A client asked whether I could do some custom woodworking and add a pullout piano keyboard shelf to an UPLIFT Desk®? Doesn’t sound difficult, does it? This is a motorized table that allows the user to adjust its height for standing or sitting or anywhere in between. Barbara is a pianist and composer and has lots of studio equipment for recording her creations. But most important is to have the speakers in line with her ears and adjusting the table height is critical.
Naively, I said “Sure, I can do it.”
I did some initial drawings such as this to show her the concept. Granted, this drawing has the shelf “floating” in space but, heck, that was beside the point. All I needed was some measurements and I would start making sawdust.
Well, it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. I soon realized I was in for a challenge. Even with some explicit schematics from the UPLIFT Desk® company, there remained several measurements that were needed. And in all truth, it wasn’t until the components arrived in my shop that I was finally able to take finite dimensions and adjust the shelf support mechanism accordingly.
Structural Pieces to Avoid
There were all kinds of structural pieces that had to be considered before mounting a pullout drawer that was to support potentially 200+ pounds. Here is what it looked like up-side-down in my shop (before & after staining).
Kudos to UPLIFT Desk®
By the way, before I go any further, I would like to compliment UPLIFT Desk® for a well-made, well-engineered, well-packed, easy to put together product and it operates flawlessly. It’s so quiet and seeks predetermined settings perfectly. Thank you, UPLIFT Desk®, for making my woodworking job a little easier.
But, back to my saga. You can see from the photos a lot of pieces had to be considered before making “sawdust.” The slide out drawer had to have very study side panels that spanned or avoided the metal desk structure and the wiring. Supporting a keyboard width of 62”, the drawer had to be soundly mounted with no sideway torque. Furthermore, the keyboard along with some “thingies” as Barbara and I called them had to clear the desk mechanism when slid in.
Barbara Playing the Piano Keyboard
The wood “thingy” sits on top of the piano keyboard to accept her mouse and pad.
The first two pictures above shows the piano keyboard shelf extended and Barbara sitting, then standing. When she wishes to type things on her computer, she moves its keyboard and mouse to the wood “thingies” I built to sit on the musical keyboard (note the mouse thingy on right side.) When needed, she can adjust the table to stand as shown below.
While I was challenged with this woodworking project, it’s a trial like this that keeps me engaged and focused in my retirement. Not that I didn’t mutter a few words under my breathe in the process, the reward was seeing Barbara extremely happy with the results and excited to be working on her music in this new way. Now her body will be in harmony with her beautiful music.
Do you wish to see Barbara operating her UPLIFT Desk®? Click on this link:
Video of Operation #1
UPLIFT Desk® is a registered trademark of the UPLIFT Desk Company, Austin, TX.