Erica

@erica

talk account

she/her
cohost.org/aurahack

freelance illustrator, designer, and idk buncha stuff

@kuraine's wife

avatar by karu

ascari

ART COHOST

cohost.org/aurahack

NSFW COHOST

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Erica @erica6/30/2023, 4:11 AM

need desk recommendations

i feel like every place i look at desks are either $100 or $4000 and the thing is i need a good (and large) desk and i'd like it to be Good but i also dont want to pay a million dollars for one

i have an L desk right now that is fitting to describe its shape and quality level. it's 23" deep and i need much deeper than that but also i need something that can fit two monitors and a 22" display tablet comfortably and this is definitely not that

i've looked at some jarvis stuff and they seem good (standing desk is not necessary) but also pricey pricey and they dont seem to have L shaped desks in Canada but maybe i can just deal with a really long desk?

definitely want to hear from you if you're an artist that uses a cintiq or something similar and are really happy with your desk because i need something that i can use that and have monitors and use a keyboard comfortably cuz it's real fucking cramped in here right now

this is my desk for reference:

see the keyboard pushed off to the side there? and the tablet just barely hitting the edge of the desk? hate that shit. help me get rid of this forever.

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in reply to @erica's post:

Korika @KorikaAnders6/30/2023, 4:19 AM

have you thought about those under desk keyboard mounts?

Erica @erica6/30/2023, 4:21 AM

can't use em because this desk is too low and would kneecap me unfortunately

lydia aka DYKE TYSON @lydia6/30/2023, 4:57 AM

Uplift makes a solid L desk, it's 30" deep on one side and like 28" on the other. I suggested the Jarvis to a friend but apparently they discontinued it after they got bought by herman miller :( but the frame + motor setup looks suspiciously similar to those on my L desk, and my friend is quite happy with his (music producer so there's some weight on it). They have an option to sell the frame only if you think you can find a cheaper top to save some cash

Emily @Saone6/30/2023, 5:25 AM

I just got a big 6' glorified slab of wood with industrial piping for the legs/leg bracing and a tiny bit of hardware under the desk to hold everything together. There's nothing on the underside for me to bang my knees on and whatnot, and I attached my own cable tray on the back underside of the desk for cable management.

It looks like the original listing is down now, but this looks very similar to what I got, in an L form factor.

I love having a big long desk, and even if I'm not actively using all the space, my cats like sleeping off to the side (or, you know, on my hands). The 6' space is plenty of space for 3 25" monitors side by side with a bit of space to spare.

@CharacterSheet7/2/2023, 4:16 PM

Second this recommendation. I have two desks in my office and both are butcher block countertops I got from Home Depot, stained and then attached steel legs to. One desk has custom steel legs but the other has ones I found from an Etsy seller that were reasonably priced. Cost wise you can end up with a pretty bulletproof/solid desk for ~500 bucks if you're willing to do a small bit of DIY.

eggbug enthusiast @aidan6/30/2023, 5:29 AM

If there's a retailer near you that sells Husky brand, i have this workbench which is basically a wood countertop on industrial casters. It's under 300 USD and is actually also a standing desk. My hot tip is searching for "workbenches" instead of desks- they're built way sturdier and way cheaper.

Damien @eramdam6/30/2023, 5:55 AM

I can also recommend looking for kitchen countertops. I managed to get myself a standing "desk" using an IKEA Karlby and the main frame of a Fully standing desk for way cheaper than if I bought the whole desk from Fully. I guess those might be rarer in L shape though.

Jinti @Jinti6/30/2023, 6:20 AM

I have no suggestions but I just want to say holy shit your setup (frustrating desk aside) fuckin' RULES

echo wants to battle!@ysaie6/30/2023, 11:47 AM

it's a bit expensive (but not $4000, my god, how does anybody afford that), but i just got a standing desk from risedesk earlier this year, the large size (28"x71"). it was a bit over $1200 CAD after taxes and everything. i like it, fits 1 chunky cat + keeb + monitors no problem. i don't draw digitally, but i have no problem doodling in a big 11x14 sketchbook and being on the computer at the same time. i have a friend who uses i think a 15-inch XP-Pen tablet on the exact same model of desk pretty regularly too.

https://risedesk.io/products/rise-standing-desk-canada

Erica @erica7/1/2023, 6:48 AM

When you draw on it do you feel any wobble whatsoever, especially when it's raised higher? Think that's my only concern, it seems really nice overall otherwise.

echo wants to battle!@ysaie7/2/2023, 12:31 AM

i don't notice any wobble while drawing seated, no. it does wobble a bit when my cat jumps up and down from it. i asked my friend too, and she doesn't have any issues with wobble.

i don't normally draw with it raised up, but i tried just now for a couple hours. it was maybe a little more wobbly, but more noticeable from typing than from drawing.

full disclosure, i'm definitely a baby artist compared to you (love your work btw, super inspirational), so there could be small motions that i'm not perceiving just due to my own dexterity being the bigger issue for me. grain of salt!

echo wants to battle!@ysaie7/2/2023, 12:40 AM

if you can see these, here's photos both raised and lowered with my typical clutter:

https://staging.cohostcdn.org/attachment/b734d25b-ac48-4c48-bbd4-637e8fd362a3/20230701_173621.jpg

https://staging.cohostcdn.org/attachment/f73dbb3f-7a9e-446d-976d-c63dbc3eb494/20230701_173552.jpg

@Fraktruck6/30/2023, 7:27 PM

I have an older model of these. It works well for me, they make a corner version as well https://www.autonomous.ai/standing-desks/smartdesk-2-business