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Sit or Stand: How to Make Your Own

Adjustable DIY Desk
Marty Dyck
4-6 minutes

This customized DIY desk provides comfort whether you

prefer sitting or standing.
Introduction
Finding yourself in need of a work-from-home space lately? Follow our step-by-step instructions
and learn how to make a sturdy, adjustable desk that can accommodate you whether you prefer
to stand or sit while working.

Tools Required
1. 1-1/14" spade bit
2. 1/8" pre-drill bit
3. 3/8" pre-drill bit
4. Air compressor
5. air nailer
6. Drill
7. Impact driver
8. Mallet
9. mitre saw
10. Philips bit
11. Sandpaper
12. scraper
13. Table saw
14. Tape measure
15. wood fill

Materials Required
1. 1-1/4-in. 18-gauge brad nails
2. 1-1/4" exterior wood screws
3. 2 - 1x2 x 8 ft. pine boards
4. 2 - 1x4 x 8 ft. pine board
 5. 3/8-in. dowel
6. 4 - 2x4 x 8ft. spruce boards
7. 5 - 1x6 x 8 ft. pine board
8. 6 - 1x6 x 6 ft. pine boards
9. Wood glue

Note: Pine lumber (1x) was used for everything except the base, inner legs and crosspiece. For
those, we used 2×4 spruce. Pro tip: Be sure to buy extra lumber so you’re not running back to
the hardware store in the middle of the project.

Project step-by-step (17)

Step 1

Build the inner legs:

 Cut two 2x4s to 27-1/2 in.

Step 2
Build the boxes for the legs to slide into:

 Cut four 1x6 (6 ft.) to 25 in. for the outside of the boxes.
 Cut two more 1x6 to 25 in.
 Cut four strips for the inside of the box to 1-3/4 in.
 Glue, pin nail and clamp each box
 Let that dry overnight
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Step 3

Build the desk top:

 Cut three 1x6 (8 ft.) to 48 in.

 Glue each edge and clamp five 48-in. planks edge to edge (use a mallet to hammer lightly
to make them as even as possible)
 Let everything dry overnight
 The next day, remove the top clamps and run each edge through a table saw to get a
cleaner, more uniform edge
Step 4

Check the fit by putting the 2x4 legs into the box.
Step 5

Add the edging to your desktop:

 Cut two 1x2 to 27-3/4 in.

 Cut two 1x2 to 48 in.
 Glue, pin-nail and clamp 1x2s to each edge, leaving a slight lip underneath.
 Let that dry for the day
Step 6

Build the legs:

 Cut two base planks out of 2x4 to 28-1/2 in.

o I ended up cutting 1-1/2 in. off the boxes due to the base adding to the height. The
legs are now 23-1/2 in.
Step 7

Attach the boxes to the base:

 Measure 17 in. to the far side of the box from the closest edge of the base.
o The middle was 14-1/4 in. and then you add the other half of the box (i.e., 17 in.)
 Flip those upside down and glue them, pre-drill with a 1/8 in. bit
 Use four 2-in. screws to secure the box to the base.
Step 8

Prepare for the pegs:

 Drill large holes for the pegs using a 1-1/4 in. spade bit
 Holes should be located 2-1/2 in. and 6-1/2 in. from the TOP of the leg box
 Use the same spade bit to drill two holes 2-1/2 in. and 6-1/2 in. from the BOTTOM of the
2x4 inner leg

Make the pegs:

 Cut four pieces at 3-1/2 in. each. from the 3/8 in. dowel
 Clamp them and drilled a 3/8-in. hole in each
 Put a dab of glue into the small hole
 Slide four pre-cut to 3-1/2 in. dowel pieces into each existing hole
Step 9

Moment of truth: Check if everything is even and fits together!

Step 10

Add some support to the desktop:

 Using the left over drop-off cuts from the 2x4 legs, cut a 50-degree angle on four pieces
 Cut the other edges at 45 degrees
 You should ednd up with a “Y” pattern for extra support
Step 11

Attach the supports:

 Screw the bottom of each brace into the leg using one 2-in. screw per side
 Pre-drilling with the 1/8 bit
Step 12

Add some extra support:

 Add a 1x8-in. brace to tie it all in

 Use four 1-1/4 in. screws to secure the brace
Step 13

Secure the desktop:

 Find the center of the top and make sure the top of the Y brace lines up
 Use 1-1/4 in. screws in the two angled predrilled holes
 Use 2-in. screws for the other predrilled holes
 Use wood fill to cover up the screw heads and to clean it up a bit
Step 14

Add a brace across the top of the box legs for extra support:

 Cut a 2x4 at 41-3/4 in.

 Attach it with 2-in. screws from the inside of the top of the box and toenailed from
underneath
Step 15

Put it all together:

 Sand edges to avoid slivers

Step 16

Enjoy the finished product!

Step 17
Marty is a professional woodworker and the owner of Good From Wood, a custom woodworking
shop located in Stillwater, Minnesota. Specializing in unique, vintage barn doors, custom
skateboards and other innovative wood products, Marty hopes to always build the piece that
everyone talks about. Click the links below to learn more about Marty.

 Workshop
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