Building a computer desk

accensi0n

Need to build a desk which will hold a couple of PC's and some networking equipment.

It's going to be 82" in length and 20" in width.

What material should I use for the sheet? I want it to be cheap but strong.

I was thinking of getting coloured chipboard.

I would like to just have a post at each corner (2" x 2"?). Would this be enough or would I need to put another post or two in the centre?

Cheers for any help.

MathsManiac

I'm not a pro, but a fairly competent DIY person, and I've done both nice-looking built-ins and cheap-and-cheerful functional stuff.

I would NOT recommend what you've suggested, as the joints between the legs and the top are not likely to hold if they come under any great strain, and the thing will probably bow down in the middle from the weight of the equipment.

Here's what I suggest, assuming this is purely functional and you don't much care what it looks like: You'll probably have to buy a full sheet of board, which is 8 ft by 4 ft, so I suggest you make the whole lot out of the one sheet, as in the attached crappy diagram. I suggest a sheet of plain mdf. (Paint it if you want.)
desk.GIF

If the top and end pieces are 20 inches wide, then you should have enough left out of the sheet to make the back support about 8 inches deep, but the bigger you could make it the better (i.e. if you really only needed 19" for the desk...)

This back support would have to be securely fixed to the top and ends, and the ends to the top. Again assuming you don't care what it looks like, butt-joint them and glue and screw it. That is, make sure the edge is good and flat by planing it, glue it to the face of the other board, and drive some screws in from the other side to hold it securely, (both while the glue is drying and afterwards). Use something like 3.5 by 35 mm screws driven in sufficiently that the heads don't protrude. Assemble it all before the glue starts to dry, so the backsupport keeps the ends square as it dries.

By the way, while you're at it, consider how to help keep things neat afterwards: a few decent holes in the top or back, big enough to fit a plug through, might be useful, and, if you can handle the electrics, consider putting a bunch of sockets along the back support so you can then run a single flex from the desk to your real socket, (Hence, one surge protector there would cover the lot.)

karltimber

Hi,
I just built a computer desk last week from pine board.

My local timber shop/place (Navan) cut it to my sizes for 70euro.
It was 18mm solid pine board - what they make cheap chest of drawers from etc. It was an 8 *4 sheet.

I used L barckets underneath (so not to show screws) and stained it with a light oak and it looks cracking. You could even varnish or wax the top after the stain.
Or get a large sheet of perspex if it is going to be used a lot.

Just a thought.

K

This probably isn't much help to you at all if you plan to DIY it, but theres a couple of guys in louth called "M and L" that make all kinds of stuff. They made a desk for me that would probably the same as the kinda thing you'd see in an internet cafe (I wanted a really long desk to go from wall to wall).

It was expensive, but not very expensive (another crowd gave me a price and the ML guys beat it so..)


They have a website:

http://maguireandleech.com/



Like i say, i don't know if thats much use to you or not, but i thought i'd just throw it out there anyway

bigstar

hello, if its going to be 82" long it will sag in the middle. you should fix apron an inch or so back from the front, apiece of 4x1.5 will do, and if its fitting between walls just use some 2x2 battens to support it. i think plywood is better than mdf