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That's a serviceable desk for $80, and I'm glad to hear of a company that spends money on important thing like programmers and not on expensive desks. But, as

That's a serviceable desk for $80, and I'm glad to hear of a company that spends money on important thing like programmers and not on expensive desks. But, as a mechanical engineer, my instinctive reaction is similar to what most of you feel when you see an inefficient algorithm. My gut reaction is, "Metal brackets at the corners but no diagonal bracing?" You could make a much stronger desk for the same amount of money by removing the angle brackets, using 2 x 3's instead of 2 x 4's, screwing the tops of the legs to the door directly, and screwing on some lengths of 1 x 2 strapping on the diagonals, thereby making a light, stiff structure. All the same, as I said above, it's a serviceable desk; I'm just interested to see the generally positive reaction from software folks differ from my own instincts.

menloparkbum 18y ago
I've built a similar desk using the same door and a pair of sawhorses. The door bows a bit if you're like me and pile books on your desk. It also feels like it is going to give out if you lean on it. The surface is a wood veneer - not good for writing. You pretty much have to apply the whiteboard type surface to the desk in order to get a smooth writing surface. I decided that the finished tabletops from IKEA were a better value: the surface is already good for writing and they have more internal reinforcement so they don't bow or feel as flimsy. My favorite DIY desk was made out of a solid core door from the Door Store[1] in Cambridge, MA and a pair of filing cabinets. However, solid core door prices are much more expensive than hollow core[2]. [1]http://www.doorstorecambridge.com http://www.doorstorecambridge.com [2]http://www.doorstorecambridge.com/Pricelist_Tops1.htm http://www.doorstorecambridge.com/Pricelist_Tops1.htm
potatolicious 18y ago
I worked at Amazon before - the real door desks have diagonal bracing :) The big plus about them is that since they're so cheap, you can request one at the precise height you desire, which is great for people of abnormal body heights.

menloparkbum 18y ago

I've built a similar desk using the same door and a pair of sawhorses. The door bows a bit if you're like me and pile books on your desk. It also feels like it is going to give out if you lean on it. The surface is a wood veneer - not good for writing. You pretty much have to apply the whiteboard type surface to the desk in order to get a smooth writing surface. I decided that the finished tabletops from IKEA were a better value: the surface is already good for writing and they have more internal reinforcement so they don't bow or feel as flimsy. My favorite DIY desk was made out of a solid core door from the Door Store[1] in Cambridge, MA and a pair of filing cabinets. However, solid core door prices are much more expensive than hollow core[2]. [1]http://www.doorstorecambridge.com http://www.doorstorecambridge.com [2]http://www.doorstorecambridge.com/Pricelist_Tops1.htm http://www.doorstorecambridge.com/Pricelist_Tops1.htm

potatolicious 18y ago

I worked at Amazon before - the real door desks have diagonal bracing :) The big plus about them is that since they're so cheap, you can request one at the precise height you desire, which is great for people of abnormal body heights.