Overview

I needed a desk that would also act as an electronics workstation. I wanted significant amout of desktop space to work on audio equipment, space for lab equipment like a benchtop power supply, oscilliscope, and soldering iron, as well as easy access to frequently used hand tools.

I decided to go with a modular solution based on 80/20 extruded aluminium. This would allow me to design a desk that could be easily adjusted, modified, and expanded over time. It also allows for extremely rigid and robust construction. I modeled the unit in Fusion 360 using that program's ability to pull in models of all the 80/20 parts (so I didn't have to actually model anything). I knew I wanted to mount pegboard on one side of the unit to hold tools and I wanted some shelves to hold my monitors (speakers). I also knew I wanted to hand my monitor using a vesa mount in order to have more desk space available. To that end I also used a keyboard and mouse tray mounted under the work surface so they could be tucked out of the way. The 80/20 frame made mounting the tray - and other things such as power strips - very clean and easy.

My takeaway after designing and building this: it's a great desk! Very functional and sturdy. Expaning it, attaching stuff, cable management, etc is all really easy. It was fun to design and not too hard to put together by myself. It's also quite expensive. If you're on a budget, or don't want to spend a lot of money on a desk, this probably isn't the project for you. All in this beast probably cost me $4,000.00 CAD - OUCH! That said, this is the last desk I'll ever need and I can adjust it to suit changing needs over time.

CAUTION: in my experience the cut ends of the 80/20 extrusions can be extremely sharp and you will cut yourself on them if you're not careful. I took a file to all the cut ends after learning that lesson the hard way.

Photos

Files

• Fusion 360 Archive File
• OBJ File
• Sketchup File
• Part list

The parts list above is exported from the Fusion 360 project. Below are links to the actual parts based on the names in the parts list file.

• 1515 - this is the extruded aluminium profile.
• 4332 - I used these for the bulk of the main connections since they seemed beefy. You could probably get away with just using the 4302 units for everything though.
• 4302
• 4295 - these are used to hold attache the pegboard. The slotted hole on one side of the bracket makes it much easier to line up with a hole in the pegboard.
• 2194 - these are the leveling feet. You'll need to tap the holes on the bottom of the legs to accept the threads, which is 5/16-18
• Pegboard
• Table Top & Shelf - notches were cut out of the table top to accomodate the vertical supports of the desk (see 3D file)
• Top Shelf

Not included in parts list:

• Tabletop Mounting Tape - used to secure the shelf tops (not used for the work surface).
• Bolt Assembly - obviously you'll need a bunch of these to hold everything together. I think I got 150 of these.
• Bolts for table top - I used these to fasten the tabletop down through the countersunk holes.
• Roll-in T-Nut - not strictly needed but very useful to have few on hand for when you inevitably forget to load a t-nut into one of the profiles before blocking the slot.
• End Cap - these are nice to clean up some of the exposed ends.
• Vesa Mount - this is the mount I used for my monitor. You might note from the photos that I changed the monitor mounting setup from what was in the 3D mockup. I'd just play with it until it works for you.
• Keyboard and Mouse Tray - this is the one I used. Here's a photo showing more or less how I mounted it. I had to drill some new holes in the mounting plate, but it works really well.