Build a computer desk... what to use for the top?

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Looks very nice....

[Sam Murdoch]

I'm repeating myself here, but MDF with a solid wood edge makes a perfectly great desk top. Finish with poly or Waterlox or paint. An mdf top will stand up to years of abuse. 3/4" thick on some 3/4" rips of ply left over from building the desk base. Cheap, smooth for writing, and looks good too. With a clear coat it finishes to look the shade of corkboard which is a nice compliment to woods from walnut to pine to mahogany to oak, etc.

[Rich Engelhardt]

IMHO - what to use for the top all boils down to what you use the top for.
Mine is mostly a collection point for junk. I have a pull out tray for the wireless keyboard and wireless mouse.

My laptop sits on the top right in front of me and the 2nd monitor is located off to the right.
(nice thing about a laptop is that they come with a 2nd video & it's close enough to the 2nd monitor for the cord to reach - I hated being limited where I could locate the desktop machine based only on how far I could stretch the video cable(s))
The really nice thing about a laptop is how quiet they are...
USB drives solved most of the storage issues along with an old WinXP machine I have in the other room, cabled into the wireless router and shared out over the LAN.

But - I understand 100% - a laptop isn't for everyone.
They are getting closer and closer to desktop units though w/each generation.
But - the final cost of outfitting a laptop vs a desktop is still a whole lot more $$.

Anywho - back to the issue @ hand - the top..
It goes back to what I said above about what you actually use it for.
Do you use it for a writing surface or anything like a work/assembly surface?
If not, then a nice wood top would be what I'd like.
LOL!
Maybe it would encourage me to keep all the crap off of it if I had something nice to look at.

[Steve Meliza]

But - I understand 100% - a laptop isn't for everyone.
They are getting closer and closer to desktop units though w/each generation.
But - the final cost of outfitting a laptop vs a desktop is still a whole lot more $$.

My wife has a laptop that does everything she needs, but it isn't enough machine for me as I do more than use Facebook and email. To build a desktop computer with performance similar to any given laptop would be cheaper, but the whole point of the desktop is performance so they actually can be more expensive. They're not really getting closer every generation, it's more that the performance of laptops is getting better so more and more people are able to switch over to them. If you don't believe me on either of these I'll let you compare the i7-990x in my desktop to any laptop CPU.

If you're going for quick and cheap use oak ply as shown by Tom Clark in Practical Shop Cabinets (he shows a desk as well). If you're going to nice and have a big budget why not go solid? If it were me I'd rather keep using the desk you have now than use MDF or laminate, but that's just me liking wood over plastic and sawdust.

[Matt Meiser]

You still use onboard storage?
(just kidding)

I wouldn't use plywood, I'd use laminate or solid wood. Plywood won't be nearly as repairable when you start to wear the area in front of where you sit as there's a good chance of sanding through the veneer.

Or you could do something alternate like stone, synthetic stone, or even glass. If you wanted a modern look, there's some really cool glass countertops that can be underlit.

[Roger Feeley]

I bought a solid core door at Habitat Restore, covered the top with Masonite and edged it with 3/4" oak rounded over. I attached the oak with big lag screws every three inches and counterbored them flush for sort of a Steam-punky look. I varnished the Masonite and it has sort of a leather look. All in all, it's been very satisfactory. If I were to do it over again, I would use a harder varnish. I used General Finishes water based varnish (EF). I would use something that dries harder. Maybe a Vermont Natural Coatings Floor varnish.

[Darl Bundren]

If you work there hours a day, if you're passionate about woodworking, then I'd recommend gluing up solid wood. I build an office area in my basement and used ash for the computer desk top, and I like the looks and feel of it along with the fact that it is something I built and feel some slight pride in. At work, I have a crappy bolt-it-together particle board/MDF deal that I inherited from the previous employee that brings me little aesthetic or functional pleasure. I put a 3/4" ply base under the ash, and that's been pretty sturdy.

DSCF1002.JPGDesk v 2.jpg

[Dana Decker]

if your going to build a desk do some thing like this
530400_348750721840907_119617241420924_838248_941257927_n.jpg

[JimT Thompson]

Consider heading off a future with low back pain. GeekDesk sells frames that raise for standing and lower for sitting. Add your own top. I used birch plywood and edge-banded it on mine, but there other great ideas here.

[Myk Rian]

OK, Andrew. You want a sturdy top? Something that'll take a beating? Something you can stand on to get that spider crawling in the ceiling corner?
Use a solid core door.
Build a base under it however you choose.

[Curt Harms]

if your going to build a desk do some thing like this
530400_348750721840907_119617241420924_838248_941257927_n.jpg

Now THAT is cool! Make it a mongo gaming rig and I'll bet it'd bring some ching in the right markets. Whatever you decide to do, I'd recommend a pull-out tray or shelf underneath the top. It's the only surface I have that stays uncluttered.

[Jim O'Dell]

Lots of great ideas here. I have designed a new desk for my computer, but things keep getting in the way. If you want file storage, but want to do something quicker than building file cabinets, find a local unfinished furniture store, get a couple of the 2 drawer file cabinets, usually Oak, but other species may be available online, and add a top to it. The solid core door would be quick. You could add laminate wood flooring material, or even some of the other man made finishes they have in flooring these days, and band the edges with wood to match the file cabinets, then finish all the same. Or use the high pressure laminate and glue down, it's not hard. In fact, I need to go to the shop this AM and cut up a sheet of Wilsonart laminate to get ready to put on my assembly table to get it closer to being finished. Add the under counter keyboard pull out and you're done. Lots of things you can do, including building the whole thing from scratch. Wish the space I have for my desk would allow using the file cabinets though. Jim.

[George Gyulatyan]

If you work there hours a day, if you're passionate about woodworking, then I'd recommend gluing up solid wood. I build an office area in my basement and used ash for the computer desk top, and I like the looks and feel of it along with the fact that it is something I built and feel some slight pride in. At work, I have a crappy bolt-it-together particle board/MDF deal that I inherited from the previous employee that brings me little aesthetic or functional pleasure. I put a 3/4" ply base under the ash, and that's been pretty sturdy.

DSCF1002.JPGDesk v 2.jpg

That top is gorgeous!

[George Gyulatyan]

You can also take a hint from music console/desks built for synthesizers, music workstations, mixers, etc.

Many of them use black Formica over plywood for the top and thick solid wood edging.

Personally I can't stand those cheap veneer over particle board abominations.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I agree with George, that is a pretty top Darl. Dana, I was surprised with the desk, it made me smile...

I prefer to use ply because it is already flat, and it is mostly cut and go. I was thinking about Maple with Mahogany trim. My primary concern is related to repairing a damaged top.

My primary concern with a solid top is flattening the top since it is wider than my planer. I think that I can pay someone to run it through a sander, however.