Worktop as a desk

JonathanRyan

JonathanRyan

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I want to get myself a new desk and am fed up of Ikea stuff. I'm looking at buying an electric adjustable frame and then putting a worktop on it because these are cheaper than desk tops, look fantastic and have a huge range of options.

Google tells me this is a pretty normal thing to do these days.

What finish should I get? The place I am looking at finishes to 240 grit and then will either oil them or leave them alone. For a kitchen I'd choose oil but is there a better finish for a desk? Looking for something that won't change the colour of the wood too much and it will only have to stand up to normal office use - no hot pans or floods of boiling water :)
 
I think if I was going for a work/desktop, I would probably go down the artificial route rather than natural wood, because the finish is perfectly flat and is easily cleaned.

Wood Effect Worktops | Worktop Express

Our wood effect worktops provide a low-maintenance option, perfect for any kitchen. View the collection and order yours here today at Worktop Express!
www.worktop-express.co.uk www.worktop-express.co.uk
 
andya700 said:
I think if I was going for a work/desktop, I would probably go down the artificial route rather than natural wood, because the finish is perfectly flat and is easily cleaned.

Wood Effect Worktops | Worktop Express

Our wood effect worktops provide a low-maintenance option, perfect for any kitchen. View the collection and order yours here today at Worktop Express!
www.worktop-express.co.uk www.worktop-express.co.uk
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Thanks. A point I hadn't thought of. I'd expect a kitchen worktop to be flat enough though and with the right sealing should be easy to clean. After all kitchens pretty much are.
 
For a desktop you would be far better not using natural wood, but if you do:

Teak oil gradually soaks into natural wood such as beech, oak or maple. The surface should be fine to use as a desktop after a few days.
Wax is OK but the surface is prone to staining, especially coffee and wine, rubber, metal...
Polyurethane varnish is another option but you end up with a surface that may as well be laminate.
 
Please don't think I am criticising but you are spending (presumably quite a bit) on a height adjustable base and then looking to save on the worktop as they are cheaper than desktops?

I know you don't like IKEA but I have married a pair of these https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/finnvard-trestle-with-shelf-birch-30345717/ with a kitchen worktop for use as an extra worktable.
Not that expensive and stable.

If I was specifying a finish to real wood I would go for Danish oil. I put 4 coats on the new oak staircase and I reckon it is good enough for a desk top. The third coat I used extra fine kitchen scourer, this gives it a very smooth finish.
 
Peter123 said:
Please don't think I am criticising but you are spending (presumably quite a bit) on a height adjustable base and then looking to save on the worktop as they are cheaper than desktops?
Click to expand...

Well, they are cheaper than desktops for what I want :)

Most desks top out at 1600 wide - 2m would work better for me and because they are rare, that's really expensive in a desk. Then you get to the finish - plastic laminate cheap but wood finish = very expensive.

40mm thick solid wood worktop costs about £160 which is much cheaper than a desk I like.
 
It is hard to beat a solid wood desk top.
I would finish with multiple coats of Danish oil. followed by a good quality wax finish. I make up my own with 50%-50% beeswax and carnauba wax in white spirit.
It brings out the natural glow and feel of wood but will not finger mark like softer waxes. the Carnauba wax has a high melting point and hot hands do not soften it enough to leave marks.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Thanks - why is that? Would a stabilised board with wood veneer be OK?
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Probably. Veneers have been used for centuries for desk/table tops, but are not as resilient as laminate.
Fair enough if you are LouisXV and just want to look at it...
It depends on the thickness of the veneer as to how strong it is - and obviously the cost goes up.
But there again it's not a woodworking desk :)
 
You can get extra large worktops if you look for breakfast bars, typically 900mm deep
 
whilst you say no hot pans or boiling water. Are you sure no hot beverages will get spilled? Laptops can get quite warm underneath.

Different woods will work better with different finishes. Whilst I like Danish oil it doesn't suit all woods.
 
Modern veneers are extremely thin, often a fraction of a millimetre. Antique one were sawn and often as much as 1/8 inch
As such modern veneered surface do not allow for any further working, planning sanding etc. However veneered ply or MDF are extremely stable. and when suitably edged make perfectly good work surfaces. they are also more challenging when it comes to jointing and fixing in both a neat and strong fashion. a little knowledge and joinery skills are needed to do so well.

A majority of Antique fine furniture is veneered on to a cheaper wood or ply substrate.
Oak and some earlier walnut furniture was often totally in solid wood.
 
munch said:
whilst you say no hot pans or boiling water. Are you sure no hot beverages will get spilled? Laptops can get quite warm underneath.

Different woods will work better with different finishes. Whilst I like Danish oil it doesn't suit all woods.
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I have not yet found a furniture wood that does not respond well to clear Danish oil. I even use it for some turnings.
You can achieve anything from a natural dull finish to an extreme French polish look.
Depending on how many coats you use, and how you finish them. and is resilient to most household spills and knocks.
And can always be very easily rejuvenated with further coats.
I neither care for, nor use the dyed variety that is sold in many DIY shops.

If you want a hardwearing matt or gloss, plasticky finish, there is nothing to beat Polyurethane varnish. but it is hard to refinish satisfactorily when is starts to look its age.
 
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kendo1 said:
You can get extra large worktops if you look for breakfast bars, typically 900mm deep
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Yes - another advantage of a worktop - lots of desk manufacturers seem to skimp on depth. The cheap ones in Ikea are shocking for this.

Terrywoodenpic said:
I have not yet found a furniture wood that does not respond well to clear Danish oil. I even use it for some turnings.
You can achieve anything from a natural dull finish to an extreme French polish look.
Click to expand...

Thanks - my research is saying poly varnish will be most hardwearing but Danish oil might look and feel better.

munch said:
whilst you say no hot pans or boiling water. Are you sure no hot beverages will get spilled? Laptops can get quite warm underneath.
Click to expand...

That's a valid point. But where I would put a cup of coffee on a kitchen worktop without thinking, I would always use a coaster on a desk. Good point on the laptop though. I pretty much keep a laptop in one location on my desk. I guess it could discolour from the heat.
 
Yacht varnish is rather like thick glossy and hard golden syrup. Rather than a furniture finish.
 
I am sat right now at my home brew desk...wooden frame on which is mounted some B&Q oak effect kitchen base units with a Beech Breakfast bar top, then an Oak veneered MDF framed bookcase built on top of that which has Ply shelves with real oak front supports. Behind me is my workbench which is exactly the same but without the bookshelves.

Old photo from construction phase:

DSC_0292.jpg
 
The desk I am sat at right now is just 18mm ply with a bevelled front edge, sealed with PU varnish. I've been using it for well over a decade and I have only sanded it back and re-varnished it once in that time. It does flex a little if I lean on it heavily but I'm fine with that.
 
Oh. and it's finished in Goldspar Satin Yacht Varnish, super tough stuff, I can clean up paint overspray and spills on the workbench with cellulose thinners no problem.
 
So....an update.

Original plan was to get a sit/stand frame and a worktop. I broke that into 2 steps - first get a sit stand frame and put my existing desk on it then upgrade.

Just finished part 1 and I'm amazed at how well it's gone. I bought a (relatively) cheap frame from the internet without ever seeing one. I was a little surprised when I tried to carry it in from the porch and realised it weighed 30 kilos......

It's an incredibly solid piece of kit and the height adjustment is just beautiful. It raises up with a couple of heavy monitors on with almost no noise and no wobbling at all :D If you're looking at this thread thinking of building your own, I would highly recommend a farm from Flexispot. I got the E5 on a discount voucher and it came to £250 delivered.

Now for part 2 :)

(BTW I realise £250 isn't "cheap". But I plan to end up with a 2m long motorised oak desk for c£400 which compares very well with, say, Ikea)
 
BTW my research is suggesting Osmo Oil for the finish. Anybody agree/disagree with that?
 
Peter123 said:
Please don't think I am criticising but you are spending (presumably quite a bit) on a height adjustable base and then looking to save on the worktop as they are cheaper than desktops?

I know you don't like IKEA but I have married a pair of these https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/finnvard-trestle-with-shelf-birch-30345717/ with a kitchen worktop for use as an extra worktable.
Not that expensive and stable.

If I was specifying a finish to real wood I would go for Danish oil. I put 4 coats on the new oak staircase and I reckon it is good enough for a desk top. The third coat I used extra fine kitchen scourer, this gives it a very smooth finish.
Click to expand...


I have something similar in my home office some old tressles which i sanded and varnished and a nice slab of kitchen worktop i got from gumtree for £20
 
wickes yacht varnish apply a light coat leave for a few days they the lightest of sanding
then wash with soapy water then redo a few times, cheap hard finish
 
How well does yacht varnish (and other finishes) cope with hot mugs and/or spills of hot drinks?
 
Nod said:
How well does yacht varnish (and other finishes) cope with hot mugs and/or spills of hot drinks?
Click to expand...

I think it would be pretty impervious. I did a diningroom floor with 'International' yacht varnish in the 80s, and it lasted several years of people walking over it with only minor scuffing.
 
It's a personal thing: keep yacht varnish on yachts.

Osmo oil or similar is more appropriate for OP's use. :)
 
If you're worried about scratches and stains the only real solution is bar top epoxy, be warned it's a rabbit hole of possibilities.
 
OK, all done*


Desk_1.jpgDesk_2.jpgDesk_4.jpg
Desk_5.jpg

* of course it's not done, these things are never done. I need to reposition the big monitor (it sits too far into the desk) and do even more cable management.....

Desk frame is a height adjustable sit/stand desk from Flexispot, top is 2m of 27mm oak from House of Worktops. It is finished in Danish oil - HoW did this for me and then suggested I put 2 coats of Osmo on top. My local wood finishing experts said don't do that.... I'll probably leave it 6 months, sand a little and recoat.

Some things I learned along the way

1. Do **not** underestimate the challenges of 3 monitors each of which can rotate landscape to portrait connected to 2 computers on floating arms on a desk that goes up and down by 70cm. You will have cable nightmares. (I'm going to live with it for a week or two and then recable - it's likely I'll move stuff to the right and have more deskspace on the left.)

2. The Edifiers recommended in another thread sound properly nice connected to the optical out on my desktop. They are even nice on BT from my phone.

3. I got a thin worktop because of concerns about the weight in case I had to move it - if I was doing it again I might go up to 40mm but I'd want to be very sure it was in the right place.

4. Yes, I wish the Dells matched (for one thing cabling would be easier) - they are monitors I had lying around :)

5. Screwing things to the bottom of an oak desk is never fun - even if you can raise it up to allow enough space not to bang your head.

And yes, I've put way too much effort into this. But I've ended up with a really nice, huge desk for the price of an Ikea so overall I'm happy.
 
WRT 5, maybe tap threads into the oak - depending on load of course. Or self tappers into pilot holes.
 
Nod said:
WRT 5, maybe tap threads into the oak - depending on load of course. Or self tappers into pilot holes.
Click to expand...

I was a little limited in choice of screws due to the thickness. Ended up with done 25mm silver screws from Screwfix. They are ok at self counter sinking but oak is hard...

Still can't decide whether to cut holes for the screen arms and cables. I'll be thinking a while before I cut big holes in it.
 
JonathanRyan said:
oak is hard...
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It also eats anything apart from stainless steel. This can lead to failure of the screws or discolouration along the grain of the wood.
 
Nod said:
It also eats anything apart from stainless steel. This can lead to failure of the screws or discolouration along the grain of the wood.
Click to expand...
I vaguely knew it was fairly acidic but hasn't applied that knowledge...
 
I've got an oak bodied bass guitar and the pickguard screws are seized in. Not really a problem for me since I don't want or need to remove it (and I built the body myself from offcuts.) When I fitted the guard, I made the pilot holes big enough so that the screw threads made just enough contact to screw in then didn't tighten them past "just snug" so I didn't strip the "threads" in the wood. With hindsight, I'd have found some short stainless screws and used plenty of candle wax as lube!
 
JonathanRyan said:
So....an update.

Original plan was to get a sit/stand frame and a worktop. I broke that into 2 steps - first get a sit stand frame and put my existing desk on it then upgrade.

Just finished part 1 and I'm amazed at how well it's gone. I bought a (relatively) cheap frame from the internet without ever seeing one. I was a little surprised when I tried to carry it in from the porch and realised it weighed 30 kilos......

It's an incredibly solid piece of kit and the height adjustment is just beautiful. It raises up with a couple of heavy monitors on with almost no noise and no wobbling at all :D If you're looking at this thread thinking of building your own, I would highly recommend a farm from Flexispot. I got the E5 on a discount voucher and it came to £250 delivered.

Now for part 2 :)

(BTW I realise £250 isn't "cheap". But I plan to end up with a 2m long motorised oak desk for c£400 which compares very well with, say, Ikea)
Click to expand...
Re part 1. I'm not looking for a motorised frame. Can anyone recommend something similar please but static
 
taxboy said:
Re part 1. I'm not looking for a motorised frame. Can anyone recommend something similar please but static
Click to expand...

Not used myself but did catch my attention when I was considering a bespoke shaped desk

Designer desk legs, industrial style and design

Create your desk thanks to TIPTOE's 75 cm steel table legs. They allow you to make a designer desk with an industrial style.
www.tiptoe.fr www.tiptoe.fr
 
taxboy said:
Re part 1. I'm not looking for a motorised frame. Can anyone recommend something similar please but static
Click to expand...

I get a surprising amount of spam from desk companies now :)

I think these look really nice

Dining Table Legs & Desk Legs | Hairpin & Metal | 28” - 71 CM (thehairpinlegcompany.co.uk)

But based on what I've learnt recently, I think I'd always go for an adjustable leg so you can get the height right. Maybe something like this

GERTON chrome-plated, Leg, adjustable - IKEA

If you want a frame then possibly this

IDÅSEN dark grey, Underfor table top, 146x67x76 cm - IKEA

Some numbers to bear in mind:
1. "sitting" height for my desk is 68cm - that will vary a bit on your height but most worktop legs will be too long.
2. 2000mm X 720mm X 27mm of oak worktop weighs over 30 kilos. Beech is lighter. A typical 40mm worktop is *much* heavier.
 
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