

Standing Desk Do It Yourself (DIY) - couac
http://williamdurand.fr/2014/03/17/standing-desk-do-it-yourself/

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trhaynes
The "Standdesk 2200" [1] is similar and seems easier to make, if you have
access to an IKEA.

[1] [http://iamnotaprogrammer.com/Ikea-Standing-desk-
for-22-dolla...](http://iamnotaprogrammer.com/Ikea-Standing-desk-
for-22-dollars.html)

~~~
a-priori
This is the setup I have -- specifically the wider setup shown in the bottom
row of pictures. Works great, been using it for about 8 months now full time.

But if you're going to try standing, please save your body and use an anti-
fatigue mat. It makes all the difference. I use two stacked on top of each
other.

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henrik_w
I use a standing desk at work, but one that can be raised/lowered, which I
think is superior to a fixed one, since it is easy to adjust to a good height,
and also makes it easy to switch between sitting and standing. Yes, they cost
a bit, but not as much as some people think. Also, how much is your health
worth?

I had severe RSI problems several years ago, but managed to get it under
control, and I am now completely recovered. The most important step I took was
to start using a break program. I also switched to an ergonomic keyboard
(Goldtouch) and a pen-like mouse. Using a standing desk is also part of the
solution.

I've described my problems, and the solutions, in a blog post: "How I Beat
Repetitive Stress Injury" [http://henrikwarne.com/2012/02/18/how-i-beat-
rsi/](http://henrikwarne.com/2012/02/18/how-i-beat-rsi/)

~~~
michaelbuckbee
For my own RSI mitigation, I switched to a Magic Track Pad which I've found to
be far and way the best mouse substitute. I think this is just because your
hand doesn't have to grip anything and clicks don't have to depress a
mechanical switch (reducing the forces involved).

I mention this you said in your article you had switched to a Mac and I
thought you might want to give it a try.

~~~
henrik_w
Thanks for the tip! I have tried one briefly, but it felt a little weird for
me, but that's probably because it was new to me. But the Penclic is working
really well for me - the key thing for me is that I don't have to turn the
hand so the palm is down (at least not as much as with a regular mouse).

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joeframbach
Use image thumbnails please! You're serving 22MB on every page load. On my dsl
connection, it took 110 seconds to load!

~~~
dhimes
I had the same problem, but it took 4.2 seconds for me to close the window.
I'll read about it here.

------
llllllllllll
My DIY standing desk is an 18" wooden coffee table with a plastic storage
container, the box my speakers came in, and the box my external monitor came
in. The storage container and one of the boxes act as a pedestal for my laptop
(which I removed the broken screen from a few months ago) and my speakers and
the other box hold up the external monitor. A spare t-shirt is placed under
the front or back of the base of the monitor depending on whether I want it
tilted up or down, and to what degree.

It's hardly stylish but functionally I couldn't ask for more.

Standing is nice precisely because it's slightly uncomfortable to do for
longer periods of time. It forces you to stretch, move around, and take
periodic breaks from staring into the screen.

------
casion
I tried a standing desk for a while and I loved it, however I had a fairly
major problem that I couldn't find a way around: I need to sit sometimes.

I was unable to find a stool that would allow me to continue using the
standing desk since I am 6'6". That means that in order to continue using the
desk on a stool, I need a stool that is ~6" taller than the best I could find.

Due to the fact that I do a heavy amount of audio work, I require some
equipment in front of my keyboard/mouse and the height and position of the
sets of speakers that I use is fairly important.

Does anyone have any ideas to deal with this?

edit: I love the solutions being suggested, but I don't have that much money
to spend on it unfortunately.

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js2
Expensive but, motorized GeekDesk?

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casion
That is quite cool, but you weren't joking about expensive!

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beagle3
An overbed/hospital bedside table works wonderfully for that. I use a straight
one: [http://www.amazon.com/Invacare-Over-Bed-
Table/dp/B000QA0EHI](http://www.amazon.com/Invacare-Over-Bed-
Table/dp/B000QA0EHI) but there's also tilted ones:
[http://www.amazon.com/Hospital-Overbed-Over-Table-
Computer/d...](http://www.amazon.com/Hospital-Overbed-Over-Table-
Computer/dp/B000JWO7JE)

For $50/$60, you get an adjustable, rolling table. It's not the sturdiest ever
(e.g., I wouldn't put a monitor on it without gluing it somehow), but if
you're using a laptop, this thing is perfect.

~~~
couac
Thanks for the hint!

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miles_matthias
I love the standing desk I installed in my home office. I got a corner desk
top from Ikea for ~$70, went to my local hardware store and talked to some
wall mounting experts, and a few drill holes later I have the best standing
desk ever.

Picture of full desk after initial install:
[https://www.dropbox.com/s/kr9wu01xshbjyku/2013-10-20%2010.04...](https://www.dropbox.com/s/kr9wu01xshbjyku/2013-10-20%2010.04.11.jpg)

Picture of typical setup during the day:
[https://www.dropbox.com/s/s5f1v18jet2blbu/2013-11-14%2010.10...](https://www.dropbox.com/s/s5f1v18jet2blbu/2013-11-14%2010.10.35.jpg)

~~~
miles_matthias
I should give my feedback too that after standing regularly, my back hurts a
lot if I sit more than a couple of hours.

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jwillgoesfast
I Just had my 1 year anniversary of standing desk. It is great, although I do
sometimes get tired but I have a stool for that.

You can see my desk design here. It was acquired for very cheap: $1 counter
top from thrift store, $10 in 2x4's from lowes. and only 1 strategically
placed screw in the wall. I also have an anti-fatigue mat and a foot stool
that helps a lot.

pic:
[https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3zl8jxk7xeazsr/Screenshot%202014-...](https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3zl8jxk7xeazsr/Screenshot%202014-03-17%2009.53.34.png)

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chromaton
Standing desks are pretty easy: you just need a shelf for the monitor and one
for the keyboard/mouse. But if you need to sit for some reason, it's a hassle.

I did a desk that can convert between sitting and standing for less than $200
and am satisfied with the results:
[http://planiverse.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/building-a-sit-
st...](http://planiverse.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/building-a-sit-stand-desk-
for-less-than-200/)

~~~
ClayM
In your video, it looked like when you raised it, the monitor's rotation was a
little off - was that just an illusion?

~~~
chromaton
Yes, the monitor is rotation locked with a set screw and there are no other
components in the Ergotron arm that rotate.

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ozh
"Several reports have come out pointing out the dangers of sitting too long
(e.g. risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers, and an
early death)."

That's such enormous BS. It's "lack of physical exercise", not "sitting".
Standing up and still all day long is NOT going to make you healthier.

Ask any hairdresser how their legs feel at the end of the day.

Sit. Just don't sit _all day long_.

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uvee
I have had good success following this:
[http://blog.stackpop.com/post/47149734131/our-50-adjustable-...](http://blog.stackpop.com/post/47149734131/our-50-adjustable-
ikea-standing-desk)

Here's my desk:
[https://twitter.com/udaykverma/status/386164901929959424](https://twitter.com/udaykverma/status/386164901929959424)

~~~
couac
Nice!

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ksar
For those of you looking for a quick fix - I've got a Furinno standing desk -
sturdy, ultra compact, super light and inexpensive.
[http://www.amazon.com/Furinno-Adjustable-Laptop-Desk-
Multifu...](http://www.amazon.com/Furinno-Adjustable-Laptop-Desk-
Multifuctional/dp/B004QXIFCC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395066973&sr=8-1&keywords=furinno+standing+desk)

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fomb
It's an ergonomic disaster to use a laptop keyboard and laptop monitor like
that. Use a proper keyboard and a proper monitor at eye level.

~~~
couac
I know, I ordered a keyboard :-)

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doctorfoo
I tried standing up to work for a few weeks once and found I just got a
_different_ kink in my back. I would still tend to slouch sideways when
standing, keeping most of my weight on one leg (almost like sitting on a
stool) and using the other as balance. I'm not sure what the solution is,
except maybe a treadmill desk, but that seems a little crazy.

~~~
cmurphycode
Have you ever had your legs measured by a physical therapist or equivalent? I
used to do the same thing. The problem is that resting on one leg tends to
push the hips out of alignment (it's easy to see in the mirror; the hipbones
won't make a line parallel to the ground).

For me, I would always get pain/numbness in my lower back on the side of my
taller leg. Putting a lift in the other shoe and being mindful to keep
straight helped to fix it. I had to be mindful (at least at first) because my
body was so used to slouching sideways that it would still try to default in
one way or another. I think that it's gotten better as the muscles re-learn
the necessary patterns to keep straight.

EDIT: BTW, I don't use a standing desk- I prefer to walk around a lot. Before
my PT visit, I would get pain within 15 minutes of standing!

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denzen
See also this Grip Desk setup :
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySEBqNAnyjk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySEBqNAnyjk)
(video is by Solarized’s theme author, Ethan Schoonover).

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TruthSHIFT
I love the idea of a standing desk, but this design probably would cause my
neck and back to hurt. Since the monitor is so far back, I would be constantly
learning forward and tilting my neck down.

~~~
moron4hire
A standing desk should be built to match the height of the user. The top
monitor must be at eye level.

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couac
Exactly, and that is why I first used cardboard to find the best dimensions.

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mmgutz
Warning for all of those who are a little overweight and older. I forced
myself to use a standing desk after reading all the health benefits. The end
result was plantar fasciatis.

~~~
bryanlarsen
Were you using a good anti-fatigue mat?

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jsherman76
I've been looking for the perfect standing desk for years now. These are great
examples, thank you!

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skrebbel
Cool, and great idea. The tables look a lot like LACK from IKEA. I might try
this, too.

~~~
couac
Yep, they are pretty much the same. I just don't have an IKEA close to my
place (yet)...

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sebbean
Jesus those images are massive

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sebbean
hope he's not paying for that bandwidth
[http://cl.ly/image/3h1T1u3l0p39](http://cl.ly/image/3h1T1u3l0p39)

~~~
couac
Yeah... I reduced the image sizes..

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moron4hire
I did this a couple of years ago. I would not suggest jumping 100% into using
a standing desk, but have a stool handy and it can be a great experience. I've
since moved out of the coworking space I was in and have everything home, so
I'm back to sitting, but I'd prefer to have a standing desk again. Just been
too lazy to build one.

I was pretty skeptical of standing desks when they first became all the rage
on LifeHacker, et. al. But these hipsters kept harping on dubious health
benefits and were missing the best part of the standing desk: it multiplies
your storage space on your desk! For a coworking space, this is a major win. I
ended up kicking off a "build vertical" craze in the space.

[http://moron4hire.tumblr.com/post/58110389840/last-year-i-
ha...](http://moron4hire.tumblr.com/post/58110389840/last-year-i-had-been-
using-a-standing-desk-this)

It took me just as long to draw everything as to build the standing desk. In
terms of a carpentry project, it's about as simple as they come; bird houses
are harder. Also, you kind of have to "figure it out as you go", because the
desk needs to be custom built to your measurements. As you can see in my
drawings, everything was designed around my eye-level height and my arm
length. This is a must, or you're just trading one posture problem for
another.

I eventually (not pictured) also built a "draft table" feature into the lower
desk top: removing the laptop, the desktop could be rotated into a slanted
position to have an ergonomic writing surface.

One thing to realize is that most people's shoes (even running sneakers) have
a significant heel-rise that will really screw up your standing posture and is
not conducive to standing all day. I had very significant lower back pain
until I started standing barefoot, wearing slippers, or standing on a slanted
platform I built to counter the heel-rise of my sneakers. I liked barefoot the
best, but the room I was in had a lot of sharps on the floor.

You won't be able to work all day. I could only get about 6 hours a day in
until I was just too exhausted to be able to think. However, I also found that
during that 6 hours I was incredibly energized and laser focused on work. I
never goofed off when I used my desk. I don't know why. But 6 hours was enough
to get work done.

After the first month of non-stop standing, it wasn't getting any easier. I
switched between standing and sitting on a stool (which I also built, which my
fellow coworkers have declared the most dangerous thing ever built in the
space, but has survived longer than many store-bought chairs) all day. I still
mostly stood, and only sat in the stool near the end of the day. It was also
useful for getting over that 6 hour hump so I could play LAN games with the
other people in the space at night.

I'm considering doing it again. Perhaps I'll get pre-fab foot stools or a step
ladder. Our condo is pretty small and I've spilt out over everywhere. Having a
standing desk would go a long way to keeping the peace with my wife in regards
to clutter :)

~~~
couac
Thank you for your precious feedback! I'll try to work standing up ~4/5 hours
a day, for a month. I'll see if it makes me either more productive or feel
better.

