Knothead wrote:
Devils advocate here, MDF laminate both sides, makes a really nice finished
product and frankly you'll be amazed at how rigid it will turn out.

I find that most computer desks are too high--I wanted the area above my
knees to be an inch thick, max.

It also had to span 4 feet over my knees, and couldn't have any supports
for 18" from the front of the desk. The main surface was designed to
hold 3 21" CRTs, at around 80 pounds each.

I've seen really nice commercial desks using 1" HDF over a steel frame
(http://biomorphdesk.com/1-888-302-DE.../overview.html) but I
couldn't source HDF that thick.

I found a 1" sheet of plywood that had surprisingly decent faces, edged
it with a few inches of solid wood, and ran a 2x6 on end lengthwise
under it a few inches past where my knees go.

It's pretty solid.

Chris