Excellent photos that illustrate the simple $49 design: Anders Burvall Design Photos.
I used Anders' photos as the guide for my desk design. The only difference is that I used 2" x 12" x 40" planks of blue Styrofoam instead of the foam blocks that Anders used. Anders has a PhD in engineering, so his design is probably better than mine!
Here's some more details about my $49 Desk:
1) $20: 2' x 4' x 1/2" birch plywood from Home Depot. This is used as the desk. If I was building the desk again, I would consider the 3/4" instead of the 1/2" birch plywood. A little bit more weight, and thus stability, would be welcomed.
2) $24: 4' x 8' x 2" blue Styrofoam panel (used in new home insulation). I cut this into 12"x40" planks. I placed these planks across the handrails to raise my desk to a comfortable hei
ght. The foam is not attached to either the treadmill or the wood. It's just sitting there sandwiched between the wood desk and the treadmill's arms. Try to avoid the foam material that is made out of millions of little compressed balls. Of course, I first bought this type of foam from Home Depot with disastrous results. When I cut the white foam into the 12" x 40" planks, thousands of these little balls were released and were scattered into every nook and cranny of my office. Look for the blue styrofoam with the "Styrofoam" brand on the material. If you can't find it at Home Depot or Lowes, ask the guys at a new home construction site if they'd be willing to sell you one sheet of it for $20.
3) $5 : Black water based spray paint. The blue Styrofoam planks were really ugly, so I painted them black. A great water based spray paint to use on Styrofoam: Krylon H2O Latex.
It's a really simple design, but it works great. I've taken a virtual walk from New York City to Chicago using this desk, and I see no reason to change it. It works!
4 comments:
This foam also comes in a pink color - it's found in the insulation section.
Model railroaders have been using it (it's light and easy to carve to shape) for ages now for scenery.
Anyone have any idea what it costs to run a treadmill like these all day (and all night, if you're also a gamer) at 1mph?
I'd like advice on how to build this at the right height to avoid upper back and wrist injuries. I am short--5'3"--and just putting a board across the arms of a treadmill would be disastrous.
First, measure what height your "neutral" level is (i.e. about 1 or 2 inches higher than elbow height) while standing on the treadmill. Then you might have to build the desk as a "sling" in between the hand rails. Being able to secure the desk between the rails is going to be the most difficult part. You may need to have someone weld in support bars depending on your model of treadmill.
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