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How to make wood pretty.
Casually Hardcore
Once an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered User regular
Once an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered User regular
So I have a hollow core door that I want to turn into a desk. Problem is, it's a bit rough. I would like to smooth it out and like make it prettier, but I have no wood skills what so ever.
How do I make this door pretty and functional as a desk?
How do I make this door pretty and functional as a desk?
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I don’t know how well veneer responds to sanding, but you could probably make it a little prettier if you’re careful. You’d need a fine grit, and it’s probably safest to do it by hand. Then you could put some kind of a stain on it, which will bring out the grain and provide a bit of protection (mostly from things like sunlight and liquid spills) to boot.
Bear in mind that hollow core doors are not really built to hold a lot of weight, because they generally hang from door frames. So if you do use it as a table, whatever you put on it needs to be light or it’ll punch through the veneer.
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
https://imgur.com/a/pFDiKo6
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
Run cables through it I guess? CH could probably get some plexi or something that is designed to take a bit more weight and lay it over top of the door?
Bondo the hole and stain it, or re-purpose the hole.
It wouldn't cost much to get some actual lumber in those dimensions and make it properly. You could probably what you would need, untreated, in those dimensions for under $50.
Your miles may vary, but if I was going to take the time to make a desk from scratch I'd rather do it properly so it lasts forever. Especially if you are already planning on buying the tools needed to make it happen.
here's an old man with pretty good instructions. The only thing left after that is to stain it. If that is too complex, he has some simpler designs.
I like this one better for you.
I mean what are you looking for in a desk?
See, that guy has like a billion dollars worth of tools already. I have a circular saw, a full set of mechanics tools, and my bare hands. Not much tools that involve wood.
to smooth that cheap veneer will take more time and money than buying an actual desk or a decent door
I would suggest looking at home reclaim shops in your area if you have them and start with a better door
Sanding that door will destroy the veneer (if using a powered sander) or take 10,000 hours (hand sanding). Wood filler, epoxy, or similar would flatten the surface but would look really really bad.
With low tools/skill level, I'd probably get your legs from someplace like Ikea (get two trestle kits for 20-40 bucks each), higher end ones will have shelving built in and you'll only need the tools that come with it and (probably) a screwdriver or two. You can get unfinished saw horses at a hardware store like you have there for about 30 for a pair, or make your own for probably the same price.
Then buy some unfinished wood planks. A 2"x10"x16' plank is about 20 bucks or so. Depending on how long you want it, you could get about 8-12 per plank, and would probably need 3 planks. Most hardware stores will cut to your dimensions for you, Get a couple of smaller planks for framework, all told probably $40-60 bucks depending on your size.
Buy some varnish, ~5 bucks for a can plus 2 bucks for a brush.
Or just go buy a prefab simple wooden table and skip the hassle from Amazon or someplace for ~$90.
Tops: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/11844/
Leg Options: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/11845/
And yer done. Pretty durable in my experience. Similar systems are on various Amazon retailers as well. It's nothing fancy, but they look good, are simple and to the point, and wear well with time.