The816

I’ve officially become the uncle who makes you presents instead of ponying up and buying the Wii you asked for. Luckily, My niece and nephew are young enough to be excited about whatever gifts they get. I have a couple more years before they realize that I’m co-opting my hobbies into gift-giving ideas.

I had seen something similar online and I really liked the concept. Also, it’s only two pieces of wood. That means there are fewer opportunities for me to screw it up.

It’s just about the size of a 13” MacBook. It’s a little thicker than I would have liked, but I don’t have a planer, so deal with it, kiddos. I engraved and colored their initial into the back and did a double version of that MacBook Pro notch so they can easily open them. Unlike the MacBook, there aren’t insanely sharp corners on either side of the notch.

The inside is painted with chalkboard paint. I’ve used it before on their toybox and I really like it. I embedded magnets in the corners to help is stay shut. This particular model is labeled “MaliaBook Pro”. No matter what you read online, it’s way better than the MaliaBook Air.

The final home for this table will be behind the toilet in our bathroom. So rather than post pictures of my bathroom on the internet, I thought I’d take some photos of this one outside. You’re welcome.

The top was constructed exactly like I did my desk. The process is really simple and I love the look of it. Oh, and it’s a helluva lot cheaper than buying big slabs of oak. I would imagine, I actually have no idea. I did not major in Wood Pricing. Get off my back! Geez.

The legs are made from balusters that were part of the staircase that we removed when we renovated our house. None of them were long enough by themselves, so each leg is made of three laminated pieces. I think it’s a cool look. If you didn’t know any better, you might think that I planned it this way. But no, I just wanted to use up that wood. Now it’s used up. Take that, wood.

So now we have a table in the bathroom for candles, vases, a thesaurus, guns, or whatever! It’ll also function as a place to set your beer while you pee.

I had been using the same $60 Best Buy particle board computer desk for the last decade. Since I spend way too many waking hours at my desk, I figured it was time to make myself a new one. I really liked this desk that I saw on Etsy and wanted to create something with the same industrial-ish look. So here’s what I came up with:

Here’s how it came together!

The main materials are just 3/4” MDF, hardwood oak flooring and fence post tubing. Pro tip: Swallow your pride and let someone help you load 4’x8’ sheets of MDF. Your back will thank you. Ow.

The first step was to cut the MDF to size and then create a hardwood floor on top of it. I don’t have an actual flooring nailer, so I just used my brad nailer and nailed through the tongue on the floor boards. It actually worked out pretty well. Each board is also glued in place. These suckers will not be going anywhere.

When all the flooring was in place, I trimmed off all the excess. It’s starting to look like a desk! Or a very tiny dance floor.

To conceal those ugly edges, I ripped some longer floor boards and used them to trim the desktop.

I created the upper desktop using the same method. I arranged the boards for the top in the opposite direction to create a cool visual effect. I spent a ton of time sanding these. After tearing through a billion sheets of sandpaper, it’s as smooth as one continuous piece of wood. It would be amazingly irritating to be able to feel any seams or joints, especially when trying to use a mouse.

The feet for the upper desktop were created from a stair railing that we took out of the house when we did the renovation. It’s been sitting in my garage for five years and I finally managed to find a good use for it.

The metal tube base was really easy. I cut the pipes to size and fitted them together with Kee Klamps. Each of the joints are secured with a set screw, so the desk can easy be broken down to move.

From there it was just a matter of stain, polyurethane and other finishing touches. I’m really happy with how it turned out. I’m currently working on a small table using this same technique. It was a good excuse to use up the leftover hardwood and, well, I just really like making things.

Thanks to my friend Tim of Round Tree Design for the consultation and tips!