Post & Rung Standing Desk

As we’ve settled into our fully working from home routine, one thing has become clear: sitting all day, without the prompts to head to a different office for a meeting, run out to lunch with a coworker, or even head outside to commute, isn’t good for me (or my body). It was decided that a secondary standing desk fit the bill. I wanted something that was sturdy but lightweight, with a smooth writing surface and enough space to spread out a bit. It also needed to fit through the doorways of my old house and, most importantly, be at a height that was comfortable for me to work and stand.

The lightweight but sturdy qualifier led me down the path of post and rung designs and all of the surprisingly light but long-lasting chairs I’ve seen over the years. I settled on laminate for the surface of the desk, for durability. And I had a pile of ash blanks in the shop already waiting for the right project. Let’s get started.

Basic Design

The top frame is held together with bridle joints. With a leg mortised through the top and wedged, it’s a very sturdy connection. The top insert is just a piece of plywood, cut to fit the frame, with a piece of laminate applied to the top.

Because this is a standing desk, the legs a fairly long and maxed out the length of my lathe (I turned them at about 44" long, then cut them to final length at the end). The two side stretchers are much more manageable. The middle stretcher didn’t fit on the lathe, so I rounded that one by hand, planing down the facets of a straight piece until it was more or less round. If you don’t have a lathe, or the capacity for these legs, it’s a great alternative. In fact, it’s easier to deal with