What sort of desk would you put into this 43" wide space? I drew an idea for a built in option, where it's just a board sitting on top of two slats drilled into the wall. I already have a 2"x4" 3/4" MDF board from a while back, do I have to reinforce it so it doesn't bow on me? Would a simple corner to corner 'X' made of 1"x2" lumber on the bottom side suffice?
Far easier to just do cleats on the sides an across or at least in the middle of the back wall, and then add something like 1×2 across the front edge that's glued and screwed to the underside so it stiffens that unsupported edge. Basically like a full width cleat but attached to the desktop.
You can get fancy with rabbeting out a larger piece to cover the MDFs exposed edge and act as a support, or use two pieces or trim or edge banding, if you care about looks
That makes sense, thanks. I'm pretty sure the walls are thin wood panels over the original lath and plaster - based on the attached picture do I have the right hardware for hanging the cleats? The MDF is quite heavy, I want to be sure I don't tear any holes out of the wall if things fall. I've used the plastic ribbed anchors for hanging framed pictures in these walls but that's obviously less weight.
If there's wood panel over lath then screws are probably adequate, assuming you ate t going to stand on it or stack lead weights.
One thing that helps a lot in a space like that is that if you attach the top to the cleats securely that will prevent them from rocking and working loose and combined with screws that actually thread into the cleats ( as opposed to oversized holes) the whole assembly is effectively trapped in place and all the screws would need to shear off or plow sideways through the plaster and wood for it to fall.
The ribbed screw anchors are more trouble than they're worth in this instance, and pretty much suck for all but ultra lightweight hanging.
Don't extend past the walls. Aesthetics matter.
Wad thinking the same
the thing is that the left wall is only 17" deep, the right wall is 20" deep, and the board is 24" deep. I surely won't make the desk only 17" deep, and if it's going to extend past the wall on one side then I might as well get the full depth of the board and let it extend past the wall on both sides. It's a rental apartment anyways, so I don't care about making it look as nice as possible, and I'll appreciate the extra few inches.
I'm going to put cleats on the sides and back wall, and glue a "H" shaped 1"x2" frame to the underside of the board to keep it from bowing.
I'll screw the top into the cleats, minimizing movement makes sense. For the wall screws which do you figure from
, the long ones on the left in the "Wood Screws" labeled container?
Make sure to put a low profile bracket in the middle or you'll hate yourself when it bows
I never install any 3/4" counters with more than 24" between support. I'll do 1" up to 32" though
T. Cabinet pro
What the frick is that skirting
Honestly scared
Ikea folding desk. Bjurista with a wall mount for the monitor. This is what I used.
that's not a bad idea, it doesn't have legs (which I wanted to avoid), and is just about the perfect size for the space. thanks anon. I might still stick to the original plan because of cost, but it's a good option.
its more solid than it looks. Been using it for years in my basement since VR+workout and didnt wan it jutting into the room.
Ikea sells a decent looking and thick wood desk/table top you could cut to size and just slide in there.
I am partial to hanging/suspended desks myself. Put two hooks in the rafters in the ceiling. Use four lengths of cable or rope and put carabiners on the top ends. Drill holes in the four corners of the desktop and run the cables or ropes through it. Put large fender washers on the bottom then tie off the rope or use a cable ferrule to secure the bottom. Super easy to adjust and remove if you need to.
What the heck is this shit?
We need explanation OP
It's called a baseboard heater. Quite common in older houses.
if mdf is all you have then make due with what you've got, but it has terrible lateral strength and will require lots of bracing. it will bow, more with time, and you won't be able to put anything heavy on it or lean on it. it also absorbs moisture like crazy which weakens it further. plywood would be a much better choice, pine boards even more so, and hardwood even better, if you can swing it.