Making a WFH Desk Using Bunnings Wood

Lkaij on 04/01/2021 - 15:07

Hi All,

Just wanted to ask for some advice from people who might be much more experienced than I am for a small DIY project. Just moved into a smaller house and need a thin but somewhat long table to WFH, however cant find any commercially made that suits my needs at a decent price.

What I have planned so far is to get one of these https://www.bunnings.com.au/2200-x-600-x-26mm-acacia-solid-o… and get them cut in store to size (1400x500mm)

And then get https://www.bunnings.com.au/taskmaster-700-x-50mm-black-stee… and drill them on.

Just wanted to find out if I still need to finish the wood again once it’s been cut, as it’s stated that it’s been oil finished. Or if I need to do a couple of polyurethane coats? And what screws should I use?

Never really learned how to do all these things and don’t have anyone to ask, so any help for a beginner would be appreciated.

Home & Garden Desk

Comments

  • Xistn on 04/01/2021 - 15:14

    You will need to seal / Oil the cut edge yes.

    watch some DIY's on youtube.

    And have fun.

    • kaij on 04/01/2021 - 15:37

      Thank you, will do!

  • holdenmg on 04/01/2021 - 15:25
    +1

    Hi,
    There are some good value factory seconds desks @
    https://isoking.com.au/collections/factory-seconds

    Have a look at:
    https://isoking.com.au/collections/factory-seconds/products/… $145+plus $9.95 delivery.
    https://isoking.com.au/collections/factory-seconds/products/… $160+plus $9.95 delivery.

  • hmac on 04/01/2021 - 15:27

    I bought that exact same panel of wood to make my desk and 100% you need to put some sort of finish on it. You will need to sand it down a bit first.

    I did 3 layers of gloss finish, sanded before each and it turned out so smooth, glossy and the colours of the wood popped so much more!

    I also did get it cut to size instore.

    Definitely a really good hardwood to use. There are multiple colours so pick which you like best

    • kaij on 04/01/2021 - 15:40
      +1

      Awesome! I’ll pm you if that’s okay for more information.

  • mr-incredulous on 04/01/2021 - 15:41

    A couple thoughts
    * Will there be a lot of weight in the middle that could cause bending/sagging? If so consider a construction like this that uses a back panel to resist bending.
    * The finish is hardwax oil so start there but you may have trouble matching the appearance. Consider starting with unfinished material to guarantee a consistent finish.
    * Adjustable legs might be nice to get the right height.

    • kaij on 04/01/2021 - 16:14

      There shouldn’t be a whole heap of weight, only thing I would assume is my monitor, but will look into the weight bearing capacity of it.

      With your point about hardwax oil, if I sand down the cut sides and apply some of hardwax oil, it should be good? Is sealing it with poly necessary after?

      Thanks a bunch :)

      • hmac on 04/01/2021 - 19:42
        +1

        Mine is about 1.9m long, the last mounting point is about 30 in from each side and there is a dual monitor mount in the middle. I have not noticed any sagging in the past year without any supports

    • kaij on 04/01/2021 - 16:11

      Yep, saw that one too, just looking for something a bit longer :)

  • John Kimble on 04/01/2021 - 16:25

    And what screws should I use?

    Timber screws that aren't longer than the table thickness.

    https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/indoor/study/how-to-b…

    • kaij on 04/01/2021 - 17:43

      Thanks for the article! Didn’t see this

  • bohn on 04/01/2021 - 17:21

    I've been looking to do this as well for my wife. She normally uses a footrest - so I wanted to make a desk a bit lower for her. Maybe with 600mm legs.. although they aren't that common it seems.

    • trongy on 04/01/2021 - 19:41
      +1

      Looking at the table legs in OP's post my guess is that the plastic feet are held in by friction. If so it should be possible to remove the foot, cut the leg to the desired length with a hacksaw and re-insert the foot.

      • John Kimble on 04/01/2021 - 21:04
        -1

        Or just get a height adjustable office chair.

        • trongy on 04/01/2021 - 22:17

          The previous poster mentions the wife normally uses a footrest which implies she is using a raised chair.

          For a shorter person, the benefit of the lower desk is not requiring the foot rest and not having to climb up into the chair.

    • IIGnomeII on 05/01/2021 - 10:27
      +2

      I built my desk using a set of these legs: https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/olov-leg-adjustable-white-70264…

      Range is from 600-900mm so it can come in handy when you need to adjust it slightly.

      • moar bargains on 05/01/2021 - 19:56
        +1

        Came here to say the same thing!

  • neo on 04/01/2021 - 18:26

    Be careful with the height, it'll get uncomfortable very quickly especially if your arms are being pushed up and making your shoulders shrug or the opposite for a tall person.

  • ihavok on 04/01/2021 - 19:06
    +1

    i was previously planning on doing a very similar project. Popped into quite a few Bunnings stores asking about getting this panel cut, and none of them would do it.

    Check with your local store first, hopefully you have better luck than I did.

    Another common trend these days, is to place the table top over one or two sets of drawers like this:
    https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/alex-drawer-unit-white-10354265…

    Thought it would increase your total cost by a bit, you do get the extra storage and don't have to drill if you don't need that center support leg some people like to attach.

  • Domingo on 04/01/2021 - 19:34

    Note that Bunnings will generally cut stuff for you (I've had bits of timber cut down to size although never something as large as this) but they won't leave a particularly nice edge on it, so you'll definitely need to sand or possibly file the edge down to something nice and presentable.

  • fantombloo on 04/01/2021 - 21:21

    A standard plain door can make a great tabletop. It's cheap (~$30 new, free from any demolition site), light, can be finished in various ways and the size / depth is awesome (if it fits in your space). But it's hollow so you can't really cut it to size without doing extra work to finish the edges.

  • ShannonN on 05/01/2021 - 10:21

    look if you love diy and have all the tools and skills go for it!
    but first as its a "custom" size I'd approach local carpenters or small furniture makers they can do it quicker have all that's needed inc coatings/finishes and may work out cheaper than faffing about yourself

  • yellowfever on 05/01/2021 - 10:24

    700mm leg plus 26mm top = 726mm
    Quite high for me, I would go 700mm max

    Test height at home or at Officeworks and see if it suits you.

  • pndl on 07/01/2021 - 22:44

    The bunnings I go to won't cut these boards. You might have to be persistant. If they don't pick up a nice hand saw for 10$ and a clamp. I would tape down with masking tape where I'm cutting and cut through the tape as the board splinters easily

    Also the prefinished edge on that board is rounded. When you cut off a panel it'll be square. So you might want some low grit sandpaper and sanding block to round off the edge after cutting to match the other edge.

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