Tutorial: DIY Industrial Desk from Upcycled Pallets

  Hey y'all!  Hope everyone is having a great week!  Awhile back, I was in desperate need of a desk...but not just any desk.  I have a small craft room that doubles as our guest bedroom.  The room holds EVERYTHING...winter clothes, canvases, paints, sewing machine, jars, thrift store "finds", etc.  I wanted a desk with enough surface area for my computer, my paintbrushes, my markers, my tabletop easel if I feel like painting, or my sewing machine if I am sewing.  In college, I bought a corner desk from Wal-Mart that would fit in my house.  It had just enough space for my laptop, and I hated that desk from the moment I brought it home.  So I decided to build my dream desk, and to make it the perfect size for both me and the craft room/guest room/office.

Here it is after 7 months full of crafts and paintings.  

  I started googling for inspiration, and the industrial look struck me as perfect for the purpose of a craft room.  I also wanted a desk that would be fine, if not look better, with a few paint spills.  I was also intrigued by the up-cycled wood craze.  The fact that we were strapped for cash, combined with my love of the look prompted me to search for pallets.   


****DISCLAIMER:  I did a ton of research into all of the warnings about using pallets for decor.  I encourage anyone thinking of using pallets for indoor use to do the same, and decide if you are comfortable with the idea after reading over all of the possibilities.  I decided I was ok with using heat treated pallets for building my desk.  I am an adult, fully capable of making my own decision, and this is the conclusion I reached.  If you disagree, or if you're not comfortable with up-cycling pallets, then don't do it.****


  Now that we've covered that...here's the tutorial on how to build this desk!  


Time Required: 2 days...you could do it in one if you were really determined :)
Skill Level:  Intermediate
Tools Required: 

• Hammer
• Crowbar
• Circular Saw
• Electric Drill
• Orbital Sander
• Boyfriend who's super excited anytime he gets to use power tools :P

Supplies:

• (4) Two by fours cut to 32" tall 
• (2) One by fours cut to 53" long
• (2) One by fours cut to 30" long
• (4) Heat treated pallets
• 1 box of wood screws
• 1 box of 3/4" nails
• Sandpaper pads that fit your orbital sander
• Lacquer

     We brought home four pallets, then chose which planks we wanted to salvage from each.  The plan I drew (shown a little further down) required the planks, when laid side by side, to cover 53" of width.  Also, I needed each board to measure at least 33" in length.  These planks will make up the top of the desk.  I measured the boards that were not broken or badly splintered, marked which ones I wanted to keep, and we began removing them from the pallets.  

1. Board Removal: 

      You will have to use a hammer and crowbar, then pry each plank apart from the support brace.  There should be three braces, and two spiral nails in each support.  You'll need plenty of elbow grease to get the planks free.  Also, I advise removing at least 3 more planks than you think you'll need.  This is because with pallet planks, sometimes the more you sand, the worse the condition of wood becomes.  It will splinter and break in some cases.  Just in case, save yourself the frustration of having to return to step one later, and remove a few extra.  

2. Cleaning:

      Then I cleaned the boards.  I had a wet cloth, and a dry cloth at all times.  I wiped the boards down with dawn, followed by a rag damp with water, then the dry cloth.  Afterward, I wiped the boards down with a rag damp with bleach, then the rag damp with water, then the dry cloth.  

-The wording under the picture is the supply list from the top of this post.

 3. Cutting Supports:

       I wanted my desk to be 32 inches high, so that I wouldn't have to hunch over to work.  Also, because I was going for the industrial look, I purposely searched for two by fours with stamps on them at the home improvement store.  Measure out your two by fours to desired height, then hand them off to your waiting boyfriend who is super excited to break out the circular saw. :)  I don't mess with saws...I'm way too clumsy.  If you are brave enough to use the saw yourself, BE CAREFUL...wear goggles, and make sure the boards are not wobbly while you try to cut them.  
   
     Here's what I had Reed cut:

• 4 legs, each 32" in length (two by fours)
• 2 back supports, each 50" in length (I used pallet planks for this.  Mine were 4"w x 1" thick)
• 2 side supports, each 30" in length  (Once again, pallet planks)
• 2 one by four supports, each 52" in length
• 3 one by four supports, each 30" in length

4. Building the Frame:

• Lay the two by four legs out, and screw the back supports to them.  
• Screw the 52" one by four top support to the top edge of the two by four.  

Here's a color coded diagram :)

     You'll need someone to hold that part up, while you stand one of the remaining two by four's up, and attach.

• To attach each remaining leg, screw a 30" side support to both the two by four standing alone and the two by four in the back that is already attached to its support planks.  
• Next, you'll attach one of the 30" one by four's to the top of each two by four.  

Here's another color coded diagram...

• Repeat this process on each side
• Attach the remaining 52" one by four to the front
• Lastly, attach the remaining 30" one by four in the middle, screwing it to both the front and back 52" one by four's.  

There's your frame!  It should look like this...

5. Cutting Pallet Planks:

     I measured the frame, just to make sure, then had Reed cut the pallets so that they were all the same length.  

6. Attaching Pallet Planks:

• First, I used my orbital sander to smooth out the wood.  

Let me warn you, in some cases, the more you sand planks from a pallet, the worse the condition of the wood gets.  If this is the case, and you want a smoother board, you will have to remove more planks and clean the new planks.  
   
     I used wood nails to attach my pallet planks.  The screws were too long, and in an impatient effort to save time, decided I would nail the planks.  If you have shorter screws, or are willing to cut the tips of the screws that poke out, go right ahead.  I will say, when I was nailing the planks to the one by four's, I had to continually re-nail the planks I had attached previously.  The force from the hammer was knocking the other planks out of their places.

• I put two to three nails on each side per plank, and attached the plank to the 52" one by four's
• When I reached the center and outer 30" one by four's, I ran nails all the way down the plank.  

7.  Sealing:   

       I actually used an aerosol matte sealer on my desk, because I really wanted to keep the look of  raw wood.  If you prefer a glossier finish, use a gloss lacquer and apply as many coats as desired.  Wait for this to dry and your desk is finished!!!


     I saved the supports from my old corner desk, put them under my new desk, and used the shelves to maintain a little organization.  I bought some open canvas boxes, where I stashed all of my sketchbooks and craft paper, and housed them in the shelves.  I use the other shelves to house my printer and my file box so I don't lose desk space to office supplies.


     Now, this is the first piece of furniture I've ever made, and Reed and I built it together.  In an effort to preserve the memory of figuring this out together, even though it was frustrating because there were no directions, I took a wood burning tool and roughly etched in our initials and the date we finished.  Here's a close-up!

That's it! I hope all the directions are clear.  If you decide to make your own desk, send me pics, and as always, if you have any questions or comments, please post!  Happy DIY-ing!!