/diy/ - Do It Yourself

[Anonymous No.503711]

Hello there /diy/,
I'm from /g/. I'm planning making my own desk (pic related (rough sketch) ).

I was wondering wich matirial I would use the best for making it, what sort of wood.
I was thinking of MDF, will it do the job?

are there thing I need to look after?

anyway, Thanks !!

[Anonymous No.503713]

generically speaking MDF is the best in terms of cost and rigidity buuuut it sucks to allhell to finish and make look nice. you can always stick veneer over it but it's hard to get the edges smooth and nice looking.

but, unless you have access to nice lumber so you could make it furniture-maker style it's still your best option

also are those going to be general computer speakers for gaming/music etc or for working with audio? if you intend to do critical listening you may want to consider reconfiguring them to sit with an acoustic centre at 1.2m and further from the wall. this can be accomplished by having them on stands higher than the displays and aimed at 1.2m at your listening position

[Anonymous No.503724]

>>503713
those are not the speakers i have, but I want to go mid-way, on the left side of the table I'm going to set my DJ setup, with other speakers.

The main speakers are not for pro audio, but some decent audio, if you understand what i mean :3.

so, MDF will be cheaper but harder to finish?
are there some other materials?

Pic is my current battlestation.

[Anonymous No.503731]

>>503724
MDF is easy to tool and finish, but will tear up your blades pretty quickly, and dull blades will ruin the edges, which will give you a bad finish. You can use cheap blades for MDF, just buy plenty of them and keep an eye on the lines for areas that are pulling away, feathering, or chipping at the cut line.

Use a good primer to finish if you intend to paint and you shouldn't have a problem. The main issue with MDF is it's tendency to soak in the finish (and do so pretty unevenly).

It looks like you'll have enough bracing to use .5" MDF, which will save a lot of weight. For a project that size the whole thing should weigh ~150 lbs.

[Anonymous No.503733]

>>503731
Alright, thanks alot!

another question, i was thinking of making a pretty thick base, with space between, for cable managment, would it be a good idea? Or will it be too heavy?

[Anonymous No.503757]

>>503724
Your curtains man...

[Anonymous No.503789]

Never put a case in a setup like that unless you want to fry your parts from heat.

Unless you have a computer which uses less than 100w peak it's really not a good idea.

[Anonymous No.503898]

Don't mind me. :) I'm planning on making a desk for a friend of mine.

pic is just a rough cad drawing of my desk I made for myself.

The top is white pine(I think), the legs are made of Dug. Fur. With a mahogany Stain, and 3 coats of lacquer.

All measurements are in Inches.

[Anonymous No.503910]

Stay away from MDF unless you never plan on moving it. It's extremely heavy and fastening it is iffy when you're not making a solid object like a speaker box. Not to mention it absorbs water like a sponge and there's not fixing it after that. Stick with edge glued panels or various plywood (sanded, birch, cabinet grade, etc...). It'll last longer and be easier to finish. For exposed edges, I typically use 1x2 to both cover it and strengthen the panel and keep it from warping.

[Anonymous No.503927]

>>503898
can the legs be set back like this? I always bang my knees on them if they're all the way at the corners

[Anonymous No.503929]

>>503927
I kinda messed up on one of the few important details

[Anonymous No.503930]

>>503929
>>503927
fucking forgetting the pic

[Anonymous No.503936]

>>503927
Yah, course I would counter the weight difference by putting shelving on the back. It's a good use of space anyways.

[Anonymous No.503939]

>>503733

It will be waaaay too heavy with a doubled top like that.

>>503910
All good points. For pieces that will need to be detached and moved, I suggest using hurricane nuts. Coarse thread drywall screws and wood glue will hold the rest together indefinitely. With proper primer and finishing liquid absorption shouldn't be a problem. Good points anon.

>>503930

I suggest a buttressed design if you want to do that. the lip will sag very quickly. If I leave a piece of MDF leaned up against a wall it will start to warp within a day just to show you how fast it can happen.

[Anonymous No.503943]

>>503936
the little thing on the bottom connecting the legs will keep the desk from tipping over; there shouldn't be a balance issue


>>503939
this desk is gonna be lumber, not mdf. Do you think it will still need buttressing, if the top is a solid piece of lumber?

[Anonymous No.503946]

>>503943
How much are you planning to overhang it? inches wise

[Reptile No.503947]

>>503927
>>503930
>>503930
we are probably going to do this design, with a plywood hardwood top(with a recessed support board, cross beam things on the underside of it, ext.)

[Reptile No.503951]

>>503946
Probably around 10-11" max
maybe less. when we get closer to actual build we will decide how far back to make the overhang

[Anonymous No.503957]

>>503951
That should be fine for solid lumber. If you see any bowing down the line, you can reinforce it in various ways. 1/8" x 6" steel flat straps, l-brackets, angle iron runners, etc...

[Reptile No.503967]

>>503951
Looks like we are going to go with an oak top, and an ebony stain. should look nice.

[Anonymous No.503982]

Neat thread. I have a glass tabletop that needs a base for it, but i have no idea how to make, how to even design it.

[SS+GOMAD Guy No.503994]

>>503711
I may be wrong but if you have the ported subs under the desk like that, the port will blow annoying puffs of air onto your knees in time with the music.

Just a thought

[Anonymous No.504008]

>>503982
When your out and about, just take a look at everything that is around the height you want. You'll be surprised at the stuff you can find and re purpose to fit your needs.

[Reptile No.504010]

>>503982
well depending on the size and what you want to make it into you could do all sorts of stuff with it.
also depends on what type of base you wanted, metal/wood/something else, if you want to make something or adapt something like >>504008 said

[Anonymous No.504095]

Thanks alot guys, I will.keep all these things in mind, and also ask some.friends irl.
Keep the thread going !

[Anonymous No.504113]

>>503711
Is that Rhino?

[Anonymous No.504194]

>>504113
Blender

[Anonymous No.504328]

>>504010
I already adapted some old metal tubes that used to be the stance for a much bigger table. It works horribly, there are tubes where my legs should be and i can't fit chairs properly under the table.
The glasstop it 64cm by 75 cm, the 75 cm sides extend in semicircles outwards.

I drew it wrong, the rounded parts are on the longer edge.

[Anonymous No.504348]

>>504328
wait...that measurement has to be wrong. So your table is 2ft by 2 1/2ft, that's a small ass table....like a bedside table or a small coffee table and you're trying to put a chair under it?

[Anonymous No.504385]

Why would you put your PC tower on the ground. I mean even if you raised it 8 inches it would be better. There is so much dust down there. I hate cleaning it out, so mine is always on my desk.

[Reptile No.505497]

>>503898
>>503967
Just an update if anyone was still interested.
I just finished the plans for my friends desk(see pic.) We decided to use pine instead of oak, mainly for price. going to use a plywood top with a 2"x4" running across the middle for support.

*all measurements in inches.

I feel like this drawing is a bit messy but it still gets idea/key measurements across. It's been a while since I've done actual cad drawings. :P

[Anonymous No.505533]

Bad place for your pc because all the dust will build up there and you cant easilly acces your I/O, put it on desk.

[Anonymous No.505785]

>>503711
What program have you used? I'm interested on 3D sketching .
Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous No.505846]

>>505785
Looks like 3DS Max

[Anonymous No.505886]

>>505785
Blender

[Reptile No.506062]

>>505785
Solid works is a really great 3D modeling program. Expensive as hell though.

[Reptile No.506711]

>>505497
Finally got to start on the desk today. here's some pic's
1/5

[Reptile No.506713]

>>506711
2/5

[Reptile No.506717]

>>506713
3/5 close up of the legs

[Reptile No.506721]

>>506717
4/5 after we added the back section.

[Reptile No.506730]

>>506721
5/5 and one with the back and top on. still have to screw down the top, add the trim around it's edge, sand, stain, seal, ext.

also you can't see it but we added a vertical 2x4 running in between the front two legs for support.

[Anonymous No.506906]

>>506730

Looks good Reptile. Would sit behind with my laptop working/10

[Anonymous No.506917]

>>506730
10/10

THIS I LIKE.

You should make a few and sell them to workshops/offices. Looks sturdy as FUCK

[Reptile No.507023]

>>506906
>>506917
wow thanks guys. :)

>>506917
After I finish with college my family is actually planing on moving to the coast, Where they are going to make furniture. they just finished a table for my sister that has a fish-bone pattern on top.(like pic.) I might post a pic of the table later.

[Reptile No.507254]

>>507023
sister's table

[Reptile No.507263]

>>507254
pic for friend to reference. some supports so it doesn't sag with weight on it.

[Reptile No.507727]

>>507263
Sanded/stained this morning.
This is right after i sanded.

[Reptile No.507730]

>>507727
2/5

[Reptile No.507731]

>>507730
3/5

[Reptile No.507732]

>>507731
4/5

[Reptile No.507734]

>>507732
5/5
I still need to go through will the putty and fill in the little holes.

[Anonymous No.507739]

>>507727
>>507730
>>507731
>>507732
>>507734
Some nice colour there.

[Anonymous No.507748]

>>507734

Bummer that you didn't do the wood fill before the staining...

[Reptile No.507750]

>>507748
oh i didn't on purpose, the putty I'm using is already colored to the same color as my stain. You apply it after you actually stain. :)