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DIY Illuminated Design Desk

DIY Illuminated Design Desk
I always thought that those designer desks with the glass tops and lights were pretty cool. I just moved into my new apartments, and knew such a desk was calling my name. And being a college student on a budget, the cost had to be low. It's VERY simple and VERY basic, but clean and cool.



this is my first instructable. Hope you enjoy!
 
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Step 1Buy Materials

Buy Materials
I had 2 glass panes laying around

The labels were $1 each, the IKEA Trestles were $15 each, and the 2' Light $10

labels were bought at a dollar store, trestles at IKEA, and the light at WalMart


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22 comments
Apr 10, 2012. 9:39 PMboh3m3 says:
Without any kind of support in the middle, you're looking at a huge injury risk with leaning/putting weight on that glass. Just saying...
Mar 17, 2011. 3:24 PMTashaDax says:
Can plexiglass be used for this instead of regular glass?
Oct 10, 2011. 5:31 PMrolandacali says:
There is plexi that is very this and as strong as glass. It lighter weight.
If you go to a plexiglass warehouse, you can purchase scrap pieces and save.
Oct 16, 2010. 11:56 AMthe_burrito_master says:
I built one a little differently than you but mine is for animation purposes.

It's funny i anchored the lights the same way you did but this is the first time ive seen this ible. nice work.
Sep 20, 2008. 11:12 PMreynwrap582 says:
As an alternative to the labels, if willing to spend a few extra bucks to make something like this, you can pick up a can of Krylon white glass frosting spraypaint, or glass etching acid at a craft store. This might be a bit more permanent solution than the labels, though the labels were definitely a creative solution. Reminds me of when I couldn't afford a white board, so I used a cheap 24x36 poster frame with plain white paper beneath the plastic instead.
Oct 12, 2009. 3:17 PMbrain_bomb says:
 Yeah that's what I was going to recommend.  It has the added benefit that you can mask off any shape or pattern you want so you are not stuck with simple or square shapes.  But also as you mentioned it would be permanent.
Oct 22, 2008. 4:39 AMly101 says:
I'm gonna make one ... I've always needed a light table and this is by far the most easiest and cheapest in my opinion And nice pictures to.
Dec 14, 2008. 12:22 PMtw7003 says:
Even cheaper is to use a vertical light-"table": a window or glass door. You tape the things to the window and start tracing. Cheap, easy, and quick to build. Disadvantages: you have to work vertically and in winter at least one hand will get cold :-)
Sep 28, 2008. 7:07 AMhandidad says:
Good idea. If I were to build one I would make a simple wooden box to hold the light and glass. It would not be as minimalist, but it could be moved and stored a bit easier
Sep 20, 2008. 11:57 PMclamoring says:
Excellent work! I made something similar out of an Ikea Lack table a while back but yours looks so much nicer!
Sep 20, 2008. 7:07 AMwolfsingleton says:
Well done. Just wanted to suggest as a way to save money, try using the light bar from an old scanner. Works well on my drafting table and most of the net jockeys on here can rustle up an old scanner or two for free. Keep up the good work!
Sep 20, 2008. 6:17 AMshwa says:
Cool,my only advice is to place thin reflective sheet of metal beneath the light slightly curved upwards(concave) to make light stronger on the sides. hope this make sense.
Sep 18, 2008. 2:56 PM=SMART= says:
FTW lol
Sep 14, 2008. 7:50 PMScammah says:
Pretty cool idea. I was looking into making one of these however I was going to go way over the top. Now that I see this I just might do it this way instead.
Sep 13, 2008. 12:20 PMshooby says:
You may want to mention what size the labels are. It looks like they are 8 1/2" x 11" or size A4, but I'm not sure...but that's trivial.

Great design and implementation. Do you know roughly how much the glass would cost otherwise (assuming 1 piece total size = combined size of your two pieces)? What are the dimensions of those panes, for that matter?
Sep 13, 2008. 5:32 PMtchiseen says:
I think you can buy the glass tabletops at IKEA as well, but they may be more expensive then if you just had glass panes around. Also, I'm guessing plastics such as Acrylic or Polycarb would work too.
Sep 14, 2008. 6:17 AMshooby says:
Yep, buying something is def. more expensive than not buying it. Even super thick (and more expensive than glass) acrylic would sag under its own weight in this setup. That's why you never see any acrylic table-tops like this, even though you do see acrylic window panes.

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