Recycled Desk

The Goal of this project was to spend zero dollars and build a 24" by 48" Desktop the same height as my bed. everything was found or reused and nothing was purchased.

Step 1: Gather Materials

For this project I Disassembled Four pallets, removing any protruding nails and discarding any boards that were too weathered or splintered.

I Salvaged several lengths of 2x4"

many 1/2" slats

and a square of 3/4" plywood.

Other materials needed:

Stain/sealant: I found a sun bleached used can of 'stain & seal' half buried in the Dirt behind my dads workshop. It ended up being a nice dark color that really works well with the pallet wood.

Screws, nails, glue: already possessed

Saw

Hammer

Tape measure

Sandpaper

Drill

Step 2: Some Assembly Required

I Chose a Desktop made up of 12" long slats side by side to create a two foot deep desk. Start by measuring and cutting all of your slats to the desired length. I then played around with the layout and found the best looking sides to make up the desktop. To Create a mounting platform I built a rectangle from 2x4's and cut the plywood square into two pieces that would create a flat surface. The frame and plywood were glued and screwed together. The legs Were created by cutting a 2x4 in half and attaching it to a whole 2x4 using glue and screws. In Order to attach the planks on top I first used a chalk line to give myself a center line then using a generous amount of wood glue I nailed each one four times with a nail gun. A hammer and some finish nails would have worked just as well but much more time consuming. After assembly I sanded the entire piece once over with 120 Grit and the desktop a little extra to smooth it out. I wanted a reclaimed/rustic look so I sanded carefully to avoid removing all the age and character.

Note: The desk has held up well, but after I added a 5 gallon fish tank I had concerns about weight on the desk. I Salvaged two lengths of angle iron from an old rusty bed frame and attached them underneath running the whole length of the desk. The desk is incredibly sturdy now.

Step 3: Finish

I Finished this piece with an old can of stain and seal combo that I had found lying around. It went on super easy with a foam brush and I am super happy with the color and overall look.