Standing Desk Motor Bracket

This is a bracket to convert hand-crank IKEA standing desks to a motorized version. I have been slowly improving my conversion, and this bracket has really helped, at least in my situation.

I printed this with 8 walls and 40% gyroid infill, and it is very sturdy. The motor I used is a windshield wiper motor from a 2001 Saturn that I purchased years ago for $25. It is able to lift a 58-inch Samsung monitor, a heavy engineering Dell laptop, a solid wood desktop that I replaced the original top with, and a 26-inch Dell monitor and arm. It is not fast, but it works great.

I use a 12V power supply from an old 3D printer and a window up/down switch to reverse the polarity to the motor, allowing it to move the desk up and down.

The bracket allows the motor shaft to align with the input shaft of the rotational hand crank. Proper alignment is important. If the shafts are not aligned, you will likely end up breaking the extension drill drives I’ve linked below.

I cut the hand crank off and used some components to connect to the motor.

Parts Required

The following parts are required to motorize the IKEA TROTTEN hand-crank standing desk using this bracket.

1. IKEA TROTTEN Sit/Stand Desk

[IKEA TROTTEN Sit/Stand Desk https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/trotten-desk-sit-stand-beige-white-s89434127/

The bracket is designed specifically for the manual crank mechanism used on the IKEA TROTTEN standing desk or similar.

2. 12V DC Windshield Wiper Motor

[12V DC Windshield Wiper Motor* https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08V8QTBPC

A 12V windshield wiper motor is used to drive the desk's crank mechanism. I personally used a windshield wiper motor from a 2001 Saturn that I purchased years ago for $25.

3. Flexible Shaft Extension

[Flexible Drill/Screwdriver Extension* https://www.amazon.com/AUTOTOOLHOME-Flexible-Extension-Ratchet-Screwdriver/dp/B01M7N041K

This connects the motor shaft to the IKEA crank shaft.

Important: Proper alignment between the motor shaft and crank shaft is critical. If they are not aligned correctly, the flexible extension can be damaged or broken. This is the primary reason for using the printed motor bracket.

4. 12V Momentary UP/DOWN Switch

[12V Universal Momentary Window UP/DOWN Switch + Harness https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Control-Momentary-Harness-Backlight/dp/B0C8TWWCPD

This switch reverses the polarity to the DC motor, allowing the desk to move up and down.

5. 12V DC Power Supply

A 12V DC power supply is required to power the motor. I used a 12V power supply from an old 3D printer.

Make sure your power supply can provide sufficient current for the motor you are using.

6. 3D-Printed Motor Bracket

Print the bracket with:

* 8 walls/perimeters

* 40% gyroid infill

* PLA or another suitable rigid filament

The bracket is designed to securely mount the motor while keeping the motor shaft properly aligned with the IKEA crank mechanism.