How to Make a Desktop Work Space With Wood

Desktop Construction

• 1

  Mark the horizontal center of the plywood sheet. Along what will be the topside of the plywood, measure 12 inches from either lengthwise side to locate the center. Use the T-square to draw a dotted line along the horizontal center and ensure it is square to the vertical edges. Carry the line over the edges of the plywood.

• 2

  Apply a thin bead of wood glue along the narrow lengthwise edge of one firring strip.
  Position the furring strip under the plywood along the center line. Set the strip upright so that it is 2 inches high, with the narrowest edge against the plywood. Visually line up the center of each end of the firring strip with the pencil marks on the edge of the plywood. Balance the plywood with the other two firring strips for easier handling.

• 3

  Nail the plywood to the firring strips. Position a finishing nail on at one end of the top of the plywood, along the dotted line about 1 inch from the end of the board. Hammer the nail until it is level with the wood. Do hit not the wood with the hammer. Repeat the process at the other end. Hammer in additional nails along the dotted line at about every 6 inches. Position and secure the other two firring strips underneath the plywood, one along the front and one along the back. Ensure that the front and back strips do not protrude beyond the edges of the plywood.

• 4

  Secure the side supports. Line up each of the 2-foot hardwood strips at each end of the plywood, perpendicular to the firring strip that runs along the center. The height of these strips will cause the underlying firring strip to arise above the current work surface and will later provide a “lip” to hold the desktop workspace on the filing cabinets. Start on one side. Apply a bead of wood glue along the cut edge of the plywood, and press the hardwood strip against the glue ensuring that the top level of the strip is level to the top and front of the plywood. Nail the strip to the plywood edge. Repeat the process on the other side.

• 5

  Attach the front edge. Position the 1-by-3-inch-by-4-foot 1.25-inch hardwood strip along the front of the plywood. The top edge of the strip will be level with the top of the plywood, however it may prove a bit longer than the outside edges of the two sides. This is because although lumber is measured in rounded numbers such as 1-by-3 inches, both measurements are actually a bit shorter. Line the front board up to the outside of one edge. If it extends beyond the other edge, use the pencil to mark where the board must be trimmed with a saw. Once the measurement is correct, apply glue to the plywood and firring strips. Secure the strip to the plywood and sides with nails using the same process in previous steps. There is no need to nail through the firring strips.

• 6

  Attach the rear edge. This hardwood strip is 6 inches wide and will extend above the plywood surface to prevent things from sliding off the back once the desktop work space is in use. Line the bottom of the hardwood strip with the bottom of the sides. Follow the process in Step 6 to secure the rear edge.

• 7

  Set the nails. Use a nailsetter or a large nail or screw as a substitute. Go back over each nail, place the nailsetter against the head of the previously hammered nail and gently hammer against the nailsetter to set the nail below the surface of the wood.

• 8

  Round-off all exposed edges. This step is optional for a finer appearance of the workspace. Either use a wood file at a 45 degree angle to remove the milled edges or pass a router or rotary tool along the edges with a rounding bit.

• 9

  Fill all of the nail holes. With a fingertip or small applicator such as an ice cream stick, apply a small amount of wood filler into each of the nail holes. Press the filler into the hole and scrape away any excess protruding above from the surface. Lightly sand over dried wood filler and to remove pencil marks and smooth burrs from all of the edges. Finish with a polyurethane finish in a preferred color according to manufacturer's instructions.