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New desk - built in lockdown

I needed a new desk so we had these delivered from Bunnings in Melbourne lockdown. I purchased 2 x steel Rapidmesh leg furniture, a pine panel which we then painted with liming white paint. It came up really well. Very happy with the finished product.

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MitchellMc

That looks sensational, @cmstar! I love the simplicity of this design, and I'm sure just about anyone could complete this project themselves.

I'm also pleased to hear that our amazing members in Melbourne can still access the materials needed for their projects with ease.

Many thanks for sharing and great work.

Mitchell

redracer01

Hello @cmstar

Welcome to Bunnings Workshop! That looks fantastic! My compliments on the smart use of click and deliver! I'm glad you found a way to keep doing your DIY! If I can please request for a closer picture of the Liming White finish on your bench top to give our readers a really close look at how that table top got finished. It would be great to show our readers the difference between a gloss white finish and a Liming White finish on a pine panel. Can you please tell us how many coats did you put on the pine table and if you have any tips you would like to give to those who might want to give this a go.

Cheers,

Red

Screenshot_2021-05-31 Feast Watson 1L Liming White.png

cmstar

Hi Red, the picture you have added is the liming wash I used. It was great to use and it a more subtle white than a white gloss. I only used 1 coat of the liming wash as I still wanted to see the grain of the timber. It was pretty easy to apply and I left it to dry over night before I added the desk legs on. A picture of the finished product.

redracer01

Hello @cmstar

Thank you so much for taking the time to post that picture! I'm sure it will be of interest to our members who are thinking of painting their furniture with that white wash effect giving it that Coastal / Hampton look. Compared to chalk paint, liming white has the same strength and properties as regular furniture paint giving you that look without the extra effort to get that look. Its not as stark or harsh as white chalk paint and should last longer even with regular use. We look forward to your future diy projects and if there is anything we can help with your diy projects please post it here on workshop.

Cheers,

Red

HaymishB

What size Rapidmesh legs did you get? Thanks in advance, Haymish

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @HaymishB. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about this fabulous project.

Let me mention @cmstar so they can verify what Rapidmesh leg they used. I'd hazard a guess that it was the RapidMesh 70 x 73.2 x 6cm Black Steel Tube Table Furniture Leg, as the only other two options in that style are for a bench seat and a coffee table.

Are you planning on building your own desk? Re-creating this project would be quite easy, and we'd be pleased to assist you in the process.

We also look forward to hearing all about the projects and plans you have going on around your house and garden and would encourage you to let us know if you ever need assistance or have something to share. You'll find tonnes of inspiration within the community as our talented members contribute their own projects here all the time.

Mitchell

HaymishB

One of my friends built a desk and I loved the turn out. When I saw this post I thought it would be a great opportunity to experiment with as its a very simple build, yet it look amazing. I'm thinking of staining it a darker colour like walnut, and I would love your opinion on this choice.

redracer01

Hello @HaymishB

Welcome to Bunnings Workshop. A walnut finish brings out the natural brown hues of the timber being stained. Timber with a dark color tends to run darker but the stain creates valleys of contrasting timber color and tends to bring a natural aged brown finish to the top of the wood. It is a preferred color of most furniture makers. The same effect can be said for lighter colored timber with different ring patterns on it. Where the timber is thick and compressed it gives a lighter finish and where it is loose and absorbing goes with deeper browns. You could say that it is almost like a honey colored finish but with much deeper browns. If you are able to have a visit to the paint department, have a look at all the stain and varnish finishes on display to get a better idea of the finishes. I myself prefer this finish but to be honest I've yet to master its application on timber. I look forward to the start of your desk, please keeps us updated and if there is anything else we can help with please post it here on workshop.

Cheers,

Red

MitchellMc

A darker colour would work quite well @HaymishB. Think about how that might affect the overall feeling of the room it's in. As it's a relatively large piece of furniture, lighter or darker colours will either make the room look more airy and spacious or cozy and more confined.

I'd suggest getting yourself some disposable gloves and a rag to apply the stain. I like to saturate the rag and then squeeze all the stain back out of it. The idea is not to have the rag wet with stain, and it should be almost dry. This allows you to control the coats and select your desired depth of colour. You can then start wiping down your timber in even coats. Keep doing coats until you reach your desired darkness for the Walnut stain. When I used brushes to apply stains, I found that if I applied a bit too much on one area, I was then forced to stain the entire piece that dark. It's quite hard to govern how much stain a brush's bristles will hold. Stain is extremely penetrative, and if you apply too much, you can completely lose the appearance of the timber grain.

It would be fabulous if you could share your project with us when you are done. Remember to take plenty of pictures along the way to inspire others.

Please let us know if you need further assistance or have questions.

Mitchell

cmstar

Thanks MitchelleMc for replying to this post, the legs you said were correct. Even though there are 2 legs in the picture this price only reflects 1 leg so you have to order 2, it does let you know this in the wording. I only ordered one for an online delivery and luckily the store called me to let me know before it went out for delivery. www.bunnings.com.au/rapidmesh-70-x-73-2-x-6cm-black-steel-tube-table-furniture-leg_p0130253

MitchellMc

Thanks for clarifying, @cmstar.

Let me mention @HaymishB, so they are alerted to your response.

I've passed that feedback onto our merchandise team about there being two legs pictured. What a fantastic pickup by the team in-store though, I'm sure that saved a delay in your project.

Mitchell

Sa2003

Hello @cmstar,

The desk looks fantastic. Can you kindly advise what pine panel you got and what size /measurements was it?

A link or page from Bunnings site would be greatly appreciated if possible of pine panel. How many screws did you put per leg to hold it well?

Thanks in advance!

cmstar

@Sa2003

Hi yes happy to share with you the panel I used. Here is the link, then I used the liming paint which is also highlighted in this feed.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/araucoply-2100-x-900-x-30mm-clear-pine-fj-laminated-panel_p0290007

I used 6 screws for each legs to secure it. The holes are already in the legs so made it easy! It’s very solid now.
Good luck and look forward to seeing your picture on the workshop site.

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Sa2003. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and many thanks for jumping into the conversation.

It's fantastic to see you've taken inspiration from this amazing project. As @cmstar has mentioned, we'd all be keen to see your finished desk. Please let us know if you need any assistance with it or any other projects around your house and garden. You'll find tonnes of inspiration for them within the community as our creative members contribute their projects here all the time.

Mitchell

edel

I have been looking to build a simple yet modern desk and saw this. Can you please advise the timber size to buy and do you carry Tasmanian oak. What other materials would I need to complete the project. This will be my first attempt as a female DIY. Thanks

StevieB

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @edel. It's fantastic to have you join us and we'd love to help with your first project.

@cmstar mentioned using the following products in this D.I.Y. project:

AraucoPly 2100 x 900 x 30mm Clear Pine FJ Laminated Panel

RapidMesh 70 x 73.2 x 6cm Black Santos Steel Tube Table Furniture Leg

6 screws for each leg to secure it (the holes are already in the legs, which makes it easier)

Feast Watson 1L Liming White

Could you let us know what size desk top you are wanting to fit in your space? Our resident D.I.Y. expert @EricL can then help select the right timber for your project when he's back on the site on Friday if you don't want to use the same Pine panel.

Stevie

lockdownv6

Can you advise what type of screws would be sufficient for the below leg into a merbau panel? A link to the screws would be perfect.

RapidMesh 70 x 73.2 x 6cm Black Cusco Steel Tube Table Furniture Leg

Likewise as original poster, I'm going with same kind of desk, except with a merbau panel.

Would it be best to use a beeswax finish?

How best to apply?

EricL

Hello @lockdownv6

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. Thank you for joining the discussion and sharing your desire to build your own desk.

It's great that this project has inspired you to make your own desk. Let me tag @cmstar so that they are alerted to your question. If you are using the SpecRite 2200 x 600 x 26mm Merbau Panel please do not take off the protective cover until you are ready to wax the panel.

If you are using Glitz 200g Beeswax Polish I suggest testing it on an inconspicuous area before use. Use a soft cloth to apply the polish onto the panel. Leave the test area for five minutes, use a lint-free cloth to buff and shine the test spot. Beeswax is a natural timber sealer and will work with unsealed or varnished timber. If you are satisfied with the results, seal all the sides of the panel with Beeswax.

Please keep us updated, we would love to see your desk once it is assembled and polished.

Eric

EricL

Hello @lockdownv6

I'm so sorry if I did not give you a detailed answer. I had to call the store to find out how big the mounting holes were on the furniture leg. I recommend using the Zenith 10G x 25mm Gold Passivated Wafer Head Type 17 Timber Screws - 50 Pack. Please note that this is on the premise that you're using the SpecRite 2200 x 600 x 26mm Merbau Panel which is 26mm thick.

The top steel plate of the RapidMesh 70 x 73.2 x 6cm Black Cusco Steel Tube Table Furniture Leg is conservatively around 3 to 4mm in thickness. It is best practice to place the screw beside the leg and benchtop to make sure that the screw is long enough to hold the benchtop. If you need further assistance with this project, please let us know.

Eric

lockdownv6

@EricL thanks a lot for your advice and suggestions

I don't need to pre drill for the screws?

With the beeswax, would it be worth giving it a varnish beforehand to give it a darker color then applying coats of beeswax? This will be a computer desk so I don't want to damage the wood

EricL

Hello @lockdownv6

Pre-drilling your benchtop is best practice and prevents the timber from splitting. I suggest giving the Beeswax a go first to see if shine agrees with you. Using varnish to seal the table locks it into that colour, and the Beeswax will no longer affect the colour of the table. If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

lockdownv6

Hi @EricL

Quick question, will the width of the legs mentioned actually fit the width of the table? Just realised the panel is 60cm width and the legs are 73cm width... How did the OP make them fit ? Or am I miscalculating somewhere

MitchellMc

Hi @lockdownv6,

@EricL will be back on site on Monday and will be happy to continue the conversation with you.

In the meantime, I've had a look at a few of the details for you. @cmstar used an AraucoPly 2100 x 900 x 30mm Clear Pine FJ Laminated Panel and similar legs that were 700mm wide. Since their panel was 900mm wide, the legs suited. In answer to your question, the SpecRite 2200 x 600 x 26mm Merbau Panel would not be wide enough to suit these legs as they would stick out. Sorry that we didn't pick up on this sooner.

We have the SpecRite 2400 x 900 x 33mm Finger Joined Teak Panel if you were after a hardwood instead of the pine. Another option might be to use these RapidMesh 70 x 66 x 5cm Black Madison Steel Flat Bar Table Furniture Legs that appear to taper in significantly at the top. They do drop in height by 7cm versus the RapidMesh 70 x 73.2 x 6cm Black Cusco Steel Tube Table Furniture Leg. To suit your colour choice, you could also consider staining the AraucoPly 2100 x 900 x 30mm Clear Pine FJ Laminated Panel.

If you were really set on the Merbau top and those legs, perhaps creating a bulkhead at the rear to take up the difference could be an option. You'd need to drill some leg mounting holes closer to their centre and build a unit at the rear. This could look quite nice, serve as a shelf, and double as a fantastic cable management tray. I've created some images below to illustrate.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

lockdownv6

Thanks for your reply mitchell and the time taken to illustrate the idea.

Unfortunately that doesn't work for me as I wanted the table to be flat. I'll eventually be getting monitor mounts that will be on the desk so the bullhead will be in the way.

I've had to cancel the legs from my order as Bunnings had none in stock of the tapered one you mentioned and couldn't get an estimated time.

I've gone to Amazon instead and found similar legs, 2 for 100 with free shipping so should be here on the same day as

I'll upload a picture of it once completed

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