How to Build Your Own Desk From Scratch
Are you wondering how to build your own desk? Whether you are a hobbyist, a student, or an experienced carpenter, you can learn how to build your own desk from scratch. Read this article and discover how to take your project from start to finish and learn about the tools list you need to get started.
With some creativity and practice, you can build cool desk designs and make money from creating custom desks. Learning how to build a desk could be your first step to creating a successful desk-building business. This article offers a step-by-step guide to building a desk from scratch.
Why You Should Build Your Own Desk
Creating a DIY desk can be relatively cheaper than buying a new one. You can also customize your homemade desk, creating your own design and style. If you are planning to enter carpentry, a desk is a great project to start with.
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A desk is a very helpful piece of furniture to have at home. Students need a study desk to do their homework and projects comfortably. Work-from-home employees are also required to have an office desk where they place their work equipment, letting them do their jobs efficiently. A DIY project lets you create your own customizable and affordable desk.
How Hard Is It to Build Your Own Desk?
Building a DIY desk project will be easier if you have basic carpentry skills and experience using basic power tools and construction tools. However, you can still build a simple desk with little to no experience in making furniture. If you follow the instructions, put in some elbow grease, and choose quality materials for your project, you can successfully build a simple DIY desk.
How Long Does It Take to Build a Desk?
You can construct and finish a basic desk within a day or two as long as you prepare all the necessary materials. If you’re building a desk with drawers, adjustable desk legs, or additional storage, the project will be more time-consuming and you’ll require more materials to prepare.
How Much Does It Cost to Build Your Own Desk?
A simple, budget-friendly DIY desk can cost $40 to $90 to build. However, creating a modern desk for a modern home office or a desk with bigger dimensions and plenty of storage space can be more costly. Buying or renting tools can add to your expenses as well. If you keep your desk plans simple, it doesn’t have to take hundreds of dollars to complete the project.
How Much Cheaper Is It to Build Your Own Desk?
While a DIY desk can cost less than a hundred dollars, buying a desk can cost between $80 to $200. The quality and the labor cost are some of the factors affecting its price. Building your own desk can be much cheaper than buying a new one and it allows you to customize and design your desk according to your preferences and creativity skills.
What Do You Need to Build Your Own Desk?
Building a DIY desk will require you to invest in materials. This section features the basic tools you need to prepare before building your own simple desk. You need pieces of wood and other tools used in carpentry. Knowledge of using these tools will make it easier for you to build your desk. Read on and start creating your material list.
- Wood. Wood is the main material you need for building your own desk. Plywood will be used for the bottom boards and sturdy pieces of wood will be used for the legs. You’ll need floorboards for the top surface. Oak is a popular type of wood that’s sturdy and recommended for desks. However, you can also use cherry, walnut, and maple wood.
- Pallet. A pallet will serve as the center part of the desk. For this project, you’ll need one large pallet with 2.5-meter-long slats.
- Hammer. As a budding carpenter, you’ll never put this tool down! A claw hammer is used to insert or remove nails on your desk.
- Screws. Just like hammers, screws are always used in construction. You’ll need screws of varying sizes to fix or fasten the wood when building your desk.
- Saw. This tool will be used to cut wood according to the desired sizes. You must be skilled with using a saw to get the precise size and shape you want for your wood.
- Sandpaper. This grainy paper is used to smoothen rough surfaces. Sandpaper is a great tool for removing scratches on wood. You will need 80-grade sandpaper for this project, as well as another, finer, sandpaper for the finishing touches. Sandpaper is used in the final stages of building your desk.
- PVA Glue. This glue will be used to fill any awkward gaps between pieces of wood.
- Varnish. This is used to give your desk a glossy look. Varnish coating enhances the desk’s appearance and protects the surface of your desk.
Building Your Desk From Scratch: A Step-by-Step Guide
To successfully build a DIY desk, hard work and determination are required. You’ll also need basic carpentry skills and knowledge of measuring materials. In this section, we provide easy steps to guide you through building a simple pallet desk, one of the best budget home-working options when it comes to desks. Carefully read and follow each basic step.
Prepare all the Materials
Before you build your desk, prepare all the necessary materials from your tools list. This will include preparing and cleaning your workspace, determining the measurements of each piece of wood, and cutting them according to the specified sizes, such as the height of the table legs and the length of the plywood and pallet. The floor plywood and the floorboard must be the same size as the pallet.
Dismantle the Pallet
You can use different tools like a wrecking or crowbar, a metal saw, or a nail puller to dismantle the pallet. Remove all the nails in the wood and think of ways you can improve the pallet to transform it into a nice desk.
Fix all the Pieces Together
In this stage, you will now fix all the wood together using nails or screws and a hammer, screwdriver, or drill, following these step-by-step instructions.
- Fix the bottom boards to the plywood.
- Fasten the cross blocks, used for support, to the plywood.
- Nail on the floorboards, used for the top of the desk, onto the cross blocks.
- Once the desk is all set, you can now fix its four leg units using nails or screws and PVA glue to fill the gaps and make the legs extra stable.
Fill the Gaps Between the Wood
Spread PVA bond glue over the surface of your desk. PVA will fill the gaps between the pallet slats. You can apply this wood filler to your desk twice, as it will also help to conceal the countersunk screws you used.
Sand and Coat
Use the 80-grade sandpaper and run the sandpaper back and forth across the surface in a straight motion until it smoothens the rough edges. This is a great way to remove excess glue and wood grain.
Apply at least two coats of varnish then use a finer sandpaper, at least 120 grade, before applying the final coat of varnish and finishing your desk. If you want to be more creative with your desk, you can use different colors of paint before varnishing.
How to Monetize Your Carpentry Skills
You can build and sell your own affordable DIY desks through an ecommerce platform like Etsy. This is a popular option, as according to Statista, Etsy hosts 3.4 million active sellers, Reach a wider audience by being creative and resourceful, and making unique, affordable, and in-demand desks like office desks, standing desks, and drawing desks.
Another way to make money with DIY desks is by accepting customized desk orders. Your commission price may vary based on the design, material, and complexity of the desk. You can also further your skills and become a full-time carpenter. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, carpenters earn an average wage of $49,520 and have a job outlook of two percent.
Gather Feedback, Reflect, and Iterate
Building your own desk is a fun and exciting project. Since a desk is relatively easy to build and doesn’t require adept expertise, even students can create their own desks and make money out of them. You can innovate and design different and unique desks. Once you understand the basics of desk construction, your creativity has no limits.
This project requires commitment and investment. You need to work hard and invest your time and resources into building a desk with your own hands. However, whatever you invest and commit to this project will be worth it when you finish and use or sell your own desk. If you are looking for other DIY projects, consider building your own keyboard next.
How to Build Your Own Desk FAQ
To build a desk, you need to have at least basic skills in carpentry. You also need to have woodworking skills and the ability and funds to choose a high-quality type of wood. Other skills you must have are knowledge of measurements and using measuring tools.
The first step in building a DIY desk is to create designs for the desk. You must first specify what your desk should include before you create a sketch or prototype of your desk. Then, you can start listing the materials you will need and look for suppliers. When everything is all set, you can move on to the assembling process.
Some of the basic tools you will use when building a desk are a hammer, nails or screws, drills, a saw, measuring tape, table clamps, pencil, and paper. Aside from carpentry tools, you will also need to buy some materials like glue, varnish, and sandpaper.
No, it’s not hard to create your own desk. Anyone can build a basic desk since the instructions are simple and all the materials you need are accessible. There are lots of articles and videos on the Internet that you can use as a guide if you are a beginner. Then, once you master the procedures, you can make your own desk designs.
