How to build a desk

This desk stands on two half-lapped X legs joined by a stretcher, trestle style. The X has to stay rigid side to side, and the top has to carry a monitor and your elbows without bouncing. Set your sizes below and the engine checks it.

Check your size first

Free, instant and no account. The engine checks it the way a structural engineer would, and says so plainly when it won't hold up.

What goes wrong on a desk

Side-to-side wobble: Trestle desks rack along their length if the stretcher is too weak or too low. The check looks at the joint and the stretcher.
Top bounce: A long top between two trestles flexes in the middle. The check works out the deflection for your span.
Knee room: The stretcher and the X sit where your knees go, so height and depth matter. The plan builds to your sizes, so try them against a chair you like.

The build, start to finish

Cut the leg members, stretcher and top from the cut list.
Lay out and cut the half laps where the legs cross.
Assemble each X, then join them with the stretcher.
Fix the top.
Check it stands level, then move in.

The full plan has the exact cut list, a shopping list, a 3D view you can stand in your room, and step-by-step assembly for your sizes.

Other builds

Setting up your bench…

Build guides · Desk