Thread: Building a Sound Desk

I have pretty much finalised the design, and the construction will be poles and boards. The poles are powder coated charcoal grey, and the timber is Victorian Ash which comes from Matthew's Timber. 3x 100mm boards are pre-laminated to make a 285mm wide board, and I will join 3 pieces of that to make it 855mm wide.

Then there is a top shelf for the sound gear (40 kgs all up) which uses the the fourth Vic Ash board. For the middle shelf (which I have called the Red Shelf) I have a piece of Blackwood left from a Dining Table project a few years ago. As it is only 1660 long I had to do a slight redesign yesterday to shrink the desk width by 100mm. The top shelf can stay at 1780mm.

This is the layout in Excel (which is a bit restrictive for laying out shapes, but it mean I can automate size changes). There are two pieces of 30x30mm Angle underneath to keep the desk top flat.

DESK - empty.jpg


You can see three paler grey poles - there are actually four of them: two short ones in the middle to support the Red Shelf, and one each side which go through the Red Shelf and into the Top Shelf (into a blind hole). The three back legs go through the Desktop and into blind holes in the Top Shelf. The Red Shelf sits in front of the back legs and is about 150mm in front of the Top Shelf - this is to accommodate the computer monitor. The Top Shelf will have a rebate cut into it to allow for the Monitor post.

This next diagram shows what it will look like when it is loaded up.

DESK - loaded.jpg


The red braces will also likely be Blackwood, as I have a couple of suitable lengths to use.


I have attached the detailed drawings as aPDF for anyone interested, and they show the Monitor post rebate, shelf alignments etc. They also show how the posts and legs are held in place with grub screws.

Should look nice and tidy when finished.

Ross

Capped feet rather than blind holes in desk for 2x centre post (Red Shelf supports). Perhaps the same for the Hole "X" post feet.
It occurred to me this morning that I may not have to drill four blind holes into the top of the desk, but that I could just insert plastic caps into the posts. This also has the added benefit of not having to line up those four holes (which has been doing my head in a bit - because of the staggered shelves).

A series of 10mm holes every 100-150mm along the back edges for cable ties.
My first thought here was to use a bunch of the Cable Ties that Aldi sell from time to time. They work very well but are rather bulky, and would require 10mm holes - that's a lot of large holes across the back of the desk and shelves.

This then morphed into using a much smaller hole (5mm) drilled at 45° through the back edges so that it doesn't show on top. Then use a regular twist tie (buy a roll of it) to tame the cables to either the back edge or underside as required.

Cable taming.JPG

I would need to get a jig fabricated for that - there would be around 30 of them to do. Just a simple right angle piece of steel about 15mm thick with a 45° hole drilled through it - clamp it in place and it will guide the drill bit through. Might have to visit the Metalwork forum....



Some holes in the desk and shelves to facilitate cable taming.
The next part of cable taming is a bit trickier – it can't be undone, and is not so hidden. Even with cables tied to the back of the desk and shelves, they still have to come forward to go to their home port. The USB hub is on the Red Shelf so that isn't a problem. This is more about the cables coming to the Laptop which is on the Desk. There are six cables to account for. Maybe I might just bind them together and tie them to the front centre post for the Red Shelf (which is immediately behind the Laptop). I know about the rotating port closures, but a hole is hole and they are pretty big for those (perhaps there are smaller ones).

Originally Posted by old1955

Should look nice and tidy when finished.

Well if it looks as neat as the diagram I'll be SUPER happy!

Cables are my enemy! Just doing a count:
17 power cables to various devices and power boards
4 speaker cables
8 USB/Phone/Modem/Headphone cables (my bluetooth headphones are just for the shed - cable delivers the best quality)

29 all up! Just as well I put the CD player in the drawer or I'd have cracked over 30.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Well if it looks as neat as the diagram I'll be SUPER happy!

Cables are my enemy! Just doing a count:
.
.
.
29 all up! Just as well I put the CD player in the drawer or I'd have cracked over 30.

HUmmmm . . . here is one of several of my "drawers of shame".
These have over 100 (mainly power and computer interface) cables in them - I really need to chuck out those old parallel printer and Firewire cables.
draweofshame.JPG

I managed to get around to making a folding jarrah cable rack for electronics type cables - this one holds about 45 cables and things - mainly USB, electrical signal, lengths of heat shrink and lowV cables.
Crack1.JPG

It's held closed by 4 REE button magnets but folds out to this
Crack1closed.JPG

Short banana leads tend to fall out of the grooves in the racks so I added this l short cable plug in attachment.
Banana.JPG

All of the above are just in my electronics workshop.

In the shed I have similar cable racks (except made out Al angle) attached to the backs of the doors of the electronics cupboard. There are probably about 30 cables in that lot
Inside the electronics cupboard there are 2 plastic crates of 2 and 3 core power cables, sockets and GPOs, plus about a shelf and a half of rolls, lengths and offcuts of (1, 2, 3, 4,5, 6 and more, core) cables

Yeah that's tough Bob. I have plenty more in drawers, boxes, attic, but by "29" I was referring to just what is on the desk.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Yeah that's tough Bob. I have plenty more in drawers, boxes, attic, but by "29" I was referring to just what is on the desk.

Different sort of setup (ie electronics not sound) but ff we're talking just on top of the desk then I counted up about 36 items plugged into mains sockets.
Desk is fairly large - U-shaped (2.3 x 3.3 x 1.8m) almost fills half the room.
7 LED lights/lamps
4 Arduino devices
4 Li-ion battery chargers
4 Arduino devices
3 external HD
3 power tool chargers,
2 printers (OK one is on top of filing cabinet but power comes from a power adapter on the desk)
2 soldering irons
2 laptops.
wireless base station.
sound system
Oscilloscope
3D printer
30V DC PS


Must be at a similar number of USB, oscilloscope,DVM, sensor leads etc on the desk as well - ie it's the pits.