Building a desk ?

_Jimlad_

_Jimlad_

_Jimlad_

Soldato
Joined
5 Jun 2005
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Location
Southampton
Hey guys, anyone good with wood? I have the urge to build my next desk to meet my needs. I’m 6’3 in height and all my height is in my torso, so a custom size is something I quite fancy. The think is i have no wood skills at all. So first of all what wood would be the best to use? I guess I’m going to need some electric bits and bobs, borrowing them should not be an issue or even purchasing them if I feel I can use them again. I would quite like a slidey bit that comes out with my mouse and keyboard and also a back panel to keep the cables tidy. I would like the legs to be collapsible or removable so I can move the desk if need be. Yeah I know I should just buy one, but a man needs a project!!

So guys…
 
A drill and a jigsaw and your sorted, i too built my own desk due to me being 6'6 and i needed something that wasnt made for a 10 year old.

Nothing too snazzy, i got two 7ft firedoors, just the solid wood ones, cut one to 33inches which is used as a support to the left, then got 2x4 strapping round the wall and then set the second of the doors on top, drill her in and your set.
 
I will throw a pic up later when i get back from work, only after taking a new on the other day when i got my new tv.
 
I would love to build my own desk but i think that unless you have reasonable wood skills its going to look basic/pants compared to ones you can buy.
 
Yucca said:
I would love to build my own desk but i think that unless you have reasonable wood skills its going to look basic/pants compared to ones you can buy.
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i have no doubts it will look quite poor and prob cost the same price, however i feel it will be good fun, and be the right height at least

tedaC said:
B&Q wood is quite expensive - you would be better off with a builders merchants ( if you have one near by )
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yeah there should be a few about, do you know what type of wood would be best to ask for use?
 
01062008086.jpg


I still have yet to finish it off, i will when im bothered, sealing, painting, glossing.
 
haha, i just threw them in there out of the way, because to the left theres an old tv lying on the floor and a load of boxes, so they had to go out of the way!

Ive got my sky in there now which i got put in on tuesday ;D
 
Pine - probaby easy to get hold of and easy to work with, it's what most stndard "real wood" furniture is made of.

If I were you i would build it as follows.

Get a inch thick (at minimum) bit of wood for the table top. This will give it some class.

Legs - this is the hardest part.

If you were to be put the desk in the corner of a room it would be fairly easy to screw batons (strip of wood) to the wall, then lay the table top on top of these batons, and screw the table top onto it. The desk would be sturdy.

Legs are harder as you must ensure they ar level, they must be very secure, a forrm o brace could be used.

As for making them collapseable i don't know.

An idea. drill a hole straight through the table top. drill a whole into the leg. Put a bolt through the top of the table, into the table leg. Where the end of the hole finishes in the leg, cut a hole so that you can see the end of the bolt. Use a nut and tighten the bolt.

You can undo the bolt whenever, so it's entirely remoavble.
 
rossyl said:
Pine - probaby easy to get hold of and easy to work with, it's what most stndard "real wood" furniture is made of.

If I were you i would build it as follows.

Get a inch thick (at minimum) bit of wood for the table top. This will give it some class.

Legs - this is the hardest part.

If you were to be put the desk in the corner of a room it would be fairly easy to screw batons (strip of wood) to the wall, then lay the table top on top of these batons, and screw the table top onto it. The desk would be sturdy.

Legs are harder as you must ensure they ar level, they must be very secure, a forrm o brace could be used.

As for making them collapseable i don't know.

An idea. drill a hole straight through the table top. drill a whole into the leg. Put a bolt through the top of the table, into the table leg. Where the end of the hole finishes in the leg, cut a hole so that you can see the end of the bolt. Use a nut and tighten the bolt.

You can undo the bolt whenever, so it's entirely remoavble.
Click to expand...

thanks for the info mate, really helps, gonna have a look at wicks and b&q and see what is availble to me, but the batton idea could well work!
 
Depends on your budget but if you can afford it don't get pine for the top. For a start fresh pine will dent for fun, even if your very careful. There are far more interesting and hard wearing woods available but they can cost a lot more.

Best bet would be to get yourself to a timber merchant that deals with lots of different hardwoods and softwoods. If you go to a builders merchant type timber place they will just have Pine. Most friendly places will even machine the timber up for you if you tell them what you want.

If you do go for pine at least make sure its redwood and not white. Redwood is more expensive but its far harder wearing and has a much better colour/grain to it. Oh and smells absolutely loverly :D.

If you buy the timber from B&Q or Wickes you'll be paying way over the odds and most likely end up with warped timber.

The timber i would use would be either white oak or Ash.
 
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