OpenDesk is a collection of simple furniture, designed to be cut by a CNC machine. Download and print it yourself or have it made for you by a local maker.
OpenDesk is about local making. What’s available to you — what you can make and what you can have made — depends on where you are and how much you want to get involved in the making process.
All the OpenDesk designs are available as digital downloads. These digital files are fed into a CNC machine, which produces raw sawn pieces of wood. These are finished by hand, a process that can involve oiling, sanding, polishing and small parts. The finished pieces can then be assembled by hand on location.
How much of this process you want to do is entirely up to you. If you’re a professional maker with, or with access to, materials and a CNC machine, you can download and make the product from scratch yourself. If you’re comfortable working with raw wood and have the necessary equipment and small parts (like glue and screws of castors), you can buy OpenDesks in “Sawn” form and finish them yourself.
If you’re not a carpenter but you can assemble furniture yourself, you can buy “Flatpack”, IKEA style. This means that the wood has been fully finished (oiled, sanded, polished, etc.) and packaged up with any necessary parts and instructions. Alternatively, if you’re not comfortable assembling or if it all just sounds like too much work, you can simply buy “Assembled” and sit back and have a professional maker do everything for you.
The more work you do, the lower the cost will be. Plus, in many areas, you may be forced to buy flat-packed or arrange the making yourself if we haven’t yet found makers who can deliver or assemble to your location.
However you get involved, we’d love to hear back from you, so do get in touch. OpenDesk is a labour of love for us. We’re very happy to help and would love to improve the designs and process in response to your feedback.
Welcome to the local making revolution — and good luck!
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