Computer Desk - Version 2

Two identical desks made of all 3/4" plywood (pine) and finished with clear gloss polyurethane.

Having abandoned desk version 1.0 in Rhode Island, I needed something new in Texas. The design goal of this was to make a modular, multifunction, apartment-friendly unit and build lots of them. The three functions these desks could serve were:

1. Computer desk (with the right ergonomic heights for keyboard and monitors)
2. A regular reading/writing desk (with different ergonomic height requirements.
3. A shelf for storage of books and such.

The key to the versatility was to make removable shelves with slots at all the appropriate heights in which to insert the shelves to achieve the correct height. I only made two of these, and to quickly add more desk and shelf space, I spanned them with two 5 foot long boards which were also part of the modular arrangement (I even had plans for modular corner pieces).

These two desks (with the spanning board served as the "command center" from 1998 until version 3.0 was created in 2002. One of the modules served as a shelf thereafter and the other was given to a friend for use as a computer desk.

• Like version 1.0, this was made with only a circular saw, a router and a belt and oscillating sander. This time the router was not borrowed though and it was made explusively on a small porch in an apartment building. I was much more careful about sanding and precision and the end result was very good.