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Custom DIY Desk with Swing-Outs and Extra Shelving

2012-02-09T10:09:23+00:00

I don't think there is any doubt that this desk was built by a Mac lover. The simplicity of the form and function makes this one of the best desks we've every posted on our blog. The foundation of this desk is a frame built from Kee Lite aluminum pipe fittings and aluminum pipe. White laminate was then cut to the exact shape of the openings and supported with tabbed fittings.

The success of this desk was fueled by two things: 1) a good vision and implementation on the part of the builder and 2) a strong working relationship with our projects team. Our projects team actually put together some elements of this desk in our warehouse to see if the configuration would work before shipping the components to our customer.

Swing-outs and Fold-outs

This desk has several features that make it totally unique. The obvious feature of this desk are the swing-out and fold-out sections on the side of the desk. The fold-out portion on the side of the desk is fairly straight forward. Standard L10 Tees are used as a hinge. When the side desk is lifted up, it is then supported by legs that are place into the L20 Side Outlet Elbows (these are put in place by hand).

The swing-out is very unique. The hinge is formed by an L46 Combination Socket Tee and Crossover fitting. This fitting swings on a pipe that is secured between two L10 Tees (one above and one below). L15 Elbows form the corners of the swing-out.

Check out the pre-construction picture below to get an idea of how all the pipe fitting go together on the pipe frame.

The desktop and the tops for the swing-out and fold-out desks are attached to tabbed fittings called LM50s.

Shelving Unit

Another unique feature of this desk is that the shelving unit was constructed separately. This allows the desk to be utilized with or without the shelving unit. The shelving unit has an integrated bar to support a flat screen monitor with a pipe mount.

The remaining shelves are attach to the upright pipe with L26 Two Socket Crosses. And use the same elbows and support tabs as the other sections of the desk.

DIY (with a little help from us)

OK, we know you want a desk like this, but here's the thing: you've got to build it! Our projects team is here to help you design and select the Kee Klamp and Kee Lite pipe fittings you need to build your desk. But the implementation is up to you. Call or email us today with your questions and ideas.

Space Saving Stairway Shelving and TV Mounting System

2012-02-08T20:44:29+00:00

Every once in a while we get pictures from our customers that really impress us! This is one of those times. Jose, used Kee Klamp pipe fittings to build an amazing custom shelving and mounting setup for his home entertainment system. This system fulfills so many functions: It supports the TV, speakers and lighting. It has a cantilevered section that allows the electronics to hang out over the stairway reclaiming precious floor space. The system itself provides a barrier, protecting people from falls. And then it has an entire shelving rack on the opposite side of the stairway for storing CDs and DVDs.

Here is what Jose had to say about the project:

This is a home entertainment center and shelving for dvds and cds also serving as a railing for the basement stairs all made with recycled aluminum 1 inch electrical pipes cleaned and polish. The tv and speaker supports are fixed with U bolts. The ceiling was re-enforced with 2x6 before the gypsum was installed.

Several of the components are cantilevered out over the edge of the stairs to reclaim the unused space of the stairwell. You can also see how the shelf system was made to fit on the narrow edge on the wall side of the stairway.

In most cases the shelves were bolted down to the M50-6 fitting. 45-6 cross over fittings are used to build most of the perpendicular shelves and rails.

The vertical poles were mounted to the ceiling and floor with 61-6 base flanges. As Jose mentioned above he had the ceiling reinforced with 2x6s before the drywall was installed. The TV, speakers and lighting is attached to the vertical poles with U-bolts.

Our congratulations to Jose on a job well done. We'll be sending him a Simplified T-Shirt for his efforts. Jose says he's working on a few more projects. When they're done, we'll be sure to post them here!

If you want to build a custom tubular structure, get in touch with our projects team. We can help you understand Kee Klamp pipe fittings and how they can help you to build a structure to suit any environment.

Portable Trade Show Booth Support Structure

2012-02-02T12:00:27+00:00

Fawnsberg made its debut at the National Stationery Show in May of 2011. The corner trade show booth used was constructed by Patricia Mumau and Rachel Mumau of Primele Studio.

The booth was built to be modular and free-standing. It can easily be assembled and broken down using common hand tools. When broken down, the booth is extremely compact and relatively lightweight for transporting.

The support structure for the design uses aluminum and galvanized pipe fittings and aluminum pipe. The free-standing structure was given stability by KeeGuard base fittings, allowing a compact profile necessary for meeting the trades how guidelines without compromising the strength of the structure.

“One thing we knew that we wanted to do was to build our entire booth in our studio before packing to leave for the show. We had the option to rent hard walls, but we really wanted to know what to expect from our space, and to have the option of reusing our materials.” says Rachel.

Once the initial pipe structure was designed and constructed, the other pieces could fall into place. The pre-drilled, painted panels were hung using various, common hardware pieces. The moldings, shelf, and signage were attached with 3M Dual-Lock.

“The whole booth was an outstanding success. We were extremely pleased with the strength and stability of the structure. We will most likely use the booth framework for years to come.”

Find out more about Fawnsberg: Fawnsberg Stationery

Want to Built a Booth Support Structure Like Fawnsberg's?

If you do they have been kind enough to share their design document. Below is a diagram of the fittings and pipe the used to build their support structure.

If you feel inspired and you want to design something similar, contact our projects team to learn more about how you can use Kee Klamp and Kee Lite pipe fitting to build your own modular structure.

Sky Barn Gets Started - Sponsored Tree house Contest Entry

2012-02-01T18:48:39+00:00

Our good friend Channing at Glover Design is designing a new tree house for his son. Sky Barn will also be entered into a Tree house design contest. This tree house features some Kee Lite aluminum pipe fittings supports on the bottom of the structure. These bracings give the tree house additional support and visual appeal. Watch for more pictures of Sky Barn on this blog as Channing moves toward the completion of the project. To see more about Sky Barn and Channing's other projects check out his web site.

Here are some pictures of his progress so far:

Simple Stairwell Railing for Converted Bakery

2012-02-01T13:47:53+00:00

This simple pipe railing was used to create a safety railing around an exposed stairwell. This railing was installed in the back hall of our customer's 1864 home. This is what Travis had to say:

This is a back hall in our 1864 home that was formerly a bakery. The kee klamps were absolutely the perfect solution to make a railing for the basement stairs. Easy to use and they look sharp too!

Travis call's out one of the main the strengths of building pipe railing with Kee Klamp pipe railing fittings -- ease of use! If you need assistance designing a pipe railing for any environment get in touch with our sales team. We'll be happy to look at a sketch and tell you exactly what parts you need to create a safe and attractive railing.

Multi-Monitor, Multi-Terminal Standing Desk Workstation

2012-01-31T20:24:31+00:00

You have how many monitors?! This desk was sent to us by one of our recent customers. They used MDF, black fence posts and Kee Klamp pipe fittings to create a multi-terminal standing desk that support an enormous array of monitors. Here is some more information about the project in Justin's own words:

A few months ago I got the idea to buy a stand up desk. I sit in my home office on average for 6 hours a day and couldn't foresee keeping up with that routine. I searched online for desks to purchase but wasn't impressed with what was available. During my search online I came across the Simplified Building site and saw a write up of someone who'd built their own desk. I figured I could definitely do something similar, just a few inches higher.

My plan for the desk was to build it in an 'L' shape with hanging support shelves for computers and other components. To get underway I started with the desktops and shelves.

I used a circular saw to make the board cuts, a jigsaw to round out the corners on the desktops and a router to round off the edges of the desktops and shelves.

After that I applied 2 coats of primer to all of the boards (sanded between both coats), 2 coats of paint and 2 coats of gloss. (It reads so quickly but the painting and drying, painting and drying, etc. seemed to last forever.)

Constructing the legs was an easy task after cutting all of the pipe to length. I ordered black 8' fence post from a local hardware store and cut them down for legs and support bars.

I attached and tightened the fittings, then screwed them to the desktops.

Once the desks were placed right side up I attached the shelves to the underside using 24" threaded rod to hang them.

The last couple of steps were to move the pieces into the office, attach a keyboard tray and support leg, attach the components and do battle with the cables.

It took a little getting used to but as a couple of months have passed I've gotten accustomed to it. I was a little worried about the stability of the desk, due to the height, but the cross bars have done a good job of solving that. All in all a pleasant switch.

In exchange for sending us this project, we sent Justin an Simplified Building T-shirt. He did an excellent job explaining the project and laying out the major steps. If you would like to design your own desk - for standing or sitting - contact our projects team and we'll be happy to give you advice and point you to similar projects on our web site.

Make a Gate with Kee Klamp Pipe Fittings - Chicago Children’s Museum

2012-01-19T21:13:33+00:00

This installation that the Chicago Children's Museum demonstrates how to use a Type 83 Pin Fitting and a Type 78 Eye Fittting to make a simple gate. The eye fitting attaches to the static pipe. The pin fitting typically goes onto the gate so the gate can easily be lifted on and off. In most cases, two sets of fittings are requried, but more can be used to help support heavier gates.

Kee Klamp pipe fitting are very popular for Children's Museums. They allow the creation of all kinds of structures and exhibits. Search our blog to see more usages of Kee Klamp pipe fittings in museum structures.

Creative Alternatives: Wood Railing for the Handrail Grab Rail

2012-01-18T14:45:42+00:00

This customer decided to do something a little bit different with the handrail for their home. Instead of using a metal pipe for the handrail they chose to use some wooden railing. The railing is attached to our standard Simple Rail uprights. While wood is not as durable as pipe it offeres a couple of unique features:

Not as cold to the touch. - Wood doesn't have the same cold feeling as metal.
Can be easily painted - We wouldn't recommend leaving the railing "naked", but with a coat of paint (that was maintained on a regular basis) I'm sure the wood would last for quite a long time.
Slightly easier to install - Instead of drilling up into metal pipe, you only have to screw into wood, making installation just a little bit easier.

We don't recommend using wood for a commercial pipe railing installations that get lots of use. But for residential railings that are being installed to meet code, it might make and ideal solution for the reasons listed above.

Retrofit ADA Accessiblity - Outfitting Wooden Decks with Metal Handrail

2012-01-18T12:15:47+00:00

One of our customers needed to make their home more accessible. Instead of tearing down their existing deck and installing something completely different, they simply outfitted their existing stairs with a smooth surface ADA Railing made from Kee Access pipe fittings.

Our unique ADA pipe fittings make it possible to build smooth surface pipe raiing that easily attached to an existing wood structure. From the pictures you can see that the railing was made to fit our customers existing deck without any major modifications to the structure.

Special pipe couplings allow the pipe and fittings to go together seamlessly, creaing a smooth grab rail surface that is ADA compliant.

If you need to build and ADA compliant handrail for your an existing structure contact our projects team. We can help you select the appropriate fittings to give your home or business greater accessibility.

Aluminum Pipe Railing Installation at Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park

2012-01-17T19:27:02+00:00

The Buffalo Urban Development Council has created a new urban commerce park on some reclaimed watefront land. A new commercial park called the Buffalo Lake Side Commerce Park has officially opened and offers both the public and commericial developers a beautiful new location.

The Right Railing

The new park includes hundreds of feet of Kee Lite Aluminum Pipe Railing. This modular aluminum railing forms a good looking perimeter around the canal, making the environment safe for adults and children playing in the area. Aluminum pipe railing is especially resistant tocorrossion and is a great solution when installing a railing in a water rich environment. Its modularity makes the railing easy to install. This railing was outfitted with additional infill panels to make the area even safer for children.

A Transformation

This project has transformed a virtual wasteland in to an urban commerical and activity center. The canal features a bicycle path, pedestrian trails, and fishing spots. Eventaully a pedestrian bridge will also be installed in this area. Below is a picture of the area as the development was beginning. The transformation of the area is astounding! Hopefully it will attract business and citizens for years to come!

If you are looking for the best railing for your next urban development project, consider a pipe railing made with Kee Lite aluminum pipe fittings.