# Budget, Solid Wood, DIY Desk [Build Log]



## Seredin

I got a request to do a build log for my desk, so I'll dump a couple pictures and outline what I did to make my current workstation desk, shown here.



All said and done, this desk cost me just over $100, not including me having to rent the Home Depot truck because my sissy sedan could never fit this stuff in it's trunk. I could easily see you saving money by going to lumber yards or scrap collection centers for cheaper parts.

So here's what I used:

for the surface I purchased a solid birch door blank, 80"W x 36"D x 1.75"T -- $52 (online it says $57, odd..)
for legs, I kept it simple and got 2 basic wooden sawhorses 27" tall -- $15 x 2 = $30
I picked up 2 sanding sponges, one coarse and one extra fine -- $3 x 2 = $6
you'll want wood stain, I chose Minwax classic grey as I hope to eventually have grey be the theme in my new computer build -- $7
also get some urethane, I chose to stick with Minwax just in case their products work better together, I picked up a satin finish because I'm not a huge fan of gloss -- $7
old bowl -- free
old washcloth -- priceless
Now, be warned, this door blank you just purchased is HEAVY. Well over 100lbs. I had an interesting time getting it up 3 flights of stairs by myself, but ended up taking my time, wrapping the ends in towels to protect them/walls from dings, and chugging a protein shake afterwards. All is well.

Here's what we looked like prior to staining.




So, what I did was set everything up outside, same as in the pictures, and went at everything with the coarse sanding sponge. Round off the edges your wrists are going to rest on, round off the bottoms of the sawhorses, sand off the manufacturer's stamp on the sides of the door, and even out any dings you might've accumulated (or that the door might've had when you bought it--mine had a few dings, and I took care to pick the best one).

Take a microfiber cloth and rub along the grain to get the wood dust off before you start with the finer sanding. Go over everything with the fine sander. You want that surface as smooth as you can get. You think you're done sanding? You're probably not. I took the whole afternoon just to sand everybody down. You don't want any loose pieces coming off, or scratching you, or ripping your clothes, or poking you in the face when you're on your back managing cables later. Go back over it with a clean microfiber cloth one more time before staining.

Now that you've sanded it, you can prop that door up, resting on a towel, and stain. Always stain with the grain! For us, that most likely means sand in the long direction of the door. That's why I propped her up longways, so stain would run down along the grain and get mopped up with my towel. I used an old washcloth instead of a roller for this application so I could control bubbles better. Rollers will bubble up a little, and you don't want to have to sand between coats of stain. I can't think of a benefit of buying a roller or a brush for this project, honestly, other than having to wash your hands a lot.



Put on coat 1 to the door and to the sawhorses, and wait. Wait overnight, ideally. You want to do this when you're expecting dry, sunny, warm weather. I live on the coastlands of Georgia, so I get that all the time









After waiting, put on coat 2 (I didn't bother with 2 coats on the sawhorses. I plan on replacing them with something nicer anyways) and wait.

Now you're ready for your polyurethane. I only applied 1 coat of this, and only to the door: it didn't feel like it needed any more than the one coat. I just applied the one coat, sanded very finely over some of the slightly bubbly areas, and called it a day.




Pretty good lookin, methinks! The only real downside of this desk is that you don't get drawers or fancy cabling options (well, and having to do it yourself, but that's not a real downside imo). I might replace my sawhorses with filing cabinets (you can get those for $40 a piece at your local WalMart or Office Supply) anyways, so I wasn't too worried about it. As far as cable management goes, I picked up a pack of nail-in cable clips, like 6 for 2 bucks, and used those as guide points along the backside of the door/desk/thing.




I feel no bend whatsoever when I stand dead in the middle of this desk, and I've let my 300 pound friend stand over a sawhorse and he thought it felt solid. I doubt you could say the same for prebuilt desks that would cost 4 times as much money. Plenty of room for 3 monitors I bet.

Thanks for playing!


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## Seredin

One more thought: if you're worried about it sliding, it won't. But if you're *really* worried about it sliding, they make these sheets of rubbery mesh that go under carpets on wood floors to keep them from sliding. Cut that stuff into strips a little wider than your sawhorses, and worry no more. That will protect the underside of your door, if you're also worried about that.

Too much worrying in the world, if you ask me


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## warensemble

pls post where you got the door. Thanks!


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## Seredin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *warensemble*
> 
> pls post where you got the door. Thanks!


In almost every Home Depot, Lowe's, or generic home improvement warehouse store--and also I imagine in any hardware store, though they might have to order it--there will be a doors section. Now, you wanna walk right on past the fancy glass, carved, composite, metal, and patio doors. Way to the back. There will be a section dedicated to DIY doors. In homedepot, where I got mine for $53, there's 2 aisles: one with hollow-core doors and one for solid. In my particular Home Depot, the solid core doors aren't even on the "doors" aisle for some reason.

Anyways, find the solid-core section (you can tell because the prices go up; a hollow core door can be had for something like $25 for you even-more-extreme-budget types!). I chose birch because it was the middle ground of the 3 types--there was a pine I think, birch, and oak--because I know birch sands well and takes stain like a champ. They'll be standing up next to each other, and you slide them out like books.

One caveat: make sure you're getting the right depth for what you want. They come in 32" and 38" depth, iirc, or maybe 36", but they're all next to each other ordered by wood type. So check the label of the best looking one you can find. There will be some with dings in them, I left those for contractors who fix up houses for schmucks.

I cannot stress to you how heavy they are. If I could do it over, I would take a friend, even to the store itself. The only dent that I caused to my doordesk was when I was turning it sideways to put on the cart. I misjudged how heavy it was and it slipped just enough to put a notch in one long side (the side that now sits against my wall).

Hope this helps!


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## TheCapn23

Liked the idea of the solid door for the top, so I'm building one for myself now. My father has a table saw + other tools so we're making legs and the lip that goes under the top. Just finished the first coat of stain. And damn those doors are heavy! Pretty inexpensive materials if you have the tools or know someone who does. Total cost of mats was $120, and we bought some extra wood. Will post a build log when finished, hopefully this weekend.


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## Seredin

Right on, mate! Post some pics in here too while you're at it.


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## MKUL7R4

very nice! I was considering doing something like this as well. everyone hates on my desk, but it's solid and really has nothing wrong with it


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## semajha

a perfectly smooth surface after applying one coat polyurethane? Do you apply a thick coating? I knew I should have used that instead of polycrylic. I've already stained my wood, so right now i'm in the process of applying the protective coating. The problem i'm having with polycrylic is that I keep having these fine prickly bumps all over... I do sand in between coats with 320 grit but it still doesn't feel smooth.

Nice desk. +1 on replacing the sawhorses with filing cabinets.


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## Seredin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *semajha*
> 
> a perfectly smooth surface after applying one coat polyurethane? Do you apply a thick coating? I knew I should have used that instead of polycrylic. I've already stained my wood, so right now i'm in the process of applying the protective coating. The problem i'm having with polycrylic is that I keep having these fine prickly bumps all over... I do sand in between coats with 320 grit but it still doesn't feel smooth.
> 
> Nice desk. +1 on replacing the sawhorses with filing cabinets.


I used a towel to apply it to knock down the bumps. The rollers and brushes leave little bubbles in the poly that come out before drying. I also used a satin finish because I really didn't want gloss (that to me sometimes feels sticky too, another thing I didn't want).

320 grit might be too fine. Just a thought. Polycrylic I think, if my chemistryfu is working this morning, should end up harder than polyU, which would make you have to use a rougher grit to knock any of it off.

Yeah the filing cabinets are a must :-|

Also, epic avatar.


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## semajha

I just felt that 220 grit was too coarse. I guess i'll try 220 grit, it's actually what label recommended, lol. thanks for the tip. I, too, am using a satin minwax finish. Not much of a fan for high glossy surfaces.

Quote:


> Also, epic avatar.


right back atcha


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## nonphixion

Great job on that desk op the color of the stain looks awsome

Ive been thinking about doing the same thing as you... Building a computer desk from a door. or i might see if i have a custom furniture/ exotic wood shop near buy and see if they have any large peices of wood they're not useing...


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## Seredin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *nonphixion*
> 
> Great job on that desk op the color of the stain looks awsome
> 
> Ive been thinking about doing the same thing as you... Building a computer desk from a door. or i might see if i have a custom furniture/ exotic wood shop near buy and see if they have any large peices of wood they're not useing...


When I lived in Atlanta, there was this place...and all they sold were exotic wood doors. I wish so bad I picked up something cool from there before I moved. Alas.

edit: oooh, 100th post! What do I win?


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## MDalton10

Wow this is awesome, im seriously considering getting rid of my glass desk for this.


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## Xtreme21

This is a great idea, I'll be moving to Colorado soon and was looking at getting rid of my current desk. Thanks to your genius I will be doing this once I get into my new place. How difficult would it be to rig up some legs for this DIY desk?


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## Tadaen Sylvermane

On topic I guess but trying not to derail. Where best place to buy drawer bases for the desk. Plan on doing same with a solid core door but want drawer options. Building them myself is out of question I don't have the tools available. Have tried looking for 30" height cabinets but can't find much of what I want.


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## Seredin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MDalton10*
> 
> Wow this is awesome, im seriously considering getting rid of my glass desk for this.


Do eet. I love my desk. Updated the OP to reflect where it is now. (link to table legs below)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Xtreme21*
> 
> This is a great idea, I'll be moving to Colorado soon and was looking at getting rid of my current desk. Thanks to your genius I will be doing this once I get into my new place. How difficult would it be to rig up some legs for this DIY desk?


Legs are as simple or complicated as you want them to be. I currently use IKEA Ullriks, because they fit my computer on one side, and my sub in the other. I think they look awesome too, check out the OP.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tadaen Sylvermane*
> 
> On topic I guess but trying not to derail. Where best place to buy drawer bases for the desk. Plan on doing same with a solid core door but want drawer options. Building them myself is out of question I don't have the tools available. Have tried looking for 30" height cabinets but can't find much of what I want.


Filing cabinets. You could easily put a wood or plastic lining in them if you don't like the metal. They come in 26-33" heights usually, and sometimes with a small top drawer for pencils and stuff. Plus, they can hold all kinds of weight.


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## soundbyte

How easy was the transports back in the pickup truck? 80" seems a bit long for a standard pickup? Did you have them angled so one end was sticking up over the back of the truckbed?

I''ll be needing to rent a pickup from HomeDepot as well and dont want to worry about damaging the doors during transport. Thanks.


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## mint567

I know he already said that the door is heavy (heavy and cumbersome) so you definitely will want to get a cart for at the store and most likely bring a friend. I am going to buy one once I move into a permanent place. You really do not want to have to move it any more than possible.

Also you can get them to cut the door down to 60" in the store if you don't need it to be quite as long.


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## Seredin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *soundbyte*
> 
> How easy was the transports back in the pickup truck? 80" seems a bit long for a standard pickup? Did you have them angled so one end was sticking up over the back of the truckbed?
> 
> I''ll be needing to rent a pickup from HomeDepot as well and dont want to worry about damaging the doors during transport. Thanks.


HD has big ole pickups for rent. I brought a couple towels, and propped the long end of the door up on the back. I live across the street from HD pretty much, so I didn't have to worry about a long drive. You might wanna bring some rope (or a person to sit with it).
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mint567*
> 
> I know he already said that the door is heavy (heavy and cumbersome) so you definitely will want to get a cart for at the store and most likely bring a friend. I am going to buy one once I move into a permanent place. You really do not want to have to move it any more than possible.
> 
> Also you can get them to cut the door down to 60" in the store if you don't need it to be quite as long.


I regret not having someone help me carry it up the stairs to my apartment. I had to stop a couple times, and ended up putting a small dent in one edge (I made that edge the wall-facing side so I didn't have to see it anymore).


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## Tohru Rokuno

I've done this with a hollow-core door and IKEA Adils legs - one at each corner.

The door I used was a finished 28"x80" closet door I got at an auction for $2, and the legs are $3.50 each.

The roommate uses it in his room for his computer. If you don't reposition the legs properly when you move it, it will bow in the center a little, but it's held up quite well.

I wouldn't recommend a hollow-core setup if you want to have your rig up on the desk - especially if it has watercooling.


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## fragamemnon

Every time I see that little BMO, I instantly become happy.


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## nvidiaftw12

I was googling how to make a solid wood desk, and this thread came up. Fancy that.


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## CJston15

New member here.

I am going to be replicating this build next weekend, in the event that the legs & stain I ordered arrives in time. Right now I have a glass L Shape Desk that is 65" x 65" and I can't stand it anymore. I hate glass, and with my triple 24inch monitor setup I have to have my primary display on one side and the other 2 setup to my side. With this desk, I'm also attaching a triple monitor clamped arm to the back so I can mount all three of my monitors in landscape on it. I figure I will mount a surge protector and some cable management racks underneath on the back side and drill 1 or 2 grommet holes for the cables so I can set it flush against the wall without needing and space for cables.

If anyone else has some ideas or suggestions for me I would greatly appreciate it before I go through the whole purchase and setup. I'm still trying to work out cable management, lighting, and what to do with my massive rig and where to put it. Also plan on purchasing new speakers (nothing crazy) so been browsing for a cool looking set.


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## Seredin

@CJston15, if I could change anything on this desk (and the only thing stopping me from doing so today is laziness), I would definitely add a dropdown to the underside at the back for more easily routing cables. A small little shelf to rest cables in so that every time I wanted to change something about my peripherals, I didn't have 50 cable ties to cut and replace. So yes, those racks and a mounted surge protector are fabulous ideas.

@nvidiaftw12, awesome! D'you think maybe your browser knows how much time you spend on OCN, and prioritizes your search accordingly? Either way, that's pretty neat.

@fragamemnon, BMO is best MO, IMO.

@Tohru Rokuno, I absolutely would not suggest hollow core desks of any variety, and you're exactly right, especially not for a watercooled computer to rest on top. A writing desk would be nice, or a dinner table, but not a work station or a computer desk. But in a devilish way, it's nice to have some validation for my choices


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## CJston15

Alright so I got most everything I need and plan on starting this weekend. The problem I have run into is that the Galant Legs from IKEA that I ordered are designed to attach to the Galant Desk Frame (that I'm not using). I'm trying to think of the best way to mount these legs to the bottom of the door without going through the top of the desk.

Here is what the leg looks like....



I'm thinking I could get 5" x 5" square pieces of wood (Oak?) and attach them to the top of the legs and sink the top down into the wood so that it's flush. Then I can just screw each corner of the wood up into the bottom of the door.

Do you think that would be sufficient? Or if anyone has any other ideas i'm all ears.


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## CJston15

Well I started working on it today. I have been sanding since this morning and just put the first coat of stain on the door. I went with a weathered gray wood stain which is a little darker than yours. However, I have decided to go another route with legs. These galant legs are starting to be a pain in my ass (they're designed to mount to galant desk frames) and since I don't want to just mount wooden legs from Lowes/HomeDepot to the desk I decided instead to go with shelves to hold it up like the OP (partly because my girlfriend wants the storage spots) and because I like the black. I can't find shelves of that size anywhere so IKEA it is I guess. Only problem is with shipping costs and time to deliver it looks like i'll be driving 2 hours to Pittsburgh tomorrow to get these in person. Which is fine because my GF and I have been meaning to go and look around.

OP: Are you using anything to hold the shelves and desk top in place or just the weight of the door? I ask because in my build I have a rather heavy triple monitor mount that clamps to the back side of the desk and with the weight of the mount plus three 24" monitors I don't want the door tipping backwards at any point.


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## Seredin

@CJston15 good to hear you're moving forward!









If you get the same cabinets that I use (Ullrik I think they're called), you'll be surprised how much surface area the door has to rest on. For a little added stability, I have carpet rubber sandwiched in between. That helps with sliding a lot. If you have anything substantial in the cabinets themselves, I can't imagine there being any rocking.

I'll be interested to hear how it goes for you, though.

ps: POST PICS!


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## CJston15

Okay so I finished it up this evening and did a quick setup w/ some fast cable management. I'll probably be fine tuning the cables here this week, and I need to vacume around the desk and also the front panel of my PC out which I didn't realize how much dust the front panel had in it until these pics. I just cleaned the damn thing out recently!

Here is what my previous setup looked like.
https://imageshack.com/i/0asd96j

And now here is the current setup with the new desk!
https://imageshack.com/i/g934lmj
https://imageshack.com/i/2he3lhj


Thanks for the idea and help Seredin I greatly appreciate it!


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## nvidiaftw12

I liked your old setup.


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## CJston15

No way! Having to constantly turn my head 90degrees to see my other two monitors was killing my neck. Not to mention glass is the devil and impossible to keep clean.


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## Seredin

Yeah! I like it. Looks like you went a more opaque grey, which seems to have turned out rather well. I dig the cable routing hole


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## CJston15

I'm making some minor changes. I ordered two 15ft MiniDisplayPort to HDMI cables so I can move my big rig out from under the desk. It's running hotter than I would prefer with it being tucked under there and with the curtain behind it there's not a lot of breathing room. I'm moving it off to the side where it is out of the way and can vent easier with the longer display cables. I also mounted a hook on the left side of the desk where I can hang my headphones which has worked out nicely.


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## UnderscoreHero

So tempting to make one. I have 2 lifetime picnic folding tables, which are very strong and easy to clean, but my Steering wheel and monitor mounts don't really work, the plastic just bends and warps too easily.

Need some time to make it so! Dark brown or black stain should be nice. (Was thinking plastidip, but staining seems more natural)

I think I'm gonna get 2 file cabinets from walmart (strong ones hopefully).


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## stn0092

What desk height (ground to the desktop surface itself) did you guys end up with? I've been taking a few measurements of the desks I use at various locations and they're around 28.5-32 inches.


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## Seredin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *stn0092*
> 
> What desk height (ground to the desktop surface itself) did you guys end up with? I've been taking a few measurements of the desks I use at various locations and they're around 28.5-32 inches.


27.5" (same as the standard IKEA table heights) for the ground-to-desk bottom
When I had the sawhorses, it was more like 28" ground-to-desk-bottom

That gives me a 29.25" ground-to-desk-surface height.


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## jartimus

I love the completed look







. Wasn't sure what I wanted in a desk until I saw yours!

@Seredin Can you tell me the dimensions of the *shelf* inside the desk leg? I'd love to know if I can fit my case and subwoofer inside the pedestals. I feel a little bit like a putz because I've had no luck finding the interior dimensions online.


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## Seredin

@jartimus

The front open face is 9.5 inches wide and 23.5 inches tall. My case is just shy of 8 inches wide and 14.5 inches tall, for picture reference.

The shelf is 2 inches thick and can be placed at 3.5 inch increments from bottom to top. Mine's on the next-to-bottom increment, and my router, modem, and power strip rest underneath the shelf.

The "cabinet" space is 20.75 inches deep, with the side panels extending for 11.5 inches, leaving 9.5 inches of open space at the back of the sides.

Hope this helps!


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## irun4edmund

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Seredin*
> 
> I got a request to do a build log for my desk, so I'll dump a couple pictures and outline what I did to make my current workstation desk, shown here.
> 
> 
> *snip*


Do you have your desk resting directly on your case? Or did you build some kind of enclosure for it? I'm looking at the bottom left table 'leg' btw.

Great job.


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## Seredin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *irun4edmund*
> 
> Do you have your desk resting directly on your case? Or did you build some kind of enclosure for it? I'm looking at the bottom left table 'leg' btw.
> 
> Great job.


Maybe this picture will give you a better idea of what's going on down there.


It's inside of a little cabinet / table leg thing from Ikea. The Ullrik I believe. Awesome little box, those Ullriks. I have my computer resting front-faced, in the left cabinet thing and my subwoofer is nestled in a rotated backwards-facing cabinet on the right, so that the subwoofer fires at the wall and not out into empty space (I'm certain I read that that was better one day in the OCN audio thread).


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## irun4edmund

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Seredin*
> 
> Maybe this picture will give you a better idea of what's going on down there.
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's inside of a little cabinet / table leg thing from Ikea. The Ullrik I believe. Awesome little box, those Ullriks. I have my computer resting front-faced, in the left cabinet thing and my subwoofer is nestled in a rotated backwards-facing cabinet on the right, so that the subwoofer fires at the wall and not out into empty space (I'm certain I read that that was better one day in the OCN audio thread).


yeah, just found the post where you mentioned they were from Ikea. Not really an option for me since the closest Ikea is ~400 miles and their shipping rates are nuts. I do like how they hide your case though, and I couldn't tell your sub was on the right.


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## Seredin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *irun4edmund*
> 
> yeah, just found the post where you mentioned they were from Ikea. Not really an option for me since the closest Ikea is ~400 miles and their shipping rates are nuts. *I do like how they hide your case though, and I couldn't tell your sub was on the right.*


YES. Exactly what I was hoping to do with them.


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## BabylonDown

Question to the OP and to those who have done this.

If I wanted to take a second door blank and use it to create an L shape, attached to the first piece so it becomes a total length of 116" across (80" length + 36" width), how and where would you put the legs? (Assuming your using Ulriks?)

Absolutely beautiful setup by the way.


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## Seredin

If I had an L shaped desk, and wanted to use Ullriks, I'd be tempted to affix the surfaces together with a couple tie plates, place the Ullriks at the two ends, and put a leg or two in the back corner:


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## Mopar63

Depending on the room and setup for the L I might go a bit further in bracing. If this is a "permanent" setup that would not be moved I would run a couple of 2x4 along the all and let the backs of the L rest on that to ensure you have a solid base.


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## BabylonDown

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Seredin*
> 
> If I had an L shaped desk, and wanted to use Ullriks, I'd be tempted to affix the surfaces together with a couple tie plates, place the Ullriks at the two ends, and put a leg or two in the back corner:


I was thinking of arranging the desks this way. I figured I would draw something up since since you encouraged me.









Thoughts?


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## Seredin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BabylonDown*
> 
> I was thinking of arranging the desks this way. I figured I would draw something up since since you encouraged me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thoughts?


Mopar is absolutely right. If you can put holes in your wall, and it works in this case, a 2x4 as a support is a pretty decent choice for leg-less support.

That diagram looks about right.


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## TheDude421

I have a desk in the same layout. I used supports drilled into the wall and have a bookcase as one end support and a cabinet on the other. No support anywhere else and that sucker is strong and stabil. I did use birch wood which is pretty strong


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## BabylonDown

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Seredin*
> 
> Mopar is absolutely right. If you can put holes in your wall, and it works in this case, a 2x4 as a support is a pretty decent choice for leg-less support.
> 
> That diagram looks about right.


Alright that sounds like a good idea. One problem though. I went to Home Depot here in Canada and when I asked if they carried any solid wood door blanks the guys looked at me like I was from another planet. Never heard of it, never seen it, don't carry it. Only the hollow doors...

*** MATE???


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## Seredin

Hm. That's unfortunate. They should at the very least be able to order some and deliver it to the store at no extra cost.


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## Mopar63

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BabylonDown*
> 
> Alright that sounds like a good idea. One problem though. I went to Home Depot here in Canada and when I asked if they carried any solid wood door blanks the guys looked at me like I was from another planet. Never heard of it, never seen it, don't carry it. Only the hollow doors...
> 
> *** MATE???


That's odd, local Home Depot has to order them but knows of them, local Lowes and Menards have them in stock in a couple of different wood grains.


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## BabylonDown

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Mopar63*
> 
> That's odd, local Home Depot has to order them but knows of them, local Lowes and Menards have them in stock in a couple of different wood grains.


Lucky Americans.







I didn't get a chance to check out Lowes today, but will hopefully tomorrow.

I picked up a couple Ikea Linnmons in Black/Brown last night just to see what all the fuss was about and I must say, as soon as I set it up, I immediately set up my old desk. It's so light and flimsy and I just know the surface is going to be a nightmare to keep looking clean. I'm packing her back up and bringing it right back to Ikea. Now I can't WAIT to make my own desk top.









Thanks for the inspiration!


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## theFidel

that is one awesome built-up! great job you did there! is it really that solid? can it hold 2-3 PCs and some extras [speakers etc] ?


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## Seredin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *theFidel*
> 
> that is one awesome built-up! great job you did there! is it really that solid? can it hold 2-3 PCs and some extras [speakers etc] ?


It already holds 2 bookshelf speakers, a heavier-than-usual-receiver, a Nintendo, an N64, 2x 22" monitors, a laptop, a Model M, and my arms like a champ.

When I had sawhorses as the legs, I could stand in the middle of the door and it wouldn't even sag. The legs I feel like are the weight-limiting element of my desk.


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## theFidel

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Seredin*
> 
> It already holds 2 bookshelf speakers, a heavier-than-usual-receiver, a Nintendo, an N64, 2x 22" monitors, a laptop, a Model M, and my arms like a champ.
> 
> When I had sawhorses as the legs, I could stand in the middle of the door and it wouldn't even sag. The legs I feel like are the weight-limiting element of my desk.


that is some heavy load. what can i say - perfectly done! will try to copy it


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## stn0092

Regarding the Ikea Ullriks you're using, did they come in colour varieties at the time? I'm looking at the Ikea website and they only list white.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/11845/


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## Seredin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *stn0092*
> 
> Regarding the Ikea Ullriks you're using, did they come in colour varieties at the time? I'm looking at the Ikea website and they only list white.
> 
> http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/11845/


They did, yes. There were three options: white, black, and natural. I live near enough to an Ikea store to make the journey every so often, it might be that some stores have different stock than the website? Or maybe the other colors sold out and the item isn't being re-manufactured. I dunno. That stinks.


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## Mopar63

Reviving this thread as I am finally going to do my man cave and want to do this desk. I am looking to do an L shape with two desks, the first will be the full 80" long and the second will be cut down a few inches, looking to go with 30" or 32" width because I will end up with a lot of wasted space in the corner if I go 36", but at the same time I love the thought of doing 36.

I have been looking for the leg/shelf from Ikea mentioned here and do not see it on the store. I have looked at a few others but they seem to be limited to 22" and with the desk being 32 to 36 I am wondering if that is enough support.

Also any tips you have learned since doing it to make it even better would be awesome. I did find that Ikea does a wirred tray for cable management I can hang under the desk to help with keeping a clean look.


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## ibreakspawns

Mopar,

Were you able to figure out what to use for the table legs? The ULLRIK's seem to be short supply.


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## PhotonFanatic

Nice build!


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## StevieRayVaughan

love this. this is the vision in my head i had for a desk but couldn't quite figure out what it was. No pre-made desks were what i wanted. I searched google and found a few sites where people had made these and this is exactly what i want for a desk. nice work OP.


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