Computer Desk

[UOMaddog]

So I just made another large investment into my computer setup. I now have 3 22" Dell monitors (1 SP2208WFP 22" monitor w/ webcam in the middle; 2 P2210 22" monitors on either side) and a lonely 19" Asus monitor as well. I have a corner work area that consits of two desks with a gap in the corner (where my desktop tower sits). For those of you that want pictures, I have attached them below.

I would like to either purchase a desk or build a desk to fit in this area. I have sketched the dimensions and possible layouts below. I would like some advice on what desk to get, or what building materials to use. I'm trying to keep it fairly cheap and I don't care THAT much about looks!

Thanks for any and all input!!!

UOMaddog





You can barely see the corner of the other desk on the right hand side of the picture:



Here's the possible layouts with dimensions:

[Endless Night]

Materials: PLywood and 2x4's from homedepot/lowes + box of screws

Required tools: circluar saw and Drill/driver

you could have something put together in a couple of hrs for $20-$30 or less in materials.

If you then sand it and varnish it/paint wont look so home made.

[TrailMyx]

I built a desk recently for all my electronic gadgets (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, etc).  I believe I spent around $100 total on all the goodies.  Good use of the cash to get a custom workstation.

[Toptwo]

I built a desk recently for all my electronic gadgets (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, etc).  I believe I spent around $100 total on all the goodies.  Good use of the cash to get a custom workstation.

Your just showing off with all those big words TM!!!

[UOMaddog]

See I'm smarter about it than TM! I get to play with all of those (Oscilloscopes, Logic Analyzers, etc) all day long as much as I want, but I didn't have to pay a penny for any of them!! Just one of the many perks of having swipe-card access to all our Computer Engineering labs on campus!! And considering our brand new Oscilloscopes have USB ports for saving screenshots as well as short video clips, and our new $4000 Logic Analyzer just came in yesterday (cuz some idiot student decided to fry the old $1500 one!), I'd say I'm quite content to not have to pay for any of it!

As for the desk, I am definitely leaning more towards custom building my own. I'll try to draw up some quick sketches and post them so that people can give me some input in case I forget to take something into consideration!!

Oh, and I've definitely decided on Layout 1! I want side of the desk to be computer related and then the other have to be open space to work and/or use my tablet pc. I'm also thinking about adding a little 6" high "shelf" on the computer side to raise the monitors up a little bit and to give me more desk space for my G15 keyboard, mouse, and numpad!

I'll keep everyone updated with sketches and then pictures!!!

[TrailMyx]

Heh, well since I'm a contractor, I need access to those types of test equipment on my own dime so I have to own them myself.  So $30K later, I'm the proud owner of a stable of cool, yet somewhat vintage test equipment items.  Generally when there's a nerd throw-down, I win by default when I get to rattle off the list of items that make me nerdier than most.

I like your design of having the monitors at the corner of your desk; that might be more ergonomic.

[Endless Night]

When you go to homedepot or other lumberyard...  ask for cabinet Plywood.   Its a much better grade than the rest and will make a really nice workstation top.  Its also thicker and thus heavier much stronger... but a bit more expensive as well.

[Masscre]

Hey TM what do you do that requires these troubleshooting pieces of machinery. You might not win at being the nerdest here.  I own most of these items and more and some of mine are more vintage than yours .  I still have an old TV O-Scope with the circular screen and single channel and exteranl triggers. Just curious dont run into many people with hobbies and training close to mine.

[TrailMyx]

Hey TM what do you do that requires these troubleshooting pieces of machinery. You might not win at being the nerdest here.  I own most of these items and more and some of mine are more vintage than yours .  I still have an old TV O-Scope with the circular screen and single channel and exteranl triggers. Just curious dont run into many people with hobbies and training close to mine.

My trade and paid job is an embedded design engineer.  So I've done lots of fast digital and analog hardware design.  When I started my own contracting company, I accumulated all these goodies.  I have a pretty large array of oscopes; ranging from the 70s analog Teks (sorry, square screen here...) to my fast digital TDS-3012.  I've specialized in digital design, so I guess that's why I've accumulated so many logic analyzers.  Then there's all the supporting pieces of test equipment for when I was doing cellphone design.  But I have a 3 bedroom house with 2 of them as well as my garage dedicated to all the equipment.  I have seen nerdier, but it's been a rarity. 

[UOMaddog]

Yea my old bedroom is now purely a computer parts and storage room. I have a 4-way KVM switch with an old crappy 17" CRT and keyboard/mouse hooked up, usually with 3-4 people's computers connected since I do alot of computer repair on the side. I have bookshelves and plastic storage containers/drawers FULL of all kinds of miscellaneous parts from 4MB (yes MEGAbyte) RAM chips to 120MB hard drives, to power supplies, to MB's, graphics cards, sound cards, cables of all varieties, and so much more. Not to mention 6-10 old towers that are in all states of disassembly that are used mainly for parts as well. In fact, I just toted 2 Pentium II's home today that a friend was getting rid of. I already told my girlfriend/future wife that we need a house with a spare bedroom for my computer stuff once we're married. She agreed with that as long as she gets a spare bedroom for her shoes!

Monitors come tomorrow, so I'm probably gonna ghetto-rig something temporary until I have the time to build the desk! Can't wait!!!

[Endless Night]

i think i still ahve some 256mb 128mb and 64mb and probably 32mb/16mb simms... i really should either dump them or send to a tech museum... lol ..

Boxes and boxes of old cards and cables as well. Occassionally i find a use for one of them.. but for the most part thier just taking up space...

[TrailMyx]

Bah, you guys have high technology stuff.  Phear my 5MB 5.25 full-height Seagate hard drive!! (also works great as a door stop)

[Toptwo]

Bah, you guys have high technology stuff.  Phear my 5MB 5.25 full-height Seagate hard drive!! (also works great as a door stop)

Can you send that to me TM, I really need a new boat anchor!

[12TimesOver]

I like cheesecake.

[Masscre]

I may have you guys beat i still have my old IBM XT power supply and 2 5.25 " 360kb diskdrives and my world famous XT motheboard with 4.77 Mhz and 7 Mhz turbo mode enabled(equals super fast mode). I had all this on a given to me diet from a tech school i went to studing for my eletronics degree but they had no case. so i built it all on some bubble rap. This was to insulate it so it did not short out on the metal table that it was used on. I used a keyboard but mouse was optional at that time in history and my budget did not permit a mouse either. If wanted i can send pictures once i get home for proof.