DIY Trestle Desks

There is an aura that surrounds trestle desksso graceful, so elegant, so sculptural; they fit into almost any decor. But trestle desks are also very utilitarian and even simple to build. These desks are not beyond the abilities of even an inexperienced woodworker, so long as he pays attention to a few simple rules of construction. Does this Spark an idea?

Writing Desks

The Shakers were well known for their simple designs, and the trestle writing desk benefited from their attention. A writing desk incorporates all the basics of a trestle desk, so it makes a good first project. Because it is little more than a table with a lone drawer suspended beneath, you may find that a simple desk such as this fills your needs quite nicely.

You can build a basic trestle with three pieces of wood assembled into an H shape, then turned so one side of the H forms the foot, the other supports the desktop, and the third piece becomes the support leg. By changing the length of this support, you change the height of the desk. If you make two of these assemblies, run a crosspiece between them as a brace, and then mount your desktop on top, you have built a trestle table. All that remains is the addition of a single drawer, hung beneath the top with appropriate drawer hardware.

If you are so inclined, an Amish-style writing desk allows you the luxury of using more delicate curves and joints for the construction details. This is simply a matter of creating a lighter overall weight.

Standard Desks

Most trestle desk builders create a more complex top assembly. This assembly can be simplified into two boxes: a large box that forms the desktop and holds several small drawers beneath it, and a thinner box that mounts on top and serves as an organizer for pencils and pens, paper fasteners, mail, notepads, etc. This thinner box may be divided into either small pigeonholes or drawers, depending on the items you choose to keep there.

Because of the greater weight of this desk assembly, the trestles themselves will be larger and thicker. A standard desk will rarely have the delicate proportions of a writing desk, but it can still have a very graceful appearance.

Adjustable Desks

There are two ways to make a trestle desk adjustable. An adjustable top works well for draftsmen or artists. Use hinges to attach the front edge of the top to the main box-and-drawer assembly; then you can use either commercial hardware or notched wood supports to change the tops angle.

You can also make the height of the desk adjustable. This is simpler with a trestle desk than with one of the four-legged variety. Because you only need to adjust two legs, it is easier to get the table level this way. Make each trestle leg in two pieces, one of which slides inside the other (which is a simple box), then include a way to lock the height in place. This can be done by drilling a hole through one part of the leg, then inserting a dowel to keep it from traveling further inside the other piece.