How to Build a Work Desk

Place the two plywood sheets down on the floor. Place the ruler on one sheet and draw four rectangles measuring 23 by 28 inches with a pencil. Write an "S" on these four side pieces. In addition, draw four rectangles measuring 14 by 23 inches and write an "M" on them to indicate middle panels. On the second sheet, draw two rectangles measuring 28 by 15 inches, labeled "B," and one large desk surface piece measuring 60 inches long and 23 inches wide.

Turn on the table saw. Place one sheet up to the blade and cut the shelving panels one at a time. Rub sandpaper on the cut edges to smooth out splinters and cracks.

Take one of the "M" pieces and place it between two "S" panels to create a U shape. The panels must be on their thin sides. Insert a second "M" panel to create a shelf between the two "S" panels. The spacing of the shelves is up to you. Use the clamps to hold the structure in place.

Lay the level on the structure to ensure you have assembled it evenly. Hammer nails into the sides to attach both the bottom panel and the shelving piece. Place the back side labeled "B" up against the structure and hammer nails along the sides to attach it. Repeat steps in this section to create an identical shelving support unit with the remaining "S," "B" and "M" pieces.

Place the two supportive shelving units so that the opening of the U shape faces upward. Place them about 30 inches apart. Lay the desk surface on top so it covers the opening on both shelving units, serving as a top piece.

Attach the surface by driving nails down through the top so that they reach into the shelving frames along the outer sides. The nails must be sunk into the surface a bit using the nail set, so they do not stick out. Apply wood filler on top of the nail heads, let it dry and then sand the wood filler to smooth out the desk surface.