I started to get really sick of my computer desk in February 2001, so I did something about it...
At the time, I was really keen on the idea of building myself a new bed, since the current one is a metal frame supported with milk crates. The only problem was getting nice wood to make the bed out of. One day, while I'm whining about my bed situation, my friend Hayley starts teasing me about the new bed and bed frame she just got. So I ask her what she did with her old waterbed frame, and she tells me that she her mom is throwing it out. I tell her to hang onto it, and that I would go pick it up.
So, I'm sitting infront of the computer one day, noticing how disgusting my computer desk looks. The particle board is sagging in the middle from the weight of the monitor, looking as though it's ready to collapse any minute. I tell my mom that I want to buy a new computer desk to replace the one she bought me 6 years ago at Consumers. She then tells me that "a nice one will cost a few hundred dollars you know". Paying that much money to get $10 worth of material, and $30 worth of labour really doesn't sit well with me, especially while thinking about all the other things I could do with a few hundred dollars. So, I look in the breeze-way at all the wood from Hayley's bed, and then I get the idea that I'm going to build my own desk!
My mom helpfully informs me that I don't have the proper tooks to build a desk from scratch. So I ask her how much she said a new desk would cost me, to which she replies "A few hundred dollars". I reply "I could buy all the tools and make myself a desk for cheaper than that."
Budget:
wood: free
hardware: $20
palm sander: $25
sand paper: $5
drill: $20
drill bits: $15
wood stain, varnish and brushes: $10
total: $95 CDN
The whole operation would have went a lot more smoothly if I had a table saw, unfortunately that wasn't in the budget. I did happen to find a skilsaw in the basement, but getting straight cuts is impossible by hand. So, I tacked on a drafting t-square onto the board I wanted to cut and used that as a guide for the skilsaw. The wood from Hayley's bed is 1.5" thick pine, most of the board are a little warped and full of knots, but it smells good when you cut it.
To make the top of the desk, I used the sides of the bed and cut it into three lengths. On each length, I cut each side off so they would all be straight. Then I glued the three boards together side by side, using elastics and weights as clamps. Since each board had a different bow to it, I had to do a lot of sanding to get the top of the desk smooth. Once it was smooth, I cut the sides of the desk to the proper length to fit in my bedroom.
The legs of the desk were made from the front and back of the bed. each board was cut on a diagonal, producing two tapered legs. I used L-brackets to mount the legs on the desk, and used carriage bolts and locking nuts to secure them. After assembling the desk, I noticed that it was pretty "wobbly", so I made little braces that screw into the leg and bottom of the desk.
The desk also has a pull-out surface for the keyboard and mouse. This was made the same way as the top of the desk, only using two boards together instead of three. I also added an edge at the back of the pull-out surface, so the mouse or keyboard won't fall off if something tugs at the cord. To mount the pull-out surface, I used the runners from the old desk.
Once everything was fitting together and smooth, I stained everything using a dark Mahogany stain. I put three coats of stain on the desk surface, as well as final coat of varnish. The pull-out surface and the legs have two coats of Mahogany. The little braces only have one coat. I varied the amount of coats for each piece so everthing has a slightly different shade. (I varied the amount of coats for each piece because I am lazy, and didn't want to put three coats and varnish on the whole thing)
I'd estimate that the whole project took 40 hours to complete, more than half of that being sanding and finishing. I think it was well worth it, and didn't cost much money at all. I find it quite interesting how easy it is to make things instead of just buying it. The hardest part was designing a desk the least amount of cutting and joining. I learned a decent amount about construction, finishing, and economics with this project. I'm quite proud of my new desk (as you can obviously tell), and now I have new tools too!! :)
Check out the new desk!!
