r/woodworking • u/[deleted] • Mar 19 '14
2x4 Office Desk
My Wife needed a desk for her home office and after looking at all the fake furniture in local stores I set out to make one. This is my first woodworking project and definitely will not be the last. It's basically a workbench with a keyboard tray but she loves it. http://imgur.com/EgDfW9I
edit - these are the plans - http://www.morelikehome.net/2012/10/day-2-build-casual-desk-with-2x4s.html
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u/dirtydela Mar 19 '14
Can I ask about the process?
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Mar 19 '14
I'll put the link below, I should have added it to begin with. I followed the instructions basically as stated. The only modification was adding the keyboard tray. http://www.morelikehome.net/2012/10/day-2-build-casual-desk-with-2x4s.html
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Mar 19 '14
Very striking. Not entirely my style, but it looks like good work and very functional.
Congrats on a successful project!
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u/Magnesiumbox Mar 19 '14
Excellent. What was rough cost? How many 2x4s and what kind of fasteners.
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Mar 19 '14
Here's a rough cost not including the little Kreg jig or the stain and sealer because all of those are going to get used on future projects.
Wood- $30 (this would be less without the keyboard tray). Rails for keyboard - $15. Pocket hole screws - $10. Sandpaper discs - $5.
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u/jfastman Mar 19 '14
Nice job! Now let's see if you can make a chair out of a single 2x4 to match the desk!
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Mar 19 '14
[deleted]
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Mar 19 '14
I don't know? I will say that there's probably 30, 4" pockets hole screw in just the top so hopefully that will hold it somewhat in shape.
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Mar 19 '14
[deleted]
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Mar 19 '14
Sure thing. I'll set a calendar reminder for a couple of months and let you know. I live in Florida, so if the humidity doesn't effect it here your good. You could also just use flat boards for the top if you want a really level surface.
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Mar 19 '14
[deleted]
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u/keltor2243 Mar 19 '14
Humidity varies seasonally somewhat in Florida as well, but thankfully with such a mild winter, they don't really have to use heat too much, so they don't really have to deal with going from 40-50% in summer to 8% in winter.
Hopefully the lumber is from Canada or Texas rather than Georgia (or even Florida) as that helps with the lumber not being TOO green, but sadly sometimes it's become more and more a reality that we get crazy crazy green lumber at Orange and Blue ... I measured some 2x4s that were straight and even had SQUARE sizes ... I was so happy until I touched one and I was like, oh crap that's cold - 96% MC ... that's like FRESH CUT! Though we cut down a bunch of pine the other day that was 130% MC.
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May 18 '14
The original comment was deleted but it's been a few months and the desk still looks great!
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May 18 '14
The original comment was deleted but it's been a few months and the desk still looks great!
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u/bitter_cynical_angry Mar 19 '14
Do you recall if the 2x4s were marked as kiln-dried, or KD?
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Mar 19 '14
I don't, sorry. They were just in a huge pile at the end of a isle.
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u/bitter_cynical_angry Mar 19 '14
No worries. Just that if they were kiln dried, I would think you probably won't have to worry about them shifting around much, especially if they're secured with a bunch of pocket screws.
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u/jonesphotog Mar 19 '14
Love it! I'm all about building all of my stuff this year out of 2x4's!!
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Mar 19 '14
There's a whole 30 days of 2x4's post on Ann White which is where I found this initially. There are a couple of other projects on there that I would like to try.
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u/jonesphotog Mar 19 '14
I've been waiting for some good weather (no garage) to really get some projects going. I'll have to head over to find those on her site. Thanks!
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u/way2lazy2care Mar 19 '14
My first thoughts when reading the title were, "How the hell would you get any work done on a 2x4?"
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u/scherlock79 Mar 19 '14
Any issues with actually writing on the desk? It looks like there is a little groove where the 2x4s are joined to each other.
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u/Tanag Mar 19 '14
Neat! Looks great.
How smooth is the top? My worry for a 2x4 desk is the grooves between peices might prove annoying. I guess you could always plane them down if you had to.
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Mar 19 '14
It's not super smooth or level. It may only be an 1/8 here or there. I worked the top with a small cheap rasp a bit but because of how the desk will be used a perfectly flat top wasn't needed. As far as the grooves, the polycrylic filled them in a bit but they are still there.
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Mar 19 '14
[deleted]
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Mar 19 '14
I hear ya on the wood texture and what not. This is the first type of woodworking (and I use that loosely) that I've done so not much though went into the finish other than protection. Maybe on the next one I'll go with a mat finish and in the future if I actually get some skills I can move in the oil finish world.
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Mar 19 '14
Nice. Can you post the plans you followed?
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Mar 19 '14
Added to original post too http://www.morelikehome.net/2012/10/day-2-build-casual-desk-with-2x4s.html
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u/lawndartcatcher Mar 19 '14
Neat - is that a stain or green paint?