Custom Led Lighted Desk

My youngest son wanted a desk to work from home in this current situation we are facing so no ordinary desk would work we needed a desk that would support his needs and give him a sense of imagination. attached is the Fusion 360 to use.

also a YouTube video of the process

Supplies

I used a full sheet of

4x8 mdf

2x4 1/2 in sheet of plywood

1/4 inch sheet of plywood

1/8 2x4 sheet of ply wood

100 kreg screws

led light kit

hardware kit for splicing led light

heat shrink tube

3 pairs of drawer slides 16 inch

Step 1: Cut List First Bookcase

Have the big box store cut the MDF in half this stuff his so heavy.

Once you have the material at home

1. cut 1 of the 97 x24 in half and draw a nice curve don't go crazy less is more. the 1/4 inch ply wood will only bend so much.
2. cut out one side of on the band saw or a jig saw.
3. Trace out the cut piece on the other section of 48x24 over sized a little bit. cut it out with bandsaw or jigsaw
4. use the flush trim router bit to make an exact replica of the 2 sides.

Step 2:

I used my dado jig to make dados for the shelf

1. marked each side front and back so I wouldn't screw up the dados you will want to put dados on the front of the back and the back of the front. easier way to say this would be the inside of the book case
2. use a 1/4 in rabbit bit in the router and cut a rabbit on the same side and the dados

I used the 1/4 ply wood to get the exact depth.

Step 3: Draw the Front

1. I used a block of wood 1.5 inches attached to another block of wood.
2. mark along the front of the book case use a straight edge when you can
3. then drill holes in the front to allow the jig saw blade
4. cut out the marked out area.
5. save the cut outs for later

Step 4: Pocket Hole and Shelves

Kreg jig or any pocket hole jig will work

1. Cut the shelves 1/2 inch smaller than the line in the dado this will allow space for the 1/4 in ply
2. all this will be custom to the shape you decide on
3. attach everything this is a dry fit we will take it all apart again and paint in later steps

Step 5: Flush Trim

I love the flush trim bits!!

1. Use the flush trim bit to flush up the face frame to the shelves

Step 6: Paint

1. blow everything off or wipe down to make a clean surface for the paint.
2. paint the inside of the cabinet white and the tops red this will allow the led light a good surface to reflect on.

Step 7: Final Assembly

1. attach all the shelves using pocket hole screws and clamps to ensure a great fit.
2. cut the 1/4 inch ply longer since the dip will add length to the final length.

Step 8: Add Sides

1. test fit the piece before applying the glue to ensure a good fit
2. add glue
3. brad nail the sheet of ply wood into place

Step 9: Build the Desk Portion

desk portion

1. Use 3/4 inch ply wood to make a rectangle box 32 x 4 inches
2. 3 3/4 inch by 4 inch plywood 1 in the middle and 1 on each end to allow 2 drawers
3. Cut the draws I used 2 inch strips cut to i inch shorter than the openings
4. Put together with pocket holes.
5. Use a 1/4 rabbit in the router to make a indention on the bottom
6. Cut the 1/4 ply to size
7. Take the 1/4 ply to the sander and round the edges for a perfect fit

Step 10: Cut the Top of the Desk

1. Cut and attach the desk bottom after the drawers are installed makes it really easy
2. Attach a french cleat to the desk as you can see I left a 3/4 in gap to allow for this.

Step 11: Repeat the Process for the Other Side

Have fun with this there is no wrong way just don't get to crazy with the curves the ply will only bend so much! I went to crazy!! but found 1/8 inch ply at the box store

Step 12: Add Led Strip Lighting

I painted all the insides of the cabinets white to allow the colors to reflect off of it. for the smaller of the cabinets I left one side off so i could easily drill and run the wires.the set of led light I purchased had cut lines on the strips

so lets get to it

1. cut strips to length
2. then peel back the top coating to expose the copper
3. and attache pre-soldered connection
4. used wire strippers to strip back the wire
5. splice wires together
6. heat shrink tubing over the splice
7. i bought extra set of hardware and extra wire to allow me to put the strip anywhere

Step 13: Installing Led Lighting

here you can see the step in detail

Step 14: Complete the Other Side

Finish this cabinet side the same as before glue nail and brand nail

1. for the sides on these I had to use the 1/8 board since I went to sharp on the curves.
2. next route edges smooth
3. paint

Step 15: Paint Desk and Attach the French Cleat

do a final painting install the french cleat to the book case

Step 16: Put It Together

Assemble it and see if it fits I adjusted the height of the desk to make it fit my sons chair we already had.

in this step I added the tops to the cabinets and also built a small nick nacks storage that would support the one side.

Step 17: Add Decorative Top

1. draw out a creative top
2. cut with jig saw.
3. used a simple round over for the top.

Step 18: Attach Drawer Fronts

1. used the scraps from the cut outs early to make the drawer fronts
2. for the cabinet just used the cut out from the the jig saw earlier.

Step 19: Add More Led Lights

make a quick connect/disconect on each of the pieces to allow for easy assembly and moving since this desk weights a ton.

Step 20: Test the Lighting

i tested the lights before adding the top covers and was really impressed with the bright ness