Flush doors are a well kept secret available at any Home store (Lowes, Home Depot). For about $25, you can get an 80 inch long by 24 to 36 inch wide x 1+ inch thick totally flat internally framed Luan (wood type) panel useable for many purposes, especially a huge desk.
They are also very GREEN, as they are framed of natural wood with two very thin (1/16 inch) smooth wood facings reinforced internally by a corrugated cardboard honeycomb. They are strong but light weight, cutting down on shipping emissions.
I will feature some of their potential uses in this and following posts.
If you have need of a simple-to-build large desk, the simplest version would consist of one flush door resting on two inexpensive metal file cabinets (fasten the door to them). If you want some “free range storage space” with it, use two doors separated by two “2×4s” fastened on-edge under the short ends of the doors.
If you are pressed for space, then try the fold-up desk shown in the accompanying diagram. It requires one flush door and a few pieces of 2×2 (actual 1.5×1.5) and 2×3 or 4 (actual 1.5×2.5 or 3.5) available at the wood construction section of Lowes, etc., and a few hinges. It uses the wall to hold up the back. You must fasten the back hinges well into the wall studs with long enough screws. Wall studs are usually 16 inches apart, center to center. Refine the construction to suit.
See many more simply elegant projects and products at our website.
Variations and Refinements:
* Cover the final desk with a thin sheet of metal, clear plastic (plastics store), plastic laminate contact-cemented on (Home store), or a few coats of glossy acrylic exterior house paint or clear water-base polyurethane.
* Construct a pigeon-hole desk storage unit to rest on the back top of the desk, using 1×4 (3/4×3.5) or 1×6 (3/4×5.5)— mount it a little above the desk to allow uncluttered desk space, or add wall shelves above the desk.
* Add a chicken-wire or fencing tool panel on the wall behind (see our Website, DIY section).
* If you make the fold-up version, you can use the folded-up door back as a bulletin board or picture display, or…
Cautions:
* Do NOT sit on flush door desks, as they may not hold up concentrated weights over about 100 pounds, NOR small children jumping on them. Flush doors cannot be used to make worktables that will take a lot of beating, as their skin is only about 1/16 inch thick.
* Do NOT cover the desk surface with glass.
* When adding legs, they must be very near the corners of the door because the internal framing is only about 1.25×1.25 inches in size and the screws need to “bite” into the framing. You can inset the legs if you use 1/2- 3/4 inch thick 12×12 inch plywood pressure spreaders glued to the door/desk “underside” near each corner. This also gives the leg screws something to “bite” into.
* You can cut flush doors shorter, but this requires care, and the cut edge MUST be reinforced with an inserted glued-in wood framing member. Cut the wood door facings carefully with a metal straightedge and sharp utility knife (many cut passes), THEN saw through the edge framing. WATCH YOUR FINGERS!
