Building A Simple Desk In 2 Minutes

After several months of working off of a wobbly folding table it's time to build a new desk. I created a design that utilized the left-over lumber and finish I had from a previous project, so my final build cost was $0!
The top is 3/4" plywood with solid edging strips, and the legs and crossmembers are all 1x3" pine lumber. A 1/8" roundover bit was used on all edges for comfort.
The finish was a water based ebony stain+polyurethane blend from Varathane. It's my favorite product to get a truly black, almost lacquer-like finish. I prefer to shoot it with an HVLP gun for a streak-free glossy surface.

[@n8sartain1]

Super cool Christian! Great video. Got a sub from me!

[@RedBeardCarpentryWoodworks]

Great job man, I really like this design. Will definitely be building one since desk are in high demand these days. What kind of airless spray gun did you use?

[@christiansakanai9812]

Thanks! The gun is an old Wagner Control Spray Double Duty that I've had for years. At the time I needed a sprayer for a project and I picked it up because it was the cheapest one in the store. But it has turned out to be a great little gun and has performed well for many projects. It doesn't have the power or the correct nozzles to shoot thicker materials like unthinned latex paint, but it's perfect for thin stuff like stains and poly.

[@samanthastyle]

Thinking of building one similar to this but in about a 55”. Do you find the support bars enough to prevent the wobble? My current desk kind of shakes when you’re typing on a keyboard and stuff. Not sturdy at all. Thanks!

[@christiansakanai9812]

I don’t notice any wobble with my setup but I also don’t have much weight on it. Just a monitor, keyboard/mouse, and a cup of coffee most days. The 1x4 construction is plenty strong for the size and usage, and certainly better than most flat pack desks with flimsy cam-lock connectors. It would also be easy to add farmhouse style “X” bracing across the back which would add a lot of side-to-side shear stability.

[@samanthastyle]

@@christiansakanai9812 Thank you!