Me and the missus have each a computer desk in what is affectionately
refered to as the toy room (no!, not what you was thinking, but we're
both avid computer gamers).

What I'd like to do is get rid of the two very different computer desks,
and the various cheap pine shelves that we have and replace with a
fitted wall to wall computer desk.

The room is approx 9ft by 6 ft, intend to run a desk along the long wall.

Ideally, I'd like a desk with upto 80cm depth, and with a contoured
shape (i.e. bells out at each end for the two work centres, and is
narrower towards the middle - just for storage and the like. Symetrical
(mirroed) design, of course, for the two of us.

Fully intend to run battons back and sides for the main supports, and
use the "breakfast bar" type legs that you can buy from B&Q / Homebase
along the front edge.

Which leaves me with one main quandry... what to use as the material for
the desktop. Obviously I need something reasonably heavy duty which is
dimensionally stable and rigid. Immediate choice there would be ply
(22mm?) or blockboard.

Then comes the problem of finishing the desktop - ply has the obvious
problem of splintering around the edges, blockboard I can imagine giving
all sorts of grief with the composite nature (with the inner "blocks"
giving a poor edged finish.

There's also the issue of bevelling the working edge, or chamferring or
rounding it. I have a decent router, so the mechanics of this isn't
difficult, but the only question is the effect on the material (e.g. ply
- exposing the layers, blockboard exposing the cladding / blocks).

One possible solution that I can think of is to tack a beading strip
along the edge of a blockboard desktop, assuming the beading strip would
be flexible enough to follow the contour of the desktop shape.

Anyone had any experience of this, or pass on any suggestions as to
suitable materials to consider?

Mike