UPLIFT 80" × 30" desktop: Is Acacia Chevron the best balance of durability and price?
I am going to order an uplift v3 desk in size 80” by 30” and am trying to decide on the wood. My priorities, in order, are durability, price, and appearance. I am considering the Acacia Chevron butcher-block option (1.5” thick) as it appears to be the most…
I am going to order an uplift v3 desk in size 80” by 30” and am trying to decide on the wood. My priorities, in order, are durability, price, and appearance. I am considering the Acacia Chevron butcher-block option (1.5” thick) as it appears to be the most durable and reasonably priced option. If I had an extra 1K laying around, I would go for the maple 1.75”, but it seems more than I need. My understanding of wood durability is that there are several ways the wood can be damaged: - Sagging due to weight - Warping/cupping due to moisture - Denting when clamped by monitor arm/collisions in transit - Being nicked/dinged up dropping items/collisions when in transit - Damage from liquids In terms of what will be on the desk, the heaviest items would be 2 monitor arms each with one monitor, along with my laptop. I don’t anticipate using the standing feature much. The other main options people suggest are either to build your own, for example, using Alex drawers, or to find a used one. I don’t want used, and I don’t have a place (I live in an apartment), tools, know-how, or time for woodworking/staining/sealing. When looking at the options I have for buying pre-stained and pre-sealed, it seems as though I would only be saving a few hundred dollars compared to Uplift, and having certainty that the desk base will adequately support the top to prevent sagging/warping is worth this cost. Is Acacia Chevron butcher-block the best option? Thanks in advance to anyone leaving thoughtful comments.
Collected discussion
Dude, I built this for $350 cad. Ikea has a herringbone countertop and I bought the heavy duty adjustable legs off Amazon. Slap a layered of clearcoat and buff the countertop. Save yourself $1000.
Don't have a place to stain and seal though. I also don't have tools, eg a drill
Thanks, another person mentioned it looks too much like "parquet" which i understand to be in reference to a flooring style. I might just get the regular acacia
Do it inside in a well ventilated room! I had a full shop inside my living room for a few years before I moved to a house.
Thanks for your reply. Did you choose walnut just because you liked the way it looks more than acacia? I have no idea how wood behaves over time other than what I have read on reddit while doing research...sagging was something that people mentioned a lot but good to hear I don't need to worry with the uplift base.
Yeah I looked into it. The husky workbenches on home depot aren't deep enough (only 25 in). I didn't see people consistently recommending any particular brand of workbench
Walnut is just a nice and solid wood. It was largely because it was a dark and solid color. I knew what I was going to paint my office, and it would/does look very nice with it. It also pairs well with my PC setup and color choices. I also do not recall if it was one of the thicker options at the time at 1.5. But that seems vaguely accurate. The chevrons looked dizzying to me and still do. I really don't like it.
Thanks, but 25 inches is way too narrow for me
Get 2 back to back and you have 50” lol
all encouraging to hear, thanks a lot for sharing experience. especially valuable to hear from someone who actually has this one
Thank you for sharing. My understanding is that bamboo is just compressed particles, so in theory, should be less durable than butcherblock (planks that are glued together) but in any case, great to hear that even this one is relatively durable
that acacia top will hold up fine, the uplift frame itself does most of the work preventing sag so you're good even at 80". only thing i'd worry about is the chevron pattern having more small glue seams that could open up if your apartment gets dry in winter, but a humidifier fixes that easy. for monitor clamps just use a small scrap of wood or thick cardboard between the mount and desk so you don't dent the edge
Piggybacking because I am an apartment DIYer lol. I stain in my bathroom w exhaust fan on on a big plastic drop cloth, and my daily drill is a $25 drill from walmart that came w all the bits! Idk if would be helpful but saving a buck is saving a buck!
I've had my 80x30 walnut butcher block Uplift since 2023. They ship by freight, are very well protected, and very well packed. Do not make a decision with that in mind. These desks are something you are going to spend a lot of time using and looking at. Get the one you like the looks of the most. It's wood. Expect some nicks or scratches over the years. You can fill it in and buff it out. But also get stuff like a desk mat, don't put sharp stuff on it, etc. I don't know why you think a wood butcher block is going to sag. There's a massive support structure underneath them that spreads the entire span.
FYI, walmart sells a brand called Greenworks that at least from a homeowner perspective rivals Milwaukee and dewalt for torque for drills and impacts and is usually under 100$ for a full set up. There’s a ton of innovation occurring in the battery tools space and the battle for exceptional value while not sacrificing too much quality is happening at retail stores like Walmart. It’s pretty nuts
What's the warranty on the motor? Personally I'd go for something like a work bench of appropriate height with a hand crank. Hand crank will never burn out.
You don't need a drill. You can use a screw driver to mount the countertop to the legs. Wipe the coating on in the bathroom or balcony. You could even wax the the thing, no fumes or goo. Or leave it unfinished and use a desk mat.
i have the uplift v2 with the 60" X 30" cut of acacia chevron and i like it a lot. it's holding up well after several years use. there are some clamp marks on the back of mine from mounts holding 49" monitors, but they don't really bother me and i don't notice them unless i'm adjusting my monitor config. if i could do it again, i would have gotten the narrower desk to more easily fit through door frames (my desk is on casters), and the longer desk (i wound up having to add a side car to mine for my computer). something about a butcher block is that they are going to get more character over time no matter what. i like it. you also have the option to sand and re-finished if you manage to mess it up so badly you can't live with it.
That listing says solid wood but I guarantee its vaneered. Don't waste your money.
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If you don't need a standing desk and are located in the US, the wood workbench from Sam's club is a pretty amazing deal for the price imo. https://www.samsclub.com/ip/ultrahd-72-inch-adjustable-height-heavy-duty-wood-top-workbench/15353851156
I've had the bamboo for 7 years and have had no issues.
I ordered a plane color one V2. It arrived damaged twice and then they denied sending me a third one. It was cracked. Second wasn’t as bad. It was all chance. Motor been fine. I believe it’s a 5 year warranty. It’s been 5 years. Motor only used about 2 times a week to go up and down so I can get under the table where I placed the printer.