Materials: Parts listed below, Tools: junior hacksaw, screwdriver, uber-weak drill, dremel (stronger than the drill)
Description:
Ikea Parts:
Desktop: Besta Tofta door - Gloss Black 60cm x 192cm (As-Is)
Frame: Galant desk frame 60cm x 160m
Legs: Galant A-leg
Drawer Base: Besta Tofta door - Gloss Red 60cm x 128cm
Drawer sides: Abstrakt drawer front - Gloss Red 60cm x 13cm (As-Is)
Cable management: Galant cable management 135cm x 12 cm
Computer base: Akurum wall cabinet door 30cm x 76cm - White (As-Is)
Speaker stand tops: Lantliv plant stands
Backlight: Dioder 4-piece light strip - white
Other Parts:
L-brackets, 22" drawer slides - Home Depot
Speaker stands: old Atlantic stands I had kicking around
Wire corner rack - Canadian Tire
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After finding the Gloss black door in the "As-Is" I figured that it would make a cheap desktop at only $30... then I added a new frame and legs... then more... Gah!
I started by assembling the Galant frame as per instructions and centering the black Besta door on top.
Needing a cable management system, I returned to Ikea and picked one up. Because the cable tray was too wide to put on normally, I had to straddle the frame and put it on backwards. This turned out for the better since it completely hides all the cables from the front and flushed with the back of the desk.
I assembled my computer and found that the speakers were definitely too low, the monitor; also too low, the keyboard; too high, and overall it was rather shallow at 60cm deep. Not liking Ikea's rather flimsy attempt, I sought a better keyboard drawer.
Searching through Google images, I stumbled upon a studio setup that was completely hand-made and had a secondary desk that rolled out from underneath. It held a regular keyboard and mouse as well as a full controller keyboard. I fell in love with the size... but didn't like the secondary desk idea.
Still stuck on the drawer format and looking for a full size desk solution, I took a few measurements and POW, it struck me! I'd seen a couple of drawer fronts at the "As-Is" area that I figured were the same depth as the desk... figuring them to be about 2cm thick and a drawer slide to be about 15mm, I did the math and found that I had *almost* 128cm remaining between the frame edges on the bottom of the desk. Nice! I remember seeing 128cm in the Besta door sizes!
A quick visit to Home depot to pick up the largest drawer slides (22") they carried and various L-brackets, then off to Ikea again. The slides were exactly the size I thought they would be and the two drawer fronts were slightly thinner at 18cm. This left the needed 128cm: the exact described width of the Besta door. Since the drawer fronts were red/brushed chrome and I already had a black/white/red/chrome theme going in my apartment, the gloss red Besta seemed like the only rational choice.
After getting home and laying everything out on the upside-down desk, I realized that I would have to work around the frame and the cable management tray. A few cuts (and beers) later, I was able to secure the drawer fronts snugly into the frame, covering the ends of the cable tray.
I had to place the slides slightly lower than planned so that the drawer bottom cleared the cable tray. This left the bottom perfectly flush with the sides and allows the drawer to close completely flush with the front when I need to move.
Having not measured the height of my controller keyboard and also having fully assembled the desk, I had a moment of panic when I placed it on the drawer and realized that I may not be able to slide it in! Luckily, there was clearance... but <2mm!
Dioder lights: I used the supplied foam tape tabs and mounted them to the back of my monitor.
As for the speaker stands: I just center-mounted the caster-less Lantliv stands on top of my existing stands so that I could avoid putting holes in the bottom of my speakers. This allowed me to put them exactly at ear height. Being behind my desk, I have no fear of tipping them.
Done! (now.. the cable management!)
~ HeavenIsDigital
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