Showing posts with label Desk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desk. Show all posts

Friday, December 4, 2015

Computer Desk From 1 Sheet of Plywood

This attractive and functional computer desk is built using only one sheet of plywood and 14 cuts which makes it an easy and affordable desk that can be built with a few tools.

You can stain and finish it to reveal the the natural wood grain, paint it any color you'd like or mix painting and staining as in the black and maple desk example shown right.

The desk provides ample space for your computer and accessories as well as storage space for books, paper and other items you'll want to have handy while working on your computer. All this from just a single sheet of plywood!

Dimensions

48"W x 33 1/2"H x 23 15/16"D


What You'll Need

Materials

Tools

Make sure you understand how to use all the tools properly and follow all safety precautions.

Cut-List

Please note that if making the desk out of 4 sheets of 2' x 4' plywood that some of the dimensions will be slightly different. Quarter sheet dimensions are in parenthesis when they differ.
  • (1) 48" x 23-15/16" Desk Top (48" x 24" one whole quarter sheet)
  • (2) 26-1/8" x 23-15/16" Sides (24" x 26-1/4")
  • (1) 46-1/2" x 12" Apron (46-1/2" x 12-1/4")
  • (2) 46-1/2" x 1-11/16" Front (46-1/2" x 1-1/2")
  • (1) 48" x 10" Shelf
  • (1) 21-5/8" x 12" Storage Side
  • (2) 21-5/8" x 11-7/8" Storage Bottom and Storage Shelf
  • (2)10" x 5-7/8" Shelf Sides (10" x 5-15/16")
  • (1) 10" x 11-7/8" Paper Tray (11.5" x 10")
  • (4) 1-3/8" x 5-7/8" Paper Tray Supports (2 will be 7/8" x 5-7/8")

Cut Plan

You can either cut the desk out of one full 4' x 8' sheet of plywood or 4 2' x 4' quarter sheets of plywood. If you're using quarter sheets I'd recommend the formaldehyde free PureBond 3/4 in. x 2 ft. x 4 ft. Maple Plywood which can be shipped directly to your home from HomeDepot.com and is eligible for free shipping.

For either full or quarter sheets the cut plans assume a maximum kerf (cut width) of 1/8" so it's important to use a thin kerf saw blade. The Freud Ultimate Plywood Saw Blade is a good choice for a thin kerf blade that will minimize tearout and splintering when cutting plywood.

Full Sheet

If using a full sheet of plywood, break down the sheet into three smaller sections by making the 2 cross cuts highlighted in red. First make the 48" cut, followed by the 26-1/8" cut. You can also break down the three sections further. The 48" and 26-1/8" section can be cut exactly in half (23-15/16 accounting for the 1/8" kerf) but the last section is not exactly in half (24")

Quarter Sheet

You save a little bit of money by buying one full sheet but it might be more convenient to purchase 4 quarter sheets instead. The smaller sheets are easier to transport and you can even have them delivered to you for free. If you're picking up the plywood you could have the store make some convenience cuts for you but the quality and accuracy of the cuts will depend greatly on the condition of the blade and how good the person operating the panel saw is at making accurate cuts. These convenience cuts are not guaranteed to be accurate.

General Instructions

It's important to know how to use all your tools and follow all the safety recommendations. This project consists of simple cuts but it's important to make sure to measure and cut each piece carefully. Square cuts in the plywood will make for a stronger desk. It's not necessary to glue the desk together as the pocket screws will provide sufficient strength and allow you to disassemble the desk at a later point if necessary. You will need to cut and assemble the desk first, then it is highly recommended to break it down again for finishing.

Step 1

Cut out the Desk Top, Sides, Storage Side, Storage Shelf, Storage Bottom, Apron and Front. Apply veneer edgebanding to all edges of the Desk Top, the 2 long edges of each Side and the front edges of the Storage Shelf, Bottom and Side.

Decide which side you'd like the storage to be on, the left or right, then choose that Side piece and the Storage side and drill a series of holes part way into the insides of the plywood for the shelf pins using either a piece of peg board or a shelf pin jig.


Step 2

Arrange the desk top and legs on the floor with the good faces facing out. Drill 5 pocket holes on the inside tops of each leg. The first hole towards the front should be about 1" in while the one towards the back should be about 1/2" in to accommodate the front strip and modesty panel (apron).

Align and secure each leg to the bottom of the desk top using 1-1/4" pocket hole screws. Make sure the sides are attached square to the top. Using the right angle clamp helps a lot.

Step 3

Attach the front strip flush to the front of the desk using 4 pocket holes with 1-1/4" screws on the back to attach to the sides and 3 3/4" corner braces with 1/2" flat head wood screws to attach to the top as shown below.

Step 4

Drill holes for pocket screws in the Storage Side and Apron (modesty panel) as shown. There is also a pocket hole going from the inside of the Storage Side into the Front which is not visible. First attach the Storage Side. Use the Storage Bottom as a guide to determine how far away it needs to be from the Side of the desk. Note that the Storage Side will butt up against the Front piece but will not extend all the way to the back of the desk.

Once you've attached the Storage Side, attach the Apron using pocket screws into the Sides and Top and from the Storage Side into the Apron. The Storage Bottom and Storage Side have the same depth, use the Storage Bottom as a guide on the opposite side of the Storage Side to press the Apron against so you screw it in straight.


Remember, the Apron will not sit flush with the back of the desk. Here's a rear view.

Step 5

Attach the Storage Bottom using 1-1/4" pocket holes as shown. If you're installing the optional leveler feet do so now.


The main part of the desk is now complete.

Step 6

Cut out the components for the Shelf. These include the Shelf, 2 Shelf Sides, Paper Tray and Tray Supports.  Apply veneer edging all the way around the Shelf, on 3 edges of the Papery Try (not the edge touching the side), on the 2 short edges of each Side and on the 2 long edges of each of the Tray Supports.

Begin shelf assembly by attaching the two Shelf Sides to the Shelf Top using 1-1/4" pocket hole screws as shown.

Step 7

Drill 1 pocket hole in each of the tray supports to attach it to the top. The pocket holes should be on the inside of the support. Use the Paper Tray butted up against the side where you'd like to install as a guide to determine how far away the Supports should be. The tray supports should be evenly spaced 1.5" apart with the two end pieces flush with the edges of the Shelf Top.

Step 8

Now attach the paper tray at the midpoint of the sides and supports to split the space evenly using 1-1/4" pocket hole screws as shown. 3 into the Shelf Side and 1 into each Tray Support.

Step 9

To prevent the shelf from sliding around on the desk but still be able to easily remove the shelf at a later point if desired we'll be using 2 shelf pins to anchor the shelf to the desk.

Begin by placing the shelf on top of the desk and aligning it flush with the sides and the back of the desk top. Using a pencil, mark a vertical like halfway into the shelf side extending down into the side of the desk top as shown.


Use a square to transfer the marking onto the desk top as well as the bottom of the shelf side. Measure in 3/8" on that line and mark it. Using the shelf pin drill bit drill a hole into the top of the desk as well as the bottom of the shelf side. Do this on both ends for a total of 4 holes, 1 in each shelf side bottom, and two on the desk top. 


Take your time and be very careful with these measurements so they line up properly. Once you have all 4 holes drilled, fine tune them by slightly deepening or widening the holes in the Shelf Sides. Finally insert a shelf pin in each hole on the Desk Top and slide the Shelf onto them.

Step 10

Your desk is now complete and is ready to be finished with either primer/paint or stain/polyurethane or a combination of the two. It will be easier to finish some sections if you take the desk apart first. Just follow these directions backwards to take everything apart. Then follow the directions on how to put all the pieces together again.


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Organizing Cable Clutter

Some helpful tips on how to organize cables around your computer desk, entertainment system and other parts of your home.

Sadly, that's an actual picture of what's lurking under my desk. What's even sadder is that's just one small portion of the mess and it repeats itself in other parts of my home. (I won't mention the peanut I had to crop out so you don't think I'm a complete slob!)

I need a lot of different peripherals and even though I have good WiFi equipment as more people in the area use WiFi it's difficult to maintain speeds good enough to stream full HD video to other computers and TVs. I've bought new access points, built antenna boosters and still have to scan and switch channels from time to time. Wired ain't tired! (fake TM)

It's one of the big reasons I'm trying to plan a structured home wiring project. It would get a lot of the cables I have by my computer, and other areas, moved to a central location.

Probably the worst part of the photo is all the dust and pet hair. It's dark down there so I normally can't even tell. I try and vacuum but it's just so hard with that mess. There is definitely no 5-second rule if I drop a snack while at the computer! Partly because it just disappears into the void.

When I have to replace a cord, upgrade a device or try to plug something new in it takes me more time than it should. Over the years I've tried improving my cable management by using different things I had laying around but now it's time to do things right and this is how I'm going about it.
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How To Add An In-Desk USB Hub To Your Desktop

I've been trying to design a new desk/office for a long time but am never quite happy with it. One feature I know I'm going to want in my custom desk is a built-in USB Hub. Instead of waiting around until I have the perfect plan and time to build it I decided to purchase a 3" Belkin In-Desk USB Hub (model F5U402-03IN-KIT) while I was upgrading my PC and add it to my current desk.

I decided to mount the In-Desk Hub to the return of my desk. It solves a couple of problems I was having. First, it obviously gives me additional USB ports which are easy to access for the times I need to plug-in a thumb drive, camera, charge my bluetooth headset, etc. without having to reach around to the back of my computer. Second, it acts as a traditional desk grommet which allows me to run some cables from peripherals on top of my desk return to my computer chassis underneath it. I've been trying to be neater with my cable management.

The 3" In-Desk USB Hub kit comes with a 3" grommet, 4 port powered USB Hub that fits in the desk grommet, USB cable and power adapter.


The USB Hub will work without the power adapter being pulled and just off of the power from the USB port you connect it to. For devices that draw more energy, such as external hard drives, you can choose to plug in the Hub.

Belkin also makes a smaller 2" In-Desk USB Hub that fits into a 2" hole. It only has 3 USB ports but still has holes on the side to run cables.

I chose the Belkin because I've used their products in the past and have always been pleased. I saw another model that also

What You'll Need

Materials

  • Drill
  • 3" Hole Saw bit (or 2" if using 2" hub)

Step 1: Make the Hole

Start by determining where you would like to mount the USB hub in your desk top. The location should be convenient and not in the way of other items you plan on putting on this area of your desk. Also check underneath the desk to make sure there are no obstructions to interfere with the installation or cables.

Use the hole saw in your drill and make the hole. If possible it's best to start the hole from underneath but don't cut all the way through. Once the drill bit portion of the hole saw emerges on the desk top, stop drilling, pull out the hole saw and finish up the hole from the top. This will give you a cleaner cut. If you just drill from the top, like I did, the hole has some imperfections along the edge but these will be covered up by the grommet.

Step 2: Install the Grommet

Next, slide the grommet into the hole. It wasn't fitting very tight for me so I cut up a wide rubber band into 4 pieces and positioned them in the hole before sliding the grommet in to get a tighter fit.

There are a couple of indentations around the rim of the grommet. These need to be orientated so they are at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. You can make minor adjustments from underneath after the hub is installed.

Step 3: Prepare Hub

It's much easier to feed the cables from the top than trying to make the connections from the bottom. Before mounting the USB hub in the grommet I attached the USB and power cables to the bottom of the hub. With the 3" Hub you can slide the power adapter through the grommet but I'm not sure if you can with the 2" version. 

I also like to label the adapter and end of the USB cable. It makes it easier to make changes in the future.

Step 4: Insert Hub Into Grommet

Carefully fish the power adapter and USB cable through the grommet then slide the USB Hub into the grommet. There are two tabs on the hub that fit into the left and right indents on the grommet. Once you have inserted the hub's tabs into these indents, twist the hub clockwise to lock it in place. 

If you're grommet isn't tight you may need to hold the bottom of the grommet from underneath.

Next just plug the hub into a  free USB port on the back of your computer and the power adapter into an outlet and you're set. Remember, the power adapter is optional. If you're not going to be using devices that require a lot of power you don't need to plug it in.

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