Glowforge Table IKEA Hack #1,452,742

Yet another IKEA hack GF table. The GF doesn’t arrive til Monday, so I can’t guarantee it won’t come crashing down. :wink:

It’s a BESTA cabinet (I’d recommend the TV cabinet, but that’s not what I have), paired with Bjorli legs, one OLOV leg for the overhang in the back (the table top is deeper than the BESTA cabinet), and a Linmon table top. The shelves are perfect for PG size (the MDF boards on the left middle shelf are 12X20). I thought about doors, but it would have limited the number of shelves I could fit. The books are serving as clamps while the glue is drying. I just glued the front legs so it doesn’t slide around. Please ignore the fuzzy wallpaper leftover from the previous owners of our house…

Edited to add a link to the post where I share the components: I'm officially official! - #18 by ChristyM

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Wonderful! Have a great time when it arrives!

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Thanks! It will be nice to be able to explore without feeling time constrained. And with a machine I’m allowed to clean!

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Nice! Love the open shelving for all your materials!

But I’ve heard to be careful the top doesn’t bow under the weight of the unit & can affect how the lid fits & thus the camera & alignment–you may want to add a couple legs in the center, too–MDF is not terribly strong or stiff on its own.

But also the power button is in the back right corner–so unless you’re really tall, it may be hard to reach w/ the cabinet so close to the right wall (something I learned as I had to move my GF from where I first wanted it).

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Thank you for the tips! Bowing is something I’ll definitely keep an eye on, but there is also a 5th leg in the center back of the table to help with support. I should have taken another picture from the side, but the white cabinet is only about 15-16 inches deep, where the desk top is 23.5 or so. The 5th table leg goes all the way to the floor, so it provides additional support in the center while removing a bit of weight from the white cabinet. If I do see any bowing, I’ll add another leg in the center toward the front. Fingers crossed it all holds up, but I’m not the first one to use a Linnmon top in a similar fashion. I just didn’t like the look of totally open shelves.

It’s funny you say that about the button. I’ve been using the GF in our makerspace and between trying to reach the switch for the exhaust fan (tip toes!) and then the switch on the GF on a higher-than-average table that’s right up against a wall, it was quite a workout! That said, my table is a bit lower and so I think I should be OK!

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What a wonderful feeling to have your location worked out! Looks great!

It’s a very exciting time for sure!

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