I am an individual who loves crafts and who is starting to sew my own clothes, as well as an online student, so needless to say I need a very LARGE DESK. For months now, I have been forced to transform my kitchen dining table to a work area. This has been frustrating since we eat at the same table. So my husband offered to help me. I took him up on it!
Here are the instructions we used for our door desk:
- First, find a vintage door from a habitat for humanity store, antique shop or thrift store. My door I used was full of character and some of the paint was starting to peel, a characteristic I love.
- Next, scavenge out a piece of glass about the same size as the door or smaller. Key element here is smaller, for it is far easier to cut wood than glass. We found a screen door that only had a white trim around it which was easy to take off.
- Then, cut the door to fit the glass if need to.
- Next, make saw horses for the legs. (You can even use small bookshelves for legs.) My husband used the template and instructions from the http://artofmanliness.com/2011/09/15/how-to-build-a-quick-and-easy-sawhorse/ (Later, we are thinking about adding shelves to the sawhorses for more storage area.)
- If you want to paint the sawhorses then do so now, before assembling. We want to paint ours a matte black.
- Finally, assemble the pieces together. Stand up the legs after completion and place the door on the legs and the glass on the door and now you have a door desk with plenty of work room. I love it!!!
Materials (instructions for sawhorses from http://artofmanliness.com)
Here are the materials Tim recommends for his sawhorses. It’s enough to make a pair.- Six 32½-inch 2x4s (for the
I-beams)
- Eight 30-inch 2x4s (for the
legs)
- Twelve 3-inch wood screws
- Thirty-two 16D galvanized nails
How to Build a Sawhorse
Building a sawhorse is super easy. It makes for a great starter project for the man who has never really worked with tools, but wants to become handier around the home.
Note: This is one way to build a sawhorse. I know there are plenty of other ways to do it. This plan is great for everyday use in a typical suburban garage. If you plan on using your sawhorses for heavy work, you might try another design.
1. Measure and Cut Your Timber
The 2x4s I bought came in lengths of sixteen feet, so
I had to cut them down to the needed sizes. Here I am measuring and cutting
32½-inch pieces for the I-beams and 30-inch pieces for the legs. Remember to
measure twice and cut once!
Here I am using a portable compound miter saw to cut
the timber. You can use a hand-held circular saw or even an old-school handsaw.
Ready to be turned into a sawhorse
2. Build I-Beams
Take three of your 32½-inch 2x4s and screw them
together in an "I" formation. I found it helpful to drill a pilot
hole before driving the screws in. Drive three wood screws right down the
middle on top and bottom of the I-beam. Place two of the screws near each end
and drive the other one right in the middle of the I-beam.
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| http://artofmanliness.com |
3. Nail the Legs to I-Beam
Butt the end of the 30" 2x4s into the top of the I-beam like so. Hammer two nails at the top of the leg so that they go into the middle I-beam piece. Nail two more nails into your leg so that they go through the bottom I-beam piece.
If you've done things correctly, you should form a box pattern with your nails. Notice my hammer dings in the wood. I need to practice.
Repeat for each leg.
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| http://artofmanliness.com |
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| http://artofmanliness.com |
Completed Sawhorse
My finished sawhorse. Rinse, wash, and repeat to make
your second sawhorse for a pair. To store these bad boys, just stack 'em.
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| http://artofmanliness.com |
