The knockdown desk is designed for the style conscious customer who needs the benefits of a functional design. Good design gives strength, reduces waste, and keeps the cost low. Because good taste should mean that you don't go through money like water.

What is a Knockdown Desk?

A Knockdown Desk is designed to be set up and taken down quickly and easily. It is light weight so that anybody can move it without needing to hire big beefy guys. When I built my prototype, my fourteen year old daughter was helping me move it around the garage.

Why Buy a Knockdown Desk?

When I first started as a programmer, we moved our offices twice in four years, and on average we moved our desks within the office every six months. We didn't have knockdown desks then, and I was what passed for a beefy guy in the office. Having a light weight desk like this would have been a lot better than the heavy particle board and melamine desks I was lugging around the office.

Take a look at the Assembly Instructions to see just how easy this desk is to set up. The Knockdown Desk Gallery will also show you in more detail how it looks.

Strength

When a desk breaks, the point of failure is usually the leg joint. While I was building the prototype for this desk I learned a lot about how to build a strong joint (and also how to build a weak one). When a desk is used or moved the legs can undergo a lot of stress, and any weaknesses in the joint will show up as cracks in the wood. Cracks in the wood are bad, because they're usually followed by the leg falling off.

The most important thing I learned from the prototype was how to attach the legs. The leg braces are attached to the frame by four wood screws. Each of those screws is counter sunk in a pilot hole. Without the pilot holes and countersunk heads, the wood screws would split the wood grain apart, which leads to cracks and ultimately legs falling off.

I also learned that I needed a sturdy hanger bolt to attach the leg to the brace. The hanger bolt screws securely into the wood (again, with a pilot hole to keep from splitting the wood). The secure attachment to the wood lets me torque the nut on the hanger down very securely, so that the leg is snug against the frame and wobble is minimized. That makes for a stronger desk that gives you confidence when you're using it.

What Do I Need?

When your desk arrives, you'll need a 7/16" wrench. You can pick one up (or a full wrench set) at any hardware store. In fact, you probably already have one around the house or the office.

The attachment hardware is four 1/4x20 nuts and washers. A set is included with the desk, but if you loose any in a move the part is common and easy to replace from the hardware store.

Dimensions

The desk is 68 inches long, 36 inches deep, and 29 inches high when set up. It ships with the legs broken down and stored in the frame.

Materials

The desk surface is made of 3/4" Medium Density Fiber Board, a strong, light weight material that doesn't shrink or swell significantly with heat and humidity. The frame is white pine, which is both light weight and strong. Adjustable feet allow you to adapt the table to uneven floors. All of the paint used is a non-toxic latex paint. The surface is sealed with clear acrylic to protect it with from scratches, hot coffee mugs and children.

Shipping

This desk is ridiculously large to ship. If you live within 100 miles of Flint, Michigan I will happily deliver your desk(s) to your residence or office. If you live outside of that range please contact me to make shipping arrangements. Orders of 8 or more can be shipped anywhere in North America serviced by USF or Yellow Freight, both of which have a wide distribution and reasonable rates.