No suggestion on the plan... Many years ago I fit your description as
regards space and tools. I signed up for an adult ed class at the local
college. Met once a week at night for about three hours for a semester.
Gave full access to the tools in the industrial arts department along
with a heck of a nice instructor to look over your shoulder. You might
check to see if anything similar is available in your area.

bob g.

Kathy wrote:

I need a desk for my computer & can't bring myself to buy anything on
the market. All the desks out there in my price range are made of
particle board.

I'm an amatuer in woodworking. I've built a picnic table & a play set
for my daughter. Never made anything for indoors. Never did anything
with plywood, but I came up with a design for a desk using plywood,
mostly. I have limited skills, few tools, & no space, so this should
be easy, right? LOL

Here's a drawing of it & a cutting layout for the plywood.

http://www.peggyelliott.com/deskplan.htm

Now my questions;

What kind of plywood? I assume I should be using 3/4", right?
I keep reading about birch plywood & baltic birch, what's the
difference & which do I need? Or something else?

I'm hoping to get my local independent lumber store to cut the pieces
out for me, is that likely? They made all the cuts for the play
center, but that wasn't plywood.

How do I attach the plywood to plywood, do I use a nail gun? I'd have
to rent one. Should I hammer nails in? What size nails? Should I use
screws instead of nails? I assume I should also use glue, what kind?
Should I attach 2x4's or 1x4's underneath & in the back to make it
stronger?

By reading here about plywood, I gather I should attach a 3/4" molding
strip to the edge of the desktop with glue. So using a router on the
edge doesn't work on plywood?

What else don't I know?

TIA
Kathy