Material for desk top

[Triggaaar]

Ok, decision made. I've just spoken to the company that make the steel tubing - on their website you can see some round tubing where connectors go around the tube and don't break the integrity of the tube, but the technical support assure me that the plastic connectors (which are metal inside) are extremely strong and you can't tell the difference between a straight length and one with a connector in the middle.

This is the steel tubing:
http://www.rosscastors.co.uk/tube-inser ... -tube.html

They say the tubing is used for DJ platforms and the like, supporting hundreds of kg, so it should be able to support my desk top

 

[Triggaaar]

Will you be able to open or close the windows and curtains without climbing on the desk?

That's a very good question The middle window isn't even a proper window, some idiot replaced 2 nice sash windows with a piece of glass. I'm having to sort that out, and my current thought is to make the left most window open (top and bottom) so I can do it without stretching over the desk too much, and straining. The other windows would all be painted shut.

 

[skipdiver]

I don't think you need steel to support it. The span isn't that great, especially if you have a nice thick top.

 

[Triggaaar]

I don't think you need steel to support it. The span isn't that great, especially if you have a nice thick top.

I thought 2 metres was quite a lot, even if I was using a 40mm worktop?

 

[HOJ]

That seems like a lot of wasted space to me, and an ocean of worktop if you only end up putting a keyboard and screen on it.

If it were mine I think I would shape the inside edge of the top to match the window shape, just thought.

 

[Adam9453]

I built a simple desk for a friend that spanned 2.4 metres.
It was very simple to build and consisted of a sheet of 18mm plywood (cheap spruce stuff so nothing special) with a 3x2 timber frame glued to the underside of it which rests on battens secured to the walls at each end. I glued a piece of timber to the front edge to make the desk appear thicker than it was and cover the framing underneath.
I routed a roundover to the top and bottom edge of the front because it looked better and avoided a sharp edge but its not strictly necessary.
I think all in it took me a couple hours to knock together so I think you may be overthinking the solution to your problem.

If it were me then I wouldn't bother with any of the metal work, just fix battens to the walls everywhere the desk touches and use them to support timber framework which will support whatever top you want to put on it. That way you don't need to put any legs underneath and it'll be super cheap to make.
You would need a handsaw, chisel, hammer, drill, glue and screws to make it the way I suggest (of course more power tools means its quicker to make).

Theres an old acronym which is "KISS" and it stands for "Keep It Simple Stupid", i'm not calling you stupid, infact quite the opposite is causing your problem, get some timber and start building and i'm sure it'll turn out great. If not, then its a learning experience and your second attempt will be much better

 

[Triggaaar]

That seems like a lot of wasted space to me, and an ocean of worktop if you only end up putting a keyboard and screen on it.

If it were mine I think I would shape the inside edge of the top to match the window shape, just thought.

Thank you very much for the suggestion and taking the time to post a diagram.

It might be a bit too deep. I could make it more like 86 cm, which would be up to the architrave, but not around it.

My current desk is 150 x 70, with a couple of centimeters at the back for cables. It's not quite deep enough, as I'd like to be able to put an A4 pad or a Wacom tablet between me and the keyboard, so I need a little more than 70cm, but I guess not as much as 96cm. I have 2 decent size monitors.

Although it's mostly just me at the desk, I'd like to be able to have someone sit next to me sometimes, which is why I've gone for 106cm between the legs.

In terms of wasted space, the question would be what I do with the space if not filling it with a desk - on the left wall will be a bookshelf, followed by the door, and on the right will be that nasty cupboard that's in the photo, so I wouldn't add anything else if the desk was a bit smaller - it would just mean a bit more space in the middle of the room. The room is 301cm long, so it would be 205cm from the desk to the back wall, or I could make it 215cm. I don't think that will make any difference to me, so it's just a case of making the desk as useful as possible, and I just thought bigger = better. I always fill my desk with some junk (maybe my new pretty desk will make me want to keep it clearer).

Having a little cut out is a nice idea, I'd just need to make it wide enough for two.

Thanks

 

[Triggaaar]

I built a simple desk for a friend that spanned 2.4 metres.
It was very simple to build and consisted of a sheet of 18mm plywood (cheap spruce stuff so nothing special) with a 3x2 timber frame glued to the underside of it which rests on battens secured to the walls at each end. I glued a piece of timber to the front edge to make the desk appear thicker than it was and cover the framing underneath.
I routed a roundover to the top and bottom edge of the front because it looked better and avoided a sharp edge but its not strictly necessary.
I think all in it took me a couple hours to knock together so I think you may be overthinking the solution to your problem.

If it were me then I wouldn't bother with any of the metal work, just fix battens to the walls everywhere the desk touches and use them to support timber framework which will support whatever top you want to put on it. That way you don't need to put any legs underneath and it'll be super cheap to make.

Thank you for the advice. I could yet change my mind, but I'll try and explain the thinking behind the current plan.

The steel is not particularly expensive (I'd need 2 x 3m lengths for £25), plus some joining pieces (£25). The reason I like the steel is that it's just 25mm thick, and I'd like the desk to be thin - room to get my legs under, without the desk being high. Most desks are too high IMO, causing us to lift our shoulders.

The simplest solution would just be to run a few steels across my window sills and slap the oak on top. That's not a bad option, but would give me a finished height of 717mm. I'd like less. The filing cabinet on the right is 672mm (4mm higher that the window sills) so to keep the overall height at 692mm, the steel (or any other support) can't go over the cabinet. Hence me looking at a metal frame on legs. The metal part would be extremely straight forward, they'd supply the steel cut to size, and I'd simply push it together. I'd just have to cut my oak spindle legs to length and screw the frame on top.

Supporting the, er, support from the walls:
There's no space at the back (the radiator comes up to the wooden moldings),
but I could run a piece of timer under the desk, just in front of the radiator, to save needing the 2 back legs. The wooden moldings (that are under the sills) are in the way a bit, so I'd need timber to come out a couple of inches, and then timber on top to bring the support to the required height.

You would need a handsaw, chisel, hammer, drill, glue and screws to make it the way I suggest (of course more power tools means its quicker to make).

Tools not a problem

Theres an old acronym which is "KISS" and it stands for "Keep It Simple Stupid"

Stupid is as stupid does

i'm not calling you stupid, infact quite the opposite is causing your problem, get some timber and start building and i'm sure it'll turn out great. If not, then its a learning experience and your second attempt will be much better

Indeed, no offence taken Second attempt! Let's get this right first time!

I expect the biggest challenge to be getting a flat top from my old oak. I've watched a guide on YT though, what could go wrong!

 

[skipdiver]

I don't think you need steel to support it. The span isn't that great, especially if you have a nice thick top.

I thought 2 metres was quite a lot, even if I was using a 40mm worktop?

But isn't it supported by the filing cabinets at each end, making the open span a lot less than 2mts?

 

[SteveF]

its not been mentioned yet
if the top is 40mm thick you could let the steel work into them with a router \ table saw so they are not visible

Steve

 

[Triggaaar]

But isn't it supported by the filing cabinets at each end, making the open span a lot less than 2mts?

Yes, fair point - we're talking 1.35m between cabinets, and 2m tapered down to 1.22 behind the cabinets. I'm just not that confident in the thin oak that I'll be gluing together without any biscuits or tongue & groove.

its not been mentioned yet
if the top is 40mm thick you could let the steel work into them with a router \ table saw so they are not visible

Thanks Steve, I did think of being able to rout the steel into a worktop a little - I wouldn't want to do too much as it will make it a bit weaker, but my current preference is to use my old oak instead of buying a worktop.

 

[Triggaaar]

I'm planning to take my oak to a local timber merchant, who can plane/thickness it for £45 an hour, and I assume it won't take very long.

It's been stored in my workshop/shed standing vertically (I know), so presumably I should store it flat in the house for a while before cutting and building. Do I need to store it before taking it to be planed/thickened, or can I do that first?

Thanks

 

[SteveF]

check for any metal objects first
you dont want to be paying them for new blades

Steve

 

[Triggaaar]

check for any metal objects first
you dont want to be paying them for new blades

Thanks. But should I get it done now, or do I need to leave it in the house for a few weeks first?