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

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 16:27:33 +0000, Mike Dodd
wrote:

| 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.


Kitchen worktop?
--
Dave Fawthrop hyphen Hyphenologist.co.uk Register your mobile phone
IMEI *free* on http://www.menduk.org/. Keep the username and password.
If it gets stolen report it your provider to get it blocked. To hopefully
get it back report on http://www.menduk.org/ or 08701 123 123.

I hate to say it, but MDF could be the thing here....

Dave Fawthrop wrote:
On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 16:27:33 +0000, Mike Dodd
wrote:

| 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.


Kitchen worktop?

Not wide enough, in 95% of the cases (want an available depth of 80cm in
places), and too straight (want some "character" about it).

Had thought long and hard about it, though.

Thanks, anyway

David P wrote:
I hate to say it, but MDF could be the thing here....


Aye, was thinking that, but unsure how to finish the MDF surface?, it's
got to be presentable. At least with blockboard you have a grained
surface that'd take a stain / varnish (or am I thinking of something else?)

Also, edges would look shoddy after any short time, and planing /
routing a corner would feather the finish.

Would need to be veneered, but unsure how I'd even start with that.

Thanks anyway

Mike Dodd wrote:
Dave Fawthrop wrote:

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 16:27:33 +0000, Mike Dodd
wrote:

| 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.

Kitchen worktop?

Not wide enough, in 95% of the cases (want an available depth of 80cm in
places), and too straight (want some "character" about it).

There's the type intended for breakfast bars; ie post-formed on both
edges - I'm sure that's more than 80cm wide.

Can't help with the 'character' issue; but can't help thinking that
kitchen worktop is the obvious solution...!

David

Mike Dodd wrote:
David P wrote:
I hate to say it, but MDF could be the thing here....


Aye, was thinking that, but unsure how to finish the MDF surface?,
it's got to be presentable. At least with blockboard you have a
grained
surface that'd take a stain / varnish (or am I thinking of something
else?)

Also, edges would look shoddy after any short time, and planing /
routing a corner would feather the finish.

Would need to be veneered, but unsure how I'd even start with that.

Thanks anyway

You can buy laminate that resembles different patterns of worktops to cover
the top of the MDF.

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

You can buy laminate that resembles different patterns of worktops to cover
the top of the MDF.

Or cover it with formica

http://www.formica.co.uk/index.cfm?f...lay&ContentID=
168&allrange=1
--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

The3rd Earl Of Derby wrote:
Mike Dodd wrote:

David P wrote:

I hate to say it, but MDF could be the thing here....


Aye, was thinking that, but unsure how to finish the MDF surface?,
it's got to be presentable. At least with blockboard you have a
grained
surface that'd take a stain / varnish (or am I thinking of something
else?)

Also, edges would look shoddy after any short time, and planing /
routing a corner would feather the finish.

Would need to be veneered, but unsure how I'd even start with that.

Thanks anyway


You can buy laminate that resembles different patterns of worktops to cover
the top of the MDF.

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite


Hmmm, interesting (and a potential solution) - what is "laminate"?, I
assume several bonded layers of veneer?

If so, then if you don't mind a few questions:-

(1) Easy supplier?, are we talking timber merchants or sheds? (can't
remember seeing any of this stuff in B&Q)

(2) Available sizes?, Ideally looking for a "roll" (it's flexible, isn't
it?) either full length (3600mm) or 2xhalf lengths(2x1800) - I intend to
build the desk in 2 halves for ease of installation / available board sizes.

(3) How to bond to MDF? Presumabley any wood glue?

(4) How flexible? (could it be taken around a 1/2" quarter radius?)

(5) How expensive? (£1/m2, £10/m2, £100m/2?)

Lobster wrote:
Mike Dodd wrote:

Dave Fawthrop wrote:

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 16:27:33 +0000, Mike Dodd
wrote:

| 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.

Kitchen worktop?


Not wide enough, in 95% of the cases (want an available depth of 80cm
in places), and too straight (want some "character" about it).


There's the type intended for breakfast bars; ie post-formed on both
edges - I'm sure that's more than 80cm wide.

Can't help with the 'character' issue; but can't help thinking that
kitchen worktop is the obvious solution...!

David

Yes, the 5% left (from the 95% of cases) was the breakfast bar stuff, I
did know about it. Just can't help but think that it'll look too much
like a breakfast bar and not enough like a computer desk.

There's some reasonable patterns, too, and the surface will be hard
wearing, but I think I'll have to see how the land lays, so to speak,
with the missus before going any further with that idea.

Thanks

(hmmm, maybe the character can come from the ancillary bits - monitor
shelves and the like)

"Mike Dodd" wrote in message
...
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?



Depends how much you plan to spend. I've used wide pine boards. They're
easy to cut and join. If you use 28mm they need little support. A 25 x 50
batten at the back and sides with some additional support in the middle
front.
Perhaps the tubular legs? A bit of work on the sanding and about five coats
of varnish rubbed down between the last three and it will look really good.
You can jig saw or rout to the curved shape you want then sand to a smooth
edge.

Peter Scott

David P wrote:
I hate to say it, but MDF could be the thing here....

I agree. 18mm for the main worktop, edge it with another strip maybe 4"
wide glued to the edge to make it look thicker. Rout the edge and paint it.

Dave

What sort of 'colour' do you want? Something 'wooden'? Or something
'painted'?

Isnt an 8*4 2400 * 1200?

Mike Dodd wrote:

Dave Fawthrop wrote:

Kitchen worktop?

Not wide enough, in 95% of the cases (want an available depth of 80cm in
places), and too straight (want some "character" about it).

Let your router get it's teeth into something like this?

http://www.wood-worktops.co.uk/

Andy Burns wrote:
Mike Dodd wrote:

Dave Fawthrop wrote:

Kitchen worktop?


Not wide enough, in 95% of the cases (want an available depth of 80cm
in places), and too straight (want some "character" about it).


Let your router get it's teeth into something like this?

http://www.wood-worktops.co.uk/

Excellent!, now, can you suggest where I can buy a bigger pair of balls
before machining £400+ of timber?



Actually, a good idea, but I might try a small scale mock-up to see if I
can joint boards myself.

Thanks

David P wrote:
What sort of 'colour' do you want? Something 'wooden'? Or something
'painted'?


Wooden, so I quite like Peter's suggestion, might try a small mock up
over XMas

Mike Dodd wrote:

Excellent!, now, can you suggest where I can buy a bigger pair of balls
before machining £400+ of timber?

Well you don't have to go for the ash then, the rubberwood is a 1/3 the
price if you're trying to tell all and sundry you've got nuts the size
of raisins :-P

Andy Burns wrote:

Well you don't have to go for the ash then

Anyone going to claim they've got the cojones to carve up the £993
3m length of Wenge? You wouldn't want much waste at that price ...

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 19:33:16 +0000, Mike Dodd
wrote:

David P wrote:
What sort of 'colour' do you want? Something 'wooden'? Or something
'painted'?


Wooden, so I quite like Peter's suggestion, might try a small mock up
over XMas


I've been using for some years now a blockboard kitchen table from
Ikea. :-)

I had two 19" CRT's at the time so needed something sturdy. It fit
the gap with a few cm's to spare and I've been quite happy with it,
never stained or varnished it just a wipe down with the damp cloth
every now and again.
The mouse areas are now smooth as glass, lol.


Mark S.

I have done exactly the same. I used 3/4inch ish MDF 2 pieces of 8be4 I
used a piece of string and a pen to scribe a nice semi circular bay for me
and one for the other half. I sanded the edges down with a sander to get a
nice smooth edge. it looks great!

Steve

"Mike Dodd" wrote in message
...
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

Ps I used battening all the way around the wall to support it and a 'leg'
made from a left over piece of mdf curved nicely to keep in theme with the
curves. Its rock solid and I have been using it for the past 4 years day in
day out. I used a quick drying acrylic gloss (more a semisheen) in a grass
green and did the walls in a pale green. Quite hard wearing, it still does
not need a recoat after all this time.

Steve

"R.P.McMurphy" wrote in message
...
I have done exactly the same. I used 3/4inch ish MDF 2 pieces of 8be4 I
used a piece of string and a pen to scribe a nice semi circular bay for me
and one for the other half. I sanded the edges down with a sander to get a
nice smooth edge. it looks great!

Steve

"Mike Dodd" wrote in message
...
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

In article ,
R.P.McMurphy wrote:

Ps I used battening all the way around the wall

Would you mind posting the right way up and trimming to context please?

--
AJL

Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics) wrote:
In article ,
R.P.McMurphy wrote:


Ps I used battening all the way around the wall


Would you mind posting the right way up and trimming to context please?


Despite all that, he might have a workable solution. If I can get over
the painted surface then this will be the easiest (and most cost
effective) solution.

Thanks, RPM, I might post the final results over the new year.

"Mike Dodd" wrote in message
...
Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics) wrote:
In article ,
R.P.McMurphy wrote:


Ps I used battening all the way around the wall


Would you mind posting the right way up and trimming to context please?


Despite all that, he might have a workable solution. If I can get over the
painted surface then this will be the easiest (and most cost effective)
solution.

Thanks, RPM, I might post the final results over the new year.

Your very welcome!

Steve

"Andy Burns" wrote in message
...
Andy Burns wrote:

Well you don't have to go for the ash then

Anyone going to claim they've got the cojones to carve up the £993
3m length of Wenge? You wouldn't want much waste at that price ...

Sweaty moments. I carved a 400 ukp piece of oak board to
make a worktop round a Belfast sink with a 2000W router.
Jigs, dry runs - didn't make any difference. I still collapsed
with nervous exhaustion after I'd made the cut. Nearest and
dearest then suggested I might like to cut sloping drainage
channels into the sink. Words similar to 'fat chance!'

Peter Scott

Peter Scott wrote:
"Andy Burns" wrote in message
...
Andy Burns wrote:


Well you don't have to go for the ash then


Anyone going to claim they've got the cojones to carve up the £993
3m length of Wenge? You wouldn't want much waste at that price ...

Sweaty moments. I carved a 400 ukp piece of oak board to
make a worktop round a Belfast sink with a 2000W router.
Jigs, dry runs - didn't make any difference. I still collapsed
with nervous exhaustion after I'd made the cut. Nearest and
dearest then suggested I might like to cut sloping drainage
channels into the sink. Words similar to 'fat chance!'

Peter Scott



Hmmm, pondering how you'd do that.... presumably a jig to fit on top of
the draining area, and sand one edge slightly to create the gradient?

Mike Dodd wrote:

Hmmm, pondering how you'd do that.... presumably a jig to fit on top
of the draining area, and sand one edge slightly to create the
gradient?

I saw something about that in a woodworking magazine recently. It is a jig
which tapers so the router cuts deeper as it moves along - but not by much.

Probably take longer to make the jig than do the job.

Dave

On Sun, 25 Dec 2005 20:33:09 GMT, "david lang"
wrote:

Mike Dodd wrote:

Hmmm, pondering how you'd do that.... presumably a jig to fit on top
of the draining area, and sand one edge slightly to create the
gradient?


A piece of MDF with a slot cut to take a router with guide bush and
then a piece of tapered wood attached on each side. Clamp to draining
board and make the cuts.

It would be hard to get the pieces accurate and repeatable enough to
get both sides precisely the same by sanding.

A way to do that would be on a table saw using a taper jig against the
fence. e.g. Axminster part number 7726



I saw something about that in a woodworking magazine recently. It is a jig
which tapers so the router cuts deeper as it moves along - but not by much.

Probably take longer to make the jig than do the job.


That's almost always the case with jigs. Generally the purpose is
either to do something that needs to be done on a repeat basis, or to
get an accurate result that can't be done in another way.

--

..andy

Hmmm, pondering how you'd do that.... presumably a jig to fit on top of
the draining area, and sand one edge slightly to create the gradient?

I think that Screwfix do a jig, but obviously that's flat. I imagine that
you prop
up the end that is away from the sink and clamp it. I reckon this job must
be about third on the list of 'diy that I would prefer not to do'. Which of
course begs the question of what the first two are. Hmmm...

Oh yes. Digging a trench for an underground power cable and balancing
on a roof ladder to refit the chimney cowl that came loose when I set
fire to kerosine-soaked rags in the wood-burner. Talk about reheat!

Peter Scott