DIY Black Iron Pipe Desk

Materials List below! I built this easy DIY black iron pipe desk in less than 4 hours. It's one of the easiest projects I've ever done. You can too! The top is glued up using standard wood glue and oak flooring. Buy the cheapest solid flooring you can find with the most knots! The legs are put together from iron pipe fittings and pipe purchased from Amazon.com (This is by far the cheapest source). The finish is a simple Watco Danish Oil applied with a roller and then wiped off. Honestly I think it took me longer to plan it out and make the decision then it actually did to build it.
NOTE: Don't skimp and go with 3/4" pipe. Yes it's cheaper but I think it just looks too small and not "western" enough.
Pipe parts needed:
12x 1" pipe flanges amzn.to/2O3qVLc
4x 1" pipe elbows amzn.to/30W5qBk
8x 1" pipe Tees amzn.to/2GrY9Qb
4x 1" pipe nipples amzn.to/310z6go
12x 1"x12" pipe - amzn.to/3T94cz8 or custom cut and threaded at Home Depot
4x 1"x10" pipe - custom cut and threaded at Home Depot
2x 1"x20" pipe - custom cut and threaded at Home Depot
My top is 28”x60” but there’s no magic to that size. I just sized it to our space.
Other Supplies:
Black Wood Putty (buy the larger container especially if your wood has big knots or other roughness): amzn.to/2uEMKK4
Watco Oil: amzn.to/3uMCpv7
Butchers Wax: amzn.to/30WdbqX
Wood Glue (I always use TiteBond): amzn.to/3IbNwkw
I strongly recommend you price out the pipe at Home Depot first. Buy the long 12 foot pieces of pipe and have them custom cut them to size. They rarely charge for cuts and threading and the prices end up being really reasonable. DO NOT BUY pre-cut pipe. WAY too expensive. I found bulk prices on the fittings at Amazon to be the best route. Prices change often so shop around on Amazon.
* I get a small $$ referral if you purchase from these links. Regardless, these are the products I bought myself so I stand behind the recommendations.

[@blottoinchcago]

Thanks Chris . My friend owns a hardware and plumbing supply company so I have the pipes covered. Love your design! Off to Lumber Liquidators today for 6" x 3/4" tongue and groove oak. I'm going to add a small tiered shelf about 3/4 of the way on the back maybe 2 feet high and install some hidden USB and power supply under the top. Thanks for the tips and the inspiration . I bought a rustic wooden base Edison Bulb lamp with a pipe fixture and finished wooden base and said,, " I want to build a desk now ". I'll keep you posted !

[@mikecurley3070]

made a desk super similar to this. made 4 simple u-shapes for the legs and drilled holes into my shelves to feed the pipe thru. pipes obviously didn't match the holes exactly so I used o-rings to keep the shelves from rattling. got some set screw shaft collars from McMaster to let me add multiple shelves at whatever height I wanted.

[@thenotontvshow1928]

"Western gentrified barn" is a great description

[@KillyBesel]

So, I love that shelf design. So simple. Adding them to my build for sure

[@perkalater79]

same here. i like it better than what i had in mind i think :)

[@CulturedRuffian]

Such a great instructional guide Chris! I’ve been struggling to figure out how to make the oak desktop for my desk and using glued floorboards is the perfect solution for what I’m going for. I’m definitely going to check your other videos.

[@SleepyEyezCarter]

Thank you for this video! It would have been great to see you actually put the wood together...but just the explanations have helped me a alot

[@chrisarneson8644]

I get that. I didn't decide to video the project until I had already glued up the top. Honestly it's not complicated since I wanted a rustic piece anyway.

[@SleepyEyezCarter]

@@chrisarneson8644 it's all good.... even what you've shown helps me to move forward with how I want to do the legs of my desk. I did the actual desk top already; well at least its assembled. Still ha e to sand and stain it

[@casid9929]

I have 3 oak butcher block occasional tables with Danish oil finish I had made 40 (yes 40) years ago. To maintain the finish, once a year, take 0000 steel wool and apply Watco Danish Oil. Work in well and buff excess off. Mine still look new and even went to college and back with my daughter.

[@chrisarneson8644]

Yep. Watco is the most forgiving finish ever. I love the stuff. I strongly recommend using a butchers wax on top of it though.

[@talgwatr]

simple yet sharp as hell looking!....thank you for the idea I will use at some point n the future!

[@godoftheox2513]

Thats amazing, this is exactly what Im looking for,

[@WayneRigley]

old video, but you just gave me an idea ! thanks

[@chrisarneson8644]

Glad I could help!

[@IndianoWelle]

That's great table

[@hpac8381]

this was a real cool idea awesome job.

[@quicknarco8567]

Looks great similar to a basket weave

[@VDJ4500]

Looks great!

[@ukiahduran6793]

That was cool

[@Blacksadify]

Got the base finished! You need 12x1" pipe flanges, not 8 as stated if anyone is putting this together!

[@chrisarneson8644]

Oh my gosh you're right. I am so sorry. I am correcting the description. Thanks for the correction!

[@Blacksadify]

@@chrisarneson8644 No worries! They're easy to pick up and cheap. Thanks again for posting this setup, it was really easy to put together. I'll post a pic when I'm done staining and attach the desktop.

[@ashleymary2616]

Excellent job!!! very informative video. BTW, Have anyone here try the Smartdesk kit frame to DIY a sit stand desk?

[@KeithGrommes]

Chris, you did a fantastic job with this piece. Very nice. I am currently researching "DIY galvanized pipe desks" for my own project (Ham Radio / Office Desk). I picked up some great tips watching your video, like using the black putty. I can also appreciate that you used materials you had lying around. It is nice to see old materials recycled to make something beautiful and you certainly did that here. Fantastic work! I do have a question - what is the weight of this desk? We have ceramic tiles in my office and I'm somewhat concerned about how heavy I go with my desk.

[@chrisarneson8644]

It is not much heavier than any other piece of furniture. Also, because I used the pipe flanges for feet it actually spreads the load well. Be sure to use some 1/4" felt stuck to the bottom of the flanges and you will be fine. Tile that has a good backer behind it is remarkably strong too.

[@imjunjun]

This is EXACTLY what I was looking for! Any chance you can give me the link for the EXACT pipes you used?

[@keithnoneya]

Looks really good. Nice job. Thanks for sharing with us. Best Wishes n Blessings. Keith Noneya

[@chrisarneson8644]

thank you!

[@ptlslm]

Wow!!! Im glad I found this video. I need to make a desk and this looks perfect! Cost of the pipe frame?

[@joshuasmith1215]

Looks cool but man just 3/4" boards how is that thing not going to sag? Also, to clean black pipe easily and quickly, spray brake cleaner on the pieces in a 5 gallon bucket and wipe off.

[@SexDrugsFinance]

Thinking the same thing. I wonder if it would be best to run the pipes along the length of the table for support

[@PantherU]

How about this? For the shelves, instead of elbows on both sides, what about another t-joint with a long pipe reaching between the two?

[@jass3n]

This might be a dumb question. New to woodworking so pardon me. Did you clean your pipes before painting? What did you use to clean it?

[@chrisarneson8644]

I wiped them with a solvent like acetone or carb cleaner. It took wiping them 4 times to get them clean. Be sure to wear gloves when you do.

[@jass3n]

Chris Arneson Ok thank you!

[@chrisarneson8644]

Be sure to check out the Shopping List in the video description.

[@perkalater79]

For ergonomic purposes, I'm looking to make a desk of a specific height. How much space should I allow for the fittings?

[@chrisarneson8644]

Honestly each brand of fittings can be a little bit different. I recommend you buy the fittings first and then have your hardware store cut the pipe to the exact length you need. I can't be more specific than that. Sorry.

[@perkalater79]

@@chrisarneson8644 bummer... thanks. i was hoping to be able to the right length off the bat and avoid cutting. i'll work on it. appreciate the info! :)

[@b3arwithm3]

Love the legs. I want to use leftover 3/4" oak flooring for the top. How can I prevent it from sagging along its length which is around 80"?

[@chrisarneson8644]

I'd suggest modifying the leg design so that there was a new pipe connecting the two legs in the back. Essentially replace the elbow joint at the rear shelf support with a T and extend it across the table. That would stiffen everything up and avoid the legs pivoting down.

[@jvburnes]

Excellent, but you could maybe save a lot of time by using butcher block.

[@chrisarneson8644]

I was using wood I already had but regardless this method is WAY cheaper than buying a pre-made top.

[@michaellaguitan8125]

Awesome build!! Quick question. What black putty did you use?

[@chrisarneson8644]

I'm glad you liked it! My putty is really old and was left over from installing our oak floors. It doesn't really matter what brand as long as it's black. I'd recommend you buy something like this: www.amazon.com/Gorks-GoodFilla-CECOMINOD046080/dp/B00IUUUREQ/ref=sr_1_55_sspa?keywords=black+wood+putty&qid=1574785734&sr=8-55-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyMUU5STA1NlFWQ1owJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTIyMzc1MjZBQUU0MVZRTU5UMCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjQyMjM4MzcySEU5M1VTWk5SVyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2J0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[@jessicajolson1023]

Hi Chris we love this table it looks fantastic. We love it so much we were inspired to make our own at home. Question for you @chrisarneson did you use wood putty or wood filler to accentuate the grain? We are looking to make this table at home and wondering when you said wood putty what you used. Wood putty is soft and non hardening Or are you using wood filler that hardens and is sandable? Thanks chris!

[@chrisarneson8644]

I used a black wood filler. If you are using oak I strongly recommend using black. It's an absolute mess to work with but the result is fantastic. It leaves the product looking very rustic and fills in knots. I used this: www.finaltouchproducts.com/Final-Touch-Wood-Filler--Quart--Knot-HoleBlack-Patch_p_194.html

[@jonathankessler4684]

Great video! I'm taking this and adapting it to build a desk down the road. I was just wondering for the shelves did you screw the wood into place or is it just sitting free but notched so it won't move? That's the only thing I'm not quite getting about this build but other than that it's exactly what i needed

[@chrisarneson8644]

It's just sitting in place and locked in with the notches. Nothing fancy!

[@jonathankessler4684]

@@chrisarneson8644 Thanks so much for the prompt reply! I'm planning on taking that idea to use for speaker stands and potentially also for a piano stand so hopefully it works out!

[@TheJeffKingdom]

I really liked this video. In fact I'm now trying to build a desk in a very similar style to this. The challenge I'm having is in glue-ing up the boards. Any suggestions would be appreciated. The boards I have are tongue and groove and when I try to clamp them for a glue up the end up pulling up from their flat position. I'm almost tempted to rip out the tongue and groove parts and just biscuit jointing them. Any thoughts?

[@chrisarneson8644]

Keep the tongues. You need to temporarily clamp boards perpendicular across the table on the top and bottom. Do this on both ends. These boards are called cawls. I typically put packing tape on them so they dont get glued to the top. Google "cawl glueup" for photos.

[@paulabennett5517]

What type of paint did you use for the pipe?

[@chrisarneson8644]

Just Rustoleum spray paint in an oil-rubbed bronze color

[@holliepatrick2021]

How long and wide is the table that you built? We are trying to follow your build. Also size of shelves if our pipe is the same sizes you suggested? Thanks

[@chrisarneson8644]

It’s 27x60. Shelves 13.5x25. Feel free to ask for any other details. Good luck!

[@Blacksadify]

What is the Width and Depth of the desk? I am going to try and do something similar, but wanted a 60"X30" desktop on it, so was going to change what I needed accordingly. Great desk!

[@chrisarneson8644]

My top is a weird size that was dictated by the spot my wife wanted to put it. 28"x57"

[@Blacksadify]

@@chrisarneson8644 Thanks Chris! This setup should work fine for 30x60 then. Sorry to be a bother, but do you know the rough measurements of the shelving wood so I can have some cut at home depot or elsewhere online? Again, appreciate your time.

[@lukeenglish471]

This looks amazing and is something that I am going to try to build for myself but a little differently. What exactly are the dimensions of the table top?

[@chrisarneson8644]

luke english You can do whatever size you like but mine is 27x60.

[@JoshHarrisPhotography]

Very cool. Like how you did the shelves. How much length does a flange add to the pipe?

[@chrisarneson8644]

Not a lot. It was like 1/4”

[@JoshHarrisPhotography]

@@chrisarneson8644 Thanks so much for the fast reply!

[@tarastaranukha543]

Instructions to make it - ok. Overall look - ok. Usability of table - low (depends on purpose). If this table will be used as a "shelf on the legs" (place it in the corner of the room, put lamp/books/jars on it) == it will be ok. But if you want to sit at this table, you'll notice that it's a table for one person only. Legs are too close to edges == easy to injure your legs/knees and not comfortable to sit at the table from other sides.

[@chrisarneson8644]

Did you miss that this is a "desk" and not a table? Functionality has been fantastic and we have spent hundreds of hours working at it. Yes you sit at it one at a time. That's how most desks are designed. It's not a dining room table nor was it intended to be. A simple table would have been easier but that is not what we wanted. If you want to get rid of the shelving and storage then go for it. My intent was to show people how easy it is to build something like this.

[@Bashirbros]

Can you use the shelves for something other than math books, or is it exclusively math books? On a serious note, the iron pipe is really expensive. I just spent $11 to make a desk top. It wouldn't make sense to spend $100 for legs

[@chrisarneson8644]

I think it will accept history books as well but definitely not classic russian lit. For me i found that ordering some parts on amazon was cheaper than local. Also buy long pipes and have the home center cut and thread them for you. Its much cheaper that way.

[@brandonloew5729]

How sturdy do u think this would be as a workbench

[@chrisarneson8644]

It's pretty sturdy. I suppose that answer would depend on what you wanted to use the workbench for. If you were putting a ton of weight on it then it might eventually sag in the middle. If you were doing relatively light stuff then it would be no problem. If you were putting a bunch of weight (100s of pounds) on it you could easily adapt the idea to put a 3rd set of legs in the middle and then it would hold an elephant.

[@stevenmhenry]

Could you post the table parts?

[@abarnes0330]

FYI those are called a tee not a union...Just in case someone wants to build this project!

[@houseedge1507]

I think he might have been referring to the threaded nipple between the T's.

[@SpookySpeck]

Hey Chris, great video and very informational! I'm actually making a desk similar to this right now. I just have a quick question. When you're talking about attaching cross members (at 6:00) to keep the desk flat you inserted subtitles (at 6:18) that read "Drill a 1/4" hole only through the cross member! Do not drill..." but the rest gets cut off but the video cropping :( Are you saying to not drill through the desk and just drill through the cross member? If so, should I drill a hole through the cross member and let the flat bottom screw sink itself into the table top or should just drill a pilot hole into the desk taking care to not drill all the way through it? Thank for the help!

[@chrisarneson8644]

Only drill the larger hole through the cross-member. The goal is for the flat-bottom screw to be able to be able to move a little in that hole to adjust for humidity. Because I used oak which is really hard the screw doesn't sink into the wood. It just slides across the surface. Essentially you have the wood grain in the cross-members and the table-top planks fighting each other because they are going in different directions. If you just tried to glue them together the grain would eventually break the glue somewhere. The screws in the larger holes are designed to float a little and relieve the strain of the opposing grains but still hole the table top flat.

[@SpookySpeck]

@@chrisarneson8644 Ah ok, I think I understand. So I'd drill a hole that's wider than the actual screw in the cross member so the screw can float around in the hole, but the point at which the screw enters into the table top itself will be normal, it won't be wider so it will still be able to anchor the table top to the actual cross member. Is this correct? My apologies for sounding ignorant. I don't want to mess anything up when I get to this stage in my desk.

[@chrisarneson8644]

@@SpookySpeck Yep. You've got it! Good luck!

[@SpookySpeck]

@@chrisarneson8644 Awesome, thank you so much!

[@tiamatte683]

How to customize pipe threads

[@chrisarneson8644]

Any good hardware store or home center can cut threads on your pipe. I had it done at our local home depot but lots of places can do it.

[@autodidacmedia2133]

This pipe PVC.?

[@chrisarneson8644]

No. Iron pipe.

[@Nicksterino]

Is this 1/2" or 3/4" pipe?

[@chrisarneson8644]

3/4" I think 1/2 looks too small.

[@franciscachala99]

Will it be stable to use plywood for the desk top and plastic pvc pipes too?

[@chrisarneson8644]

Absolutely No!! Both Plywood and PVC are WAY too flexible and would look horrible on top of it.

[@franciscachala99]

@@chrisarneson8644 oh. Okay. Thanks. 👌

[@squds2170]

I made a similar desk out of PVC and plywood and it gets used daily with zero issues, very stable, just add a crossbar of pvc in the front and back and between the feet on the sides, use 3/4" plywood and 2" pvc minimum. Black PVC looks nice and added black plastic trim on the outside of the plywood as well for a matched look, that being said it is a more modern look over the rustic metal piping so it may or may not go with your decor. PVC is much cheaper than metal pipe as well and you can make the height exactly what you want it to be. Good plywood will hold up just as well as standard wood, just don't try to use the cheap and thin stuff. Love the table build though, turned out very well!

[@dcvia313]

How high is the desk from the floor? I'm guessing based on your measurements about 28"

[@chrisarneson8644]

30 is standard and mine comes in just a tiny bit below that.

[@dcvia313]

Thank you! do you find that the desk is sturdy?

[@chrisarneson8644]

It's rock solid. I'm not a tiny guy and I could easily do a tap dance number on top of it. Ok so I can't tap dance but I could jump up and down or without any fear. It's rock solid side-to-side too. Just know that if you use something softer like pine could would need to make sure that your screws are really solid into the top. With oak that will never be a problem.

[@donviloria1310]

Hi good Sir, how high was the desk?

[@donviloria1310]

I'd like to make a 45"-high desk version of this. What should I change from your list of materials?

[@chrisarneson8644]

@@donviloria1310 A typical desk is 30" high. If you wanted one 45" then I'd suggest adding another level of shelves on each side. That would add 12" or so. You could then adjust the bottom 4 legs to get your final height. Assuming your top is going to be 1.5" thick like mine (3/4 for the top and another 3/4 for the cross-brace) then you need 44.5" of pipe. Go to your local hardware store (or home depot/lowes) and just start screwing pieces together until you get the right height. You will get cheaper prices by ordering from Amazon after you know what to order. Good luck!

[@donviloria1310]

@@chrisarneson8644 Thank you for this detailed reply! You're good!

[@texan4jesuschrist559]

Where did you get the black pipes?

[@chrisarneson8644]

A combination of Home Depot and Amazon. I then cleaned them with solvent assembled them and spray-painted them bronze.

[@victoriahansen4028]

Do you happen to have an estimated cost of the pipe that you used?

[@chrisarneson8644]

I don't remember to be honest. I found the pipe and fittings to be far cheaper on Amazon than anyplace locally including Home Depot though. You should be able to price out the pieces you need online in just a couple minutes.

[@amressam1453]

Is it strong enough??

[@chrisarneson8644]

Oh definitely. Two people could do jumping jacks on it. It could hold 100s of pounds of weight indefinitely.

[@miggs80]

Where do I get these pipe legs?

[@PantherU]

In the description he says Amazon was cheapest. He also said he had to get Home Depot to cut and thread some.

[@tylerpeters766]

How do you connect the union to the tee?

[@chrisarneson8644]

Not sure what you mean. There are no "unions" in the desk. I suspect you are asking about the short 2.5" nipple that you can't really see. It's very short and is threaded on both ends. It is just used to join two fittings together. In my case I have a T fitting joined to a second T fitting with a pipe nipple.

[@tylerpeters766]

That’s why I was confused at 9:16 you said there’s a union.

[@chrisarneson8644]

Gotcha. Sorry about the confusion. I must have referred to the short nipple as a union.

[@skoskop]

whats the name of the pipes

[@chrisarneson8644]

Jae K. Standard 3/4 inch black plumbing pipe.

[@MazUKQ8]

really painful listening to you talk with the ums, ers, and pauses. so i put it on 'mute'. jerky filming was bad as well!

[@chrisarneson8644]

Please keep your negativity to yourself.

[@teddysurf]

What a horrible video, you literally didn’t take us through how are you did anything. You just did The work and then turn on the camera and showed everybody...

[@chrisarneson8644]

Sorry to disappoint you. Most people can see an idea, get some tips and tricks, and then replicate it. At a minimum they can take certain ideas and utilize them in their own designs. Some people, however, need to be spoon-fed every last tiny step. Clearly you fall into the latter category.

[@erizonsantos3319]

Its less complicated than a Millennium Falcon Lego set.

[@oldarkie3880]

Video is just right. If you don't understand how to make from this don't try.