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Materials:
IKEA STUFF

Expedit 4×2 (2)
Expedit 1×1 (1)
Expedit insert drawer (2)
Expedit insert door (2)
Glasholm green table top
Forsa lamp
Dioder LED multi-use multicolour

COST AUD$490 (we get ripped off in Australia)

TOOLS

Circular Saw
Drill
Screwdrivers
Allen key
Couple of extra screws

Description:
WHY THE HACK?

I like the Expedit series of bookshelves and wanted to make one into a desk. I contemplated just putting a table top onto a 4×2 Expedit but it would be an 80cm high desk. I prefer to work at 70cms so looked at ways of embedding a tabletop into the Expedit.

I’ve put together IKEA furniture before, but I have NO experience with tools. None. Nada. I’ve used a drill maybe 4 times in my life and have never touched a circular saw. Closest I come to home improvement is watching a re-run of Tim the Tool Man. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.

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INSTRUCTIONS

Open up one of 4×2 Expedit (2 long boards, 2 short boards, 3 long shelves, 4 short shelves)
Cut 4cms off two of the long shelves (these will support the table top)
Cut the third long shelf just above the peg holes.
Assemble the 4×2 as per instructions. Use the 4cm shorter long shelves on the left and in the middle. Use the halved long shelf on the right.
Use the other half as a brace between the 4cm shorter shelves (will need to trim to fit)

Cut holes into 4cm shorter shelves, one of the short shelves, and the side of the short board for cables to run through. (Daisy helped clean up the saw dust)

Keep the 2nd long board for another project.

Open up the 1×1 Expedit. (2 long boards, 2 short boards) You’€™ll only need 2 pieces.
Connect one of the short boards to the side of the 4×2
Cut 5cms off the bottom of a long board so it sits flush on the middle shelf (in line with the halved long shelf)
Screw it all in and you have your tower!

Put the drawers into the tower.

Grab your epoxy and glue the table top down. There will be a gap of less than 1cm each side of the glass. Makes it look like it’s floating.

Stick Dioder lights to the underneath of the table. 1 for each gap, so only need 3.

Construct the other 4×2 Expedit, but only with half of the shelving (leave a 2×2 gap at one end.

Insert 2 drawers into that 4×2 Expedit

Bolt the two Expedits together.

Plug in the Forsa lamp.

Desk done!

See more of the Expedit desk.

~ Mick