Made to order student desk

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Made to order student desk

CrashAndBurn

668 posts

Ultimate Geek

#247869 27-Feb-2019 20:14

Anyone knows someone who makes cheap custom made desk. I know cheap and custom doesn't normally go together. But I just needed a desk with a specific width and depth as it will go in between 2 walls. Does not need to be anything fancy. A white painted plank to be honest should be enough. The desk top itself needs to be 95x42. I am actually thinking of buying a plank at Bunnings but not sure if they could cut it for me. Living in an apartment has limitations.

1 | 2

28187 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2188433 27-Feb-2019 20:20

Most bunnings have a panelsaw which can cut panels down to size. There is also some nice laminated counter material in the area where the planks are. I dont know if they will cut that but they are quite happy to do a couple of cuts on a 1200x2400 mdf board when I buy them to get them down to something managable by one person when I have bought them.

There are smaller MDF boards in the inside area around the architraves etc, probably a 1200x600 one cut down to size would be all you need, but that is a pretty small cut and I dont know if they go that small.

Also the panel saw is often broken, which is their speak for all the people who are allowed to work it are not there at the time.

Richard rich.ms

networkn

Networkn
32351 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2188450 27-Feb-2019 20:32

You could be cheeky and contact AUT and see if they have any word work students who want some work experience.

CrashAndBurn

668 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2188451 27-Feb-2019 20:37

Interesting as my son also suggested to check with their wood working subject. Just thought it might not be worth their hassle.

mattwnz

20163 posts

Uber Geek

#2188452 27-Feb-2019 20:37

Some sort of trestle table sounds like it would work. Ikea do trestles and you just buy a top for it. Trademe has quite a few options

CrashAndBurn

668 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2188453 27-Feb-2019 20:42

mattwnz:

Some sort of trestle table sounds like it would work. Ikea do trestles and you just buy a top for it. Trademe has quite a few options

Actually am thinking of just buying some galvanised pipes to act as legs then buy a plyboard and cover it with vinyl adhesive. I might just buy a handsaw, but not 100% sure I would get it straight :(

k1w1k1d

1523 posts

Uber Geek

#2188472 27-Feb-2019 21:19

"...top itself needs to be 95x42."

I assume that is cm? Woodworking is normally done in mm, so your measurements would be 950x420.

As suggested find a supplier, eg Bunnings, that can cut a 1200x600 board down to the size you require. Much easier, and more accurate, than trying to do it yourself with a handsaw.

elbrownos

109 posts

Master Geek

#2188708 28-Feb-2019 11:06

CrashAndBurn:

mattwnz:

Some sort of trestle table sounds like it would work. Ikea do trestles and you just buy a top for it. Trademe has quite a few options

Actually am thinking of just buying some galvanised pipes to act as legs then buy a plyboard and cover it with vinyl adhesive. I might just buy a handsaw, but not 100% sure I would get it straight :(

If you get Bunnings to cut it then it will probably be straight, but not within 20mm of what you asked for. Make sure you measure it before you pay for it and reject it if it's too far out.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

chimera

506 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2188730 28-Feb-2019 11:36

Dunno where you are located, but I got a desk custom made by "Stationary City" in Glenfield on the North Shore in AKL. None of the desks they had fit for what I wanted, so they arranged it for me through the crowd that supply their desks. Not sure what you define as "cheap" but worth a chat with them, pretty good service and the desk is top quality for the price I paid (can't recall price, but I remember it wasn't excessive)

CrashAndBurn

668 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2188731 28-Feb-2019 11:39

chimera:

Dunno where you are located, but I got a desk custom made by "Stationary City" in Glenfield on the North Shore in AKL. None of the desks they had fit for what I wanted, so they arranged it for me through the crowd that supply their desks. Not sure what you define as "cheap" but worth a chat with them, pretty good service and the desk is top quality for the price I paid (can't recall price, but I remember it wasn't excessive)

Thanks. I will look them up.

neb

11294 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2188749 28-Feb-2019 12:08

CrashAndBurn:
Actually am thinking of just buying some galvanised pipes to act as legs then buy a plyboard and cover it with vinyl adhesive. I might just buy a handsaw, but not 100% sure I would get it straight :(

Unless you're already set up for metalworking (metal bandsaw or hacksaw machine, drill press, welding gear), you don't want to go down this path, it's too hard. You're going to have to hand-cut them with a hacksaw, which will be slow and painful, drill them... not sure how you can actually do that without a drill press or at least some equivalent jig, and then again without welding not sure how you'd get it rigid. Just use 2x4's for the legs.

neb

11294 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2188750 28-Feb-2019 12:10

k1w1k1d:
"...top itself needs to be 95x42."

I assume that is cm? Woodworking is normally done in mm, so your measurements would be 950x420.

As suggested find a supplier, eg Bunnings, that can cut a 1200x600 board down to the size you require. Much easier, and more accurate, than trying to do it yourself with a handsaw.

Another thing, there are going to be about 1e7 how-to-do-it videos for this sort of thing on Youtube. While waiting for Game of Thrones to come back, spend an evening watching those to get ideas on what you can do, and how much effort it'll take.

CrashAndBurn

668 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2188751 28-Feb-2019 12:11

neb:
CrashAndBurn:

Actually am thinking of just buying some galvanised pipes to act as legs then buy a plyboard and cover it with vinyl adhesive. I might just buy a handsaw, but not 100% sure I would get it straight :(

Unless you're already set up for metalworking (metal bandsaw or hacksaw machine, drill press, welding gear), you don't want to go down this path, it's too hard. You're going to have to hand-cut them with a hacksaw, which will be slow and painful, drill them... not sure how you can actually do that without a drill press or at least some equivalent jig, and then again without welding not sure how you'd get it rigid. Just use 2x4's for the legs.

Thanks for the tip. Just realized that there is no readily sold length of pipe that is suitable for the height of the desk.

richms

28187 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2189037 28-Feb-2019 19:04

neb:
CrashAndBurn:

Actually am thinking of just buying some galvanised pipes to act as legs then buy a plyboard and cover it with vinyl adhesive. I might just buy a handsaw, but not 100% sure I would get it straight :(

Unless you're already set up for metalworking (metal bandsaw or hacksaw machine, drill press, welding gear), you don't want to go down this path, it's too hard. You're going to have to hand-cut them with a hacksaw, which will be slow and painful, drill them... not sure how you can actually do that without a drill press or at least some equivalent jig, and then again without welding not sure how you'd get it rigid. Just use 2x4's for the legs.

There are flanges in the plumbing area at bunnings since it seems the only people that buy the steel threaded pipe are people copying designs off instagram. Steel pipe is much more common in the USA as conduit and plumbing.

Richard rich.ms

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
8860 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#2189054 28-Feb-2019 19:54

CrashAndBurn:
neb:
CrashAndBurn:

Actually am thinking of just buying some galvanised pipes to act as legs then buy a plyboard and cover it with vinyl adhesive. I might just buy a handsaw, but not 100% sure I would get it straight :(

Unless you're already set up for metalworking (metal bandsaw or hacksaw machine, drill press, welding gear), you don't want to go down this path, it's too hard. You're going to have to hand-cut them with a hacksaw, which will be slow and painful, drill them... not sure how you can actually do that without a drill press or at least some equivalent jig, and then again without welding not sure how you'd get it rigid. Just use 2x4's for the legs.

Thanks for the tip. Just realized that there is no readily sold length of pipe that is suitable for the height of the desk.

It would actually be very simple to use galv steel pipe for the legs - so long as you have a hacksaw and hopefully a vice.

Buy four threaded flanges. They can easily be securely screwed or bolted to the underside of your desktop - each one has four pre-driilled countersunk holes - no need for a drill press. Definitely don’t need welding gear.

Buy four lengths of threaded pipe to suit the flanges. Cut each pipe to the length you want using the vice and hacksaw. This is not hard to do and takes only a couple of minutes per pipe. You could possibly get by without the vice so long as you can hold the pipe securely.

Screw the pipes into the flanges and Robert’s your uncle. Simple - and much easier than trying to securely attach 2x4 timber as legs.

You can buy all the ingredients at Bunnings or M10. Flanges come in several diameters and pipes in various lengths.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
8860 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#2189068 28-Feb-2019 20:23

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

1 | 2