Standing desk using a motorized frame

I bought an inexpensive motorized standing desk frame and built a standing desk from it. The video wasn't sponsored, but having built the desk, I was positively impressed with the solidity of the Flexispot standing desk frame, especially considering the price.
I imagine the two-part telescoping legs, as opposed to 3-part telescoping have much to do with it,
and with some adjustments I was able to make it go low enough for my needs,
yet still go too high for even my tallest friend.
So here is an affiliate link for the standing desk frame I used:
bit.ly/3zv7ceQ
Same frame, with desk top
amzn.to/3MeADJG
More standing desks from Flexispot:
USA: amzn.to/3zfBHoR
Canada: amzn.to/3lNGvyL

[@vbertrand]

Next up : Matthias builds wooden gears with a manual crank for a budget version, albeit better, standing desk.

[@rasmis]

I've been wanting that for years! In Denmark the standing desks have been required by law for office work for 20+ years, so it's not difficult to find an actuator and a frame. But most of the ones available are not adjustable in width, like these are. I've had to cut and weld one back together for a desk that fit in my flat. I'd rather have a hand cranked wooden frame.

[@PiranOfficial]

^ from trash

[@jasonbailey9139]

And that offsets the mechanism to the back of the desk so you have plenty of room for the drawers.

[@sfan2767]

@@jasonbailey9139 Or lower than the drawer height so he can still have full depth drawers. There's no reason the mechanism has to be against the bottom of the desk surface, it can be set lower with some mini- legs between the mechanism area and the surface.

[@krenwregget7667]

with drawers, of course.

[@boblittle9949]

The rubber grommets on the top of the base are probably used if you have a glass top

[@Squibbleses]

It could also be to reduce vibration on the desktop from the motor perhaps? edit: oh that's what he says in the video. I hadn't gotten that far :p That'll teach me to comment before watching the whole thing!

[@contero2]

It could also be to take up some wood movement due to moisture changes. I'm guessing the whole thing might jam up if a shrinking tabletop puts too much tension between the legs.

[@KirtFitzpatrick]

I have one of these desks with the top and I think the grommets allow for more forgiving manufacturing tolerances. They make up for small differences in hole alignment. Additionally, I believe they likely also make the desk quieter. I love Matthias but we can probably agree that he kinda phoned it in when he was testing the difference in sound. It's fine, not every aspect of every video needs an exhaustive scientific test with an Arduino and custom built test rig.

[@firesurfer]

@@Squibbleses Welcome to the never read the comments first club.

[@rossmckenzie2283]

Yes, those grommets remind me of the ones on my glass topped dining table.

[@wouter11234]

I bought 2 of these to make a giant standing workbench. It works great because the buttons were actually separate from the controller in the (presumably older) design I have, connected by a good ol' RJ45 connector. I just spliced them together, and now I can control both sets at once with a single button so they say in sync with eachother

[@matthiaswandel]

but they might drift out of sync over time?

[@wouter11234]

@Matthias Wandel they do, especially when putting an uneven load on the table. But moving it either completely up or down fixes it, one reaches the top/bottom earlier and the other one keeps going for a bit. I always thought that they use limit switches, or maybe even monitor the motor current for when it's hit the extremes but I haven't figured it out for sure. I think your explanation of internal limit switches in the motor still make sense with what I'm seeing.. right? going out of sync a bit until going to the extremes.

[@SomeMorganSomewhere]

@@matthiaswandel FWIW, my Steelcase height adjustable desk (I didn't pay for it, work did ;) ) uses separate motors on each leg, doesn't appear to use limit switches I think it's actually monitoring current draw from each of the motors and cuts power when it sees them stall, according to the manual it's possible for them to go out of sync (though I've never seen them do it) but the fix is just to run them all the way up or all the way down to re-sync the two motors.

[@wouter11234]

@@SomeMorganSomewhere what happens when you put a really big load on it while going up? Will it think it reached the top?

[@SomeMorganSomewhere]

@@wouter11234 I'd assume so, there'll probably be some margin above the 250lb load rating but beyond whatever margin I'd expect the controller would assume it's at the top of travel.

[@willierants5880]

Making your own stand-up desk from scratch would be a cool project and one I would think is right up your alley.

[@jeroenroks4life]

He already did that

[@matthiaswandel]

The video wasn't sponsored, but having built the desk, I was positively impressed with the solidity of the Flexispot standing desk frame, especially considering the price. I imagine the two-part telescoping legs, as opposed to 3-part telescoping have much to do with it, and with some adjustments I was able to make it go low enough for my needs, yet still go too high for even my tallest friend. So here is an affiliate link for the standing desk frame I used: bit.ly/3zv7ceQ Same frame, with desk top amzn.to/3MeADJG More standing desks from Flexispot: USA: amzn.to/3zfBHoR Canada: amzn.to/3lNGvyL

[@NeoQJ]

Somehow the affiliate link in the description won't work properly for me, but the link in this comment worked.

[@tsoutsiya]

Could you make it go lower by 4 inches by cutting the outer part of the leg by 4 inches and just avoid to overextend it in the future due to fixed limit switches ?

[@cooperised]

Infinitely more interesting than "here's a sponsored video where I build a normal standing desk." Thank you Matthias!

[@bunnywarren]

I'm confident you could create your own mechanism to raise/lower the desk. What I'm not sure of is whether it's worth the time and parts-cost to do that versus buying a kit.

[@Warrigt]

it would kill the movability but a wall mounted standing desk would be pretty slick and he could keep his drawers on

[@viceice]

However the value in creating the video and the resulting KZbin revenue would totally be worth it.

[@derekc423]

@@viceice that's the best part of being a youtube creator. you can validly justify so many time wasting, but fun, projects.

[@cbalan777]

That's how they get you. You realize the time and money spent making your own thing costs more than their product.

[@mc_cpu]

He'd use a washing machine motor!

[@CanadianCitizenshipTestKit]

All done, but with parts left over. Time to check the manual. Love it! For those of us living in Canada, here's an extra tip I learned from Red Green: You can throw the English manual out, but remember to keep the French one, in case you need to look at the pictures.

[@lenkuffert7428]

Your testers are thorough.

[@robertsmith3518]

It’s great to tell folks that your not interested in sponsoring their wears . It makes the one who do snag you as a spokesperson much more desirable. If they pass your standards then I feel comfortable buying. Thanks for your advice and time . Love seeing the kids playing on the desk . Brings back memories of my kids and the times we we spent tearing apart broken anything and trying to fix everything.

[@matthiaswandel]

well, the product turned out better than I expected, and a good price. So I wouldn't have had any issues endorsing it.

[@gutrali]

Oh wow this desk is a lot different than the two (identical) ones I have! I got mine from flexispot. They have two motors each. I use them every day! Just last week I used one as a man lift to clean the top hat lights in my cathedral living room ceiling haha. Also mine have a different control box with 3 presets, and 3 selectable levels of "collision avoidance". Ive had some problems with the desk thinking it has hit something, and reversing... But it seems to be measured with an accelerometer because securing the electronics box to the frame more solidly has completely resolved it on both desks. I hope wifey enjoys the sit stand experience... I know I do!!! Even just being able to adjust a few inches now and then has definitely helped out my posture

[@teejaded]

I had that same flexispot frame a couple years ago and sold it because the minimum height was too tall. The Ikea Bekant frame has a much lower minimum height and the legs are in the motors which talk to each other over wires. I believe if you're willing to forego having the metal frame all the way across you could build a standing desk using those legs and have drawers.

[@tagno25]

And there is a replacement controller that allows control via TTL serial. And can be integrated with Home Assistant or other self hosted smart home systems.

[@christopherinteriors6521]

In next week's episode, Matthias builds a homemade version from stuff found in the garbage, wooden gears and an old 3hp motor which then doubles up as a lifting aid.

[@613kc]

You know he's smart when you see; working for home in slippers. The Best!

[@alastairchestnutt6416]

I had a "keep fit" manual version of a rise and fall desk while at work. It certainly helped with backache and keeping bright and alert. I still sat down on occasions to work. Prior to that I had a standing desk that I had made from an old sapele door and a home made frame. The ability to sit or stand is preferable in my opinion.

[@lutheduck]

I am 95% sure we are going to see movable desk made with wood gears and shaft that goes on the back of the desk so that one can have nice drawers :) all powered by an old stepper motor :)

[@josuelservin]

For the first one in totally with you, but I'm betting on him using a windshield wiper motor.

[@lutheduck]

@@josuelservin stepper motor allows for a smoother lifting and a "memory" of certain positions 🤣🤣 thats how I see explanation why stepper motor 🤣🤣 if this was Izzy then it would be drill powered

[@lomicwind]

I have nearly the same since a few months. Very convenient to alternate work positions. Interesting to see that I can lower a bit more height, as I use sometimes a gym ball to seat too and it is a bit low for the minimum height of my desk. But I think I'll go first with the removing of leveling feet.

[@BruceChastain]

I absolutely love how you mess with everything! I got a standing desk some years back and didn't think to do any of this!

[@D4rkS7der]

The table looks exactly like the one I bought recently, but I was branded by local electronics supplier. Funny how nearly every piece of equipment is made in one place and then branded differently.

[@6DAVIE9]

I love your content. I’ve been watching and enjoying for years. Always excellent. Thank you for your hard work ❤

[@spawn101]

I bought the same desk frame a while ago and it works great. I thought the rubber grommets were there to deal with seasonal expansion of your top, which is a good idea if it's made of non-laminated wood. My preferred desk height is at 82cm (Yes, I'm rather tall) so thanks for the info on changing the lowest point so I won't have to eyeball it anymore.

[@JDeWittDIY]

Which frame did you get? I'm in the market for one...

[@spawn101]

@@JDeWittDIY The Flexispot E5, I think it's the same as in the video. (at least it looks very very similar.)

[@JDeWittDIY]

@@spawn101 Thanks!

[@spawn101]

@@JDeWittDIY You're welcome!

[@joethompson11]

I have one from the same company, though it came with a veneered walnut top. I think the grommets are for preventing damage to that, though I'm really not sure why I'd care about the underneath. I used the gap it left to put velcro cable managing straps round, holding a power splitter to the side of the desk. Very handy in that regard!

[@WrongTimeWatch]

I was thinking about using one of these to raise and lower my TV.

[@hawleyw6]

My husband and son both have motorized standing desks and love them. Myself, a few weeks ago I came to the same conclusion as Matthias regarding how standing height would be very nice to use for working on electronics so I'm building myself a (fixed height) standing desk for that.

[@Vyker]

Best on KZbin. Never once asked me to press like or subscribe. Legend of KZbin! 🎉🎉

[@nickway_]

I believe the inclusion of the rubber grommets for the frame / desktop interface is two fold: 1) to allow for some slight warpage in a solid top; 2) possibly, to allow for less precision in the predrilled holes in a manufacture supplied desktop. As a side, I just did a standing desk for my wife this week (another brand) and it also had rubber grommets.

[@rotatingdisk]

a manual all wood standing desk full build is all we need now!

[@boredoldfart4258]

I'm convinced Matthias you are sure to engineer the same concept for your current desk and I look forward to any video you make from it. Thanks for sharing

[@PianoYogaWood]

This is a fantastic assembly bench. Take it out of the office and into the shop!

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic work, Matthias! Nicely done! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@rogerrabt]

I built one like that. It's wonderful. Working on a laptop or doing hobbies, then I can raise it up for watchmaking or any other detail work where I need the tabletop at eye-level. The one I have has 3 memories and dual motors.

[@BEM684]

If I bought that desk and found it was 1 inch too high I would've been like "I guess I'm living with this" or "Maybe I can raise my chair 1 inch." Love to see you solve this better.

[@sandravukovic2901]

Yepp, raising my chair was my solution. And then my feet were hanging, so I put some yoga blocks under the table 😅 I am definitely trying out this option now.

[@Alexotronic]

Wow, what a great example of really owning something. Owning in the sense of being ready to tear something apart, modify it to better suit your needs and put it back together. Seeing all that extra wood added to the front for 'stiffness' is not necessary IMO. (I've built a handful of desks with just 3/4inch plywood.) but more importantly, think about the angle from your elbow to your hand resting on your mouse... Less thickness in front means you can get your chair arm higher underneath the desk which makes for a more ergonomic angle.

[@alekseyfedorov18]

Good purchase, sincerely happy for you. :) Thank you :)

[@Karjis]

We have one with Ikea Bekant legs. I think the construction is a bit simpler in use as it does not have this kind of axle setup but independent motors inside legs. So no rotating parts visible anywhere. Also includes a fabric ”platform” to store excess cables basically at the same place where this setup has the axle.

[@ajtxander]

For about the same price, there are frames with legs with independent motors. That might be a solution for the electronics desk.

[@MHPloni-kl5ec]

Ah. An old-time Matthias W. video once again. Thanks.

[@ErugoPurakushiOne]

Kids made a great testing job!

[@heighRick]

Thanks Matthias, helps a lot!

[@JoeGP]

such an uplifting video

[@AW-pz3qc]

Perfect timing! Been thinking of a height adjustable table but my trusty tape measure tells me it won't work for my situation. Thanks for the info though, it helped a lot and actually seeing the kids playing on top was a good indicator.

[@What_Other_Hobbies]

I bought a monoprice dual motor, 3 section leg one when it was on clearance for under 260USD. Pretty good quality, no exposed mechanism since there is a motor in each leg. It's heavy for sure. The rubber grommets are not for damptening, but are spacers. Some hardware maybe taller than the bracket in the frame, and the spacers are to compensate the depth difference.

[@streetster20]

I purchased the E7 model when I was working remotely during 2020, and I haven't had any problems with it. It seems the model in this video is a cheaper option; with only 1-motor, and less range (the model I have goes down to 62cm at it's lowest point). Love the details of your desk-top though, definitely something I'd consider if I want a larger surface!

[@WinterNorth]

Regarding the mechanism getting in the way of the drawers you mentioned at the end of the video, you can get dual motor desk chassies, those don't have that axel running between them so it's possible to do.

[@alec4672]

Side note, these also make a great TV lift with some creativity. Way better and faster than anything sold as a TV lift that's for sure.

[@anakin513]

I have the same standing desk lift kit. It slid nicely under my existing desk that was on top of 2 Alex drawers. Interesting that you had to adjust the legs on yours to get it lower, mine has about 1 cm of space from the bottom feet when at the bottomed out height.

[@helmet098]

I knew he was making it extra nice for a reason

[@rogerdudra178]

I built an oak desk for me and I'm always standing up. Your 'elevating' desk top is a good idea.

[@Tarkov.]

The same company was selling a manual crank desk frame for $60, but I missed out on that before it sold out. I like the idea of these standing desks, I just don't see myself paying $200+ for one.

[@SquintyGears]

60$ plus a salvaged motor? DIY solution

[@alec0065]

Mathias a would love to see a video you explaining how the system works and trying to replicate it at a lower cost.

[@elitearmadillo]

Hey Mattias, how strange I had a near identical desk arrive today which I put together, mine will be used for an electronics/workstation, your quest for lower height made me smile, its exactly what I would do, but in my case the desk was low enough already.

[@censeless24]

I believe those rubber gromit's are to give your top a little extra padding weather that be wood top or a glass top

[@Don.Kiwitas]

Matthias, "Lofty heights" (at 02:00) if you still had the farm workshop you could have used a few of these (slightly extended) to mechanize your wonderful scaffolding system and maybe some of the higher shelves as well.

[@TomsBackyardWorkshop]

I will be building my own standing desk soon using the motor from a electric recliner. should be a fun project.

[@SamJantz]

I just converted my desk to a standing desk last weekend, I ended up making up the difference with chair adjustment and got a thing to rest my feet on.

[@cattleNhay]

Wood geared standing table build…

[@inspector1794]

I wouldn't think an adjustable height desk with drawers would be much of a problem for a creative guy like you or was this the lead-in to next weeks project. I hope so as I enjoyed this project. Thanks for sharing your skills.

[@MrRozzers]

Put the mechanism at the back of the desk and cantilever both the feet and the surface.

[@egj1975]

I have 4 motorized desks in my home and they are great (your back will thank you). But I have never seen a version with only one motor, there are 2 on all of mine (Linak). But these are awesome on all working tables because you can stand and sit

[@rolandgdean]

I'm 6'4" tall. It's nice to know those go up as high as that one does.

[@FinishCarpentryTV]

love your mentality towards the sponsorship.

[@backtoearth1983]

It's not like he's being honourable though. He just knows he will do some astonishingly stupid shit a sponsor wouldn't want. This idiot let his young kids ride the desk in a tool shop.

[@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT]

Nice build! Seems better than originally intended :-)

[@ThomasKnudsen-si7bx]

I have made tabels with 4 Linak legs, synkronized by conecting them to the common controler/powersupply. The legs I used have 3 sections and a longer stroke, than 2 section legs. Each leg is rated for 75 kg as I remember. A better and more expensive solution. It is possible to conect two or more controllers if more then four legs is needed.

[@nobuckle40]

She'll love it!

[@Vyker]

This guy is such a boss!!!

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

1:55 This is probably the most excited I've ever heard Matthias (disclaimer: YT hasn't been putting his videos in my feed for a while).

[@fxm5715]

I like to use a tall stool at my standing desk, so that the transition from sitting to standing is just a few inches, and I don't need to adjust the height in between. The adjustable height desks we have at work use two sets of motors so there's no mechanism running across the center, leaving plenty of room for drawers/keyboards, etc. They do have limit switches at top and bottom, too.

[@ekner]

What a power move. Free desk? No thanks. I'll buy it myself and show the world what it's really like. I bet some companies may begin to sweat. Although I know Matthias speaks freely even about sponsored products, so I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make in the end.

[@billreddy7593]

Nice job.

[@JonnyDIY]

Matthias got me over here measuring my desk height now 😆👍

[@josh-sheldon]

I've built several desks with the Fully Jarvis frame which I like a lot. It's more expensive, but: - It has two stage telescoping legs which gives it a much better range (24.5" - 50") - The legs and frame are towards the back of the desk (not centered) with the feet sticking forward, which gives you plenty of room at the front for a drawer, and it keeps your knees free when the desk is very low - The legs have synced independent motors which have been perfect, looks much less fiddly compared to this sort of single motor system

[@artswri]

Great video thanks

[@Rickmakes]

I got a "commercial" grade (AMQ) standing desk a few year ago. The biggest difference I see is that it has a motor for each leg. It also has four memory settings. It is a little heavier built (250lb rating) but otherwise it looks kinda similar to that one.

[@larchejacquesclarel9451]

Nice. Always interesting.

[@cangooner]

I used the same frame to make a desk for my wife. It worked great and the only small complaint I have is that the adhesive on the clips supplied to fix the wires to the frame let go, leading to some tangling of wire. Fixed that by using some zip ties to wrangle the wires which worked great. Would not hesitate to use this frame again.

[@matthiaswandel]

oh, completely forgot about those clips. that's why I screwed the wires down

[@JonnyDIY]

1:52 Matthias is "moving on up!" 🤣💕👍 PS- with Companies like this I'll just take the free product, but cannot guarantee when I'll post video about it or if will be positive. That way no pressure, because like you said it's just not worth it for products not worth too much

[@linsteadpeck9288]

I sure hope you decide to make a stand up desk from salvaged electronics and wooden gears, I love your channel.

[@sephalon1]

I have to assume you could come up with a way to use that mechanism and also have drawers if you wanted. You're pretty damn clever.

[@69dblcab]

It was nice to see your kiddos hanging out with you and experiencing supervised danger.

[@s60t5M]

Love the shop shoes 😂

[@paulsmyers203]

Several years ago I saw a product that turned a non-automatic motorized car window into an automatic motorized car window. Essentially you hit the window switch once and it would roll all the way down or up and stop when it was supposed to. Something like that might be a nice addition to a motorized desk.

[@norxcontacts]

I like your approach to sponsored streams.

[@12600Grey]

It would be cool to see on the standing desk frame a minimalist skeletonized wood frame "desk top" area with reinforced areas for monitor mounts and a modular area for keyboard that moves in away or folds down. The same area is modular and can be replaced with a more normal work desk. This way is could be moved out the the way and as thin as just the frame base and monitors when not in use. Like a large TV stand on wheels but with the ability to change out what is in front of the monitors or have nothing in front, and modular storage underneath or down the sides to customize it. Thanks

[@SuperDavidEF]

I was going to say that the mechanism doesn't completely preclude using a pull-out keyboard shelf, because the mechanism can just go below that. But then I remembered the amount of effort Matthias put into just barely getting the original desk down to his preferred height. Raising the top in order to add the keyboard drawer would be precluded by THAT for sure.

[@captbeardy]

You could put spacers between the frame and the desktop to give clearance for the draws

[@johncochran8497]

He could. But that would increase the minimum height of the desk and right now, at its lowest, it matches his desired height. So any increase is bad and your idea would increase the height.

[@quilleymemory]

Aaaaaand now I want a new standing desk!

[@burchds84]

A live edge slab top would be cool.

[@TrotterG]

I've had a standing desk of this variety with and without the rubber grommets. Without, I got a lot of annoying tapping sounds from small vibrations like from typing. I found myself sliding paper and stuff in-between to dampen such noises. Then I got a new desk that came with those grommets and I understood why they were there.

[@harlanbarnhart4656]

I made one with Richelieu branded legs which were electrically synchronized, not mechanically. I was able to hack off the unnecessary parts to accommodate drawers.

[@kingmallow]

I have a desk that I love and I want to convert to a standing desk, however it has a drawer underneath it. I will love it if you decided to mod your engineering desk in such a way as to not have to have the bracing bar under the table.

[@SirRasel]

I am sure you should have some motor laying arround you can use it to build a mechanism able to clear the drawer on that desk :)

[@joshua_lee732]

You can use a duel motor system and still have a nice keyboard drawer.

[@daniellassander]

The gromits makes the table feel "softer" because they have a tiny bit of yield. You can easily test this yourself, they dont have any other function except reduce vibrations. If you live near a highway, traintrack or airfield it feels a lot better.

[@wissamkadamani]

I made a height adjustable desk for our startup. Used 3D printed bevel gears, threaded rods, and a cheap ass drill. Entire thing cost like $100 and it goes from 69cm (nice) to 115cm. It can hold easily 200kg and is huge (120×180 top)

[@aspartns]

There are frames with 2 independent motors and they don't need the middle parts. So it could be possible to make a standing desk with your custom built drawers.

[@guld3n]

From the channel I guess your kids are used to being around dangers, but anyway, what I did to my standing desk was move the buttons to the back and on top of the table. This is because these desks usually don't have sensors. One time I had the desk up, and my chair underneath. My young son had his hand on top of the chair, and he started playing with the desk's buttons, one hand on the down button, the other on the chair. Luckily I turned and saw him in time, his face in horror, his hand getting squeezed between the desk and the chair. It seems every desk seller places the button in front and below, but it's safer out of reach of children.

[@PabloEdvardo]

I'm sure you could build a table top that would accommodate the sit/stand mechanisms

[@edwardchandler1187]

I impatiently await ever episode

[@Tiredduke]

Could always mount riser blocks to clear the drawers. Just the top would be that much higher.

[@user-ln9id2xb5d]

Nice Video. Can you please share some more details about the electric motor used in this mechanism?

[@HowP88]

Just bought a different type of standing desk frame, and I'm also frustrated by the minimum height, especially seeing as the maximum height is so wildly high. It's an adjustable desk, why on earth wouldn't they think to make the minimum lower! Plus it's easier to make a desk taller with different feet, spacers, etc. than it is to make it shorter (and I'm average height too but have long arms)

[@EBT1987]

To do drawers, would it be possible to flip the frame? So the motor is at the bottom and attach the desk top to what was the underside of the feet?