldn't have the room. A large drafting table would work, just they're often very big, and the back up trestles can have up a lot of space, and I didn't have any to spare.

When I discovered the IKEA VIKA BLECKET summit, with its built it lightbox option, tool tray, and generous size, I knew information technology'd be perfect, but the recommended ARTUR trestles had a large footprint, and wouldn't fit in my current room blueprint. So, I came upwardly with a hacked selection that would let for the adjustable angle, but non suck upwardly so much valuable floor infinite. And I saved a little money besides.

Materials

Flat desk surface, such as a secondhand table, solid core door, or new modular desktop, similar the IKEA VIKA system
2x desk-bound-height table legs, like the IKEA VIKA Back-scratch
2x adjustable-elevation tabular array legs, similar the IKEA VIKA KAJ
2x heavy-duty 3″ i-way hinges and accompanying screws
scrap 1/2″ plywood and hardboard
saw
electric drill and assorted $.25
metal file or rotary tool

created at: 01/16/2011 1. The idea hither is to place the adjustable legs on the back, and the standard legs in the front, allowing the angle of the table to exist adapted. Since changing the height of the back of the tabular array will necessitate a unlike angle of contact at the front of the table, the hinges let for that adjustment. The scrap wood allows for accommodation of the hinge, and provides a potent surface into which the screws tin bite.

created at: 01/16/2011

ii. And so, cut the 1/4″ hardboard or plywood into 3″x two 1/2″ rectangles, and secure them to the front of the tabular array by drilling pilot holes and then attaching the hinges via screws, as in the photograph above.

created at: 01/16/2011 3. Then, cut the 1/ii″ plywood into iv″ x 4 i/2″ lengths and secure to the other side of the hinge. (Please ignore the stripped screws…I know improve than that. Drill pilot holes!)

created at: 01/16/2011

4. Utilise a file, grinder, or rotary cutter to cut or polish whatsoever protrusion of the screws, and then attach the stock-still legs to this side of the plywood.

5. Then, adhere the adjustable legs to the dorsum of the desktop, and invert. Ready the back legs to the desired height (if you're using the IKEA legs, it'due south lefty-tighty for some reason).

The merely flaw in this system is that the desk has to sit farther from the wall the college the back goes, but it'due south non terribly far. And obviously, the desk can't sit vertically as in some drafting tables, just information technology can't do that on the IKEA trestle either. It gets to virtually a 45-degree bending, and that's proficient plenty for me.

Yous could also use the adjustable legs on the front as well, and still use the hinge-technique on the legs.

Here's mine gear up flat for fabric cutting tasks:

created at: 01/16/2011