r/DIY • u/alphahawk97 • 2d ago
help Custom diy desk
I want to make a custom made desk to fit in my office better, but I’ve never really done something like this before. My goal is to basically wrap my office with a L-shaped desk that goes into a book case next to a window, with almost an exact mirror on the opposite side. Kind of want to be able to stain it to match the rest of the house a bit better.
Is there anything I should be aware of doing this? Wood types, stain types, anything like that. Seriously new to DIY. I saw one of my friends do something like this but they painted it and after a few years the area by their arms on the desk kind of rubbed away. So any advice would be appreciated.
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u/StrandSSL 2d ago
There’s a lot of tools you need to build this. Someone mentioned S4S. It really means nothing other than it’s surfaced. Wood can and does move enough after surfaced 4 sides to make a panel glue up a nightmare, basically rendering the premium you spent a waste. You’ll want to let the material acclimate to your space before you work it anyway and it can move more.
If you still wanna diy it I’d find someone with a planer and jointer, (and Tablesaw etc) For the L shape, I’d stay away from a miter at the 90 and do two panels free of eachother so they can move.
Legs: Flowyline is common. They aren’t necessarily premium but look good and are easy to install.
I’d do c channel on the undersides of each independent section.
People build desks wrong all the time out there so be careful if you hire it out.
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u/MercurianAspirations 2d ago edited 2d ago
Bit late to this thread but where I live, you can get pre-laminated panels in hardwood which I guess are supposed to be used for kitchen counters and stuff. The easiest way to build a desk and have it be reasonably nice I can think of would be to get these, cut the shapes you want, buy metal table legs and attach those. You'll avoid having to do any real woodworking though you'll still have to cut the panels (requires a nice circular saw or plunge saw, or a lot of hand-sawing and squaring up with a handplane) and you'll need to sand and finish it properly
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u/NagromYargTrebloc 2d ago
I would consider a desk to be an intermediate level woodworking project. Considerable tools are required, desk hardware is pricey, as is S4S hardwoods. You could have $500 or so, just in the materials... no tools.