Pallet Farm Table Desk Part 2 – the build
This project was long time coming!
After weeks of gathering all the right reclaimed and pallet wood, then cleaning it up in Part 1 HERE, it was finally time to get all this wood cut and looking like a desk!
And I admit, I was pretty stoked, hoping this would work out being my first build from scratch!
But I’m thrilled to report, not only did it work out, it turned out better than I could have ever imagined.
I ended up with a solid desk with a farm table vibe. All out of reclaimed wood!
So let’s continue with how the desk was built!
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Pallet Farm Table Desk Part 2 – the build.
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Pallet Farm Table Desk Series
2 – the build
3 – the reveal
Visit all 3 parts HERE
Preparing the wood
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After all the wood was cleaned and dried as shown in Part 1 HERE, all the planks were then sanded on all 4 sides with a palm sander.
Building the frame
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Careful consideration to what pieces of wood had actual pallet markings were noted so they would face the front. This was gonna be cool!
And this was the plan I worked off of. Isn’t it beautiful?! LOL I drew a more detailed one for you below so don’t you worry!
The basic frame was dry-fit on the driveway, then cut with a miter saw to desired size.
Once the build was sorted out, everything was brought inside where the table would sit so it could be built on the spot.
At 12 feet long, this is a very long table that wouldn’t fit through a regular doorway otherwise!
Below is a run down of the wood cuts and how it was laid out:
Table pieces cut:
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- Legs – square posts / 27″ tall / 8 needed
- Frame front – 2x4s – 4 feet long / 6 needed
- Frame sides and inner supports – 2x4s – 27″ long / 6 needed
- Top – cedar planks / 5″ x 36″ / 26 needed
The pallet oak posts were cut down to 8 legs at 27″ tall.
Above is a diagram of how the basic frame was structured.
Below is a picture of the built frame.
How to assemble:
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1. The main 2×4 frame was set on the floor in a big rectangle. Then the rest of the pieces were dry-fit into place before assembly.
2. The leg posts were positioned into place.
3. The supports were positioned into place.
4. Then it was a matter of pre-drilling holes, and assembling everything together with a cordless drill and screws.
5. Once the frame was built, the cedar planks were placed on top.
And I never did screw them down, but they could be!
This table ended up rock-steady! I couldn’t budge it! And that’s a sign of a pretty sound build I say!
I’m quite certain that an expert builder could have done it differently or with less cuts perhaps. I just desired to use up the reclaimed wood I had to make it work. So if you can think of your own cheats that would save you time, do that for sure!
But I’m super stoked how this ‘Pallet Farm Table Desk Part 2 – the build’ turned out which you’ll soon see in Part 3 HERE!
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Visit Part 3 HERE to see the reveal on how it all turned out!
Pallet Farm Table Desk Series
Visit all 3 parts HERE
or visit posts individually below:
2 – the build
3 – the reveal
A boat load of questions answered on the farm table desk
Looking forward to the reveal Donna!
Jo
Donna ~
I cannot wait to see
how it turns out!!
Isn’t it wonderful when
the weather gets better
and we can work outside ~
xoxo
Lori
ROS (random orbital sanders) are the way to go for sure. The only negative about them is that the sandpaper is quite expensive. Your desk is coming along great and very YOU!!
Loving what I see so far , can’t wait for the “reveal”!
i am SO with you on the palm sander! the desk is LOOKING GOOD so far. love that stamped element on the leg…so funky junkified perfect!
i thought spring was coming…heard birdies singing a few days ago…now we’re expecting another 6-12 inches. we’ve already hit a national record with 151 inches this winter! oh i SO want to get some projects done, like you said…outdoors so the dust can fly!
judi
Donna, I use to have that kind of sander. After burning up several these past years, I switched to velcro sander and paper !! Soooo much better. I buy the sand paper in bulk.
Good luck on the table…. love you’re posts ! Tammy
http://www.junksituation.blogspot.com
Can’t wait to see it!
I thought of you today when I was loading some free firewood with my kids. It was at a house that will be demo’d and the (deceased) guy who built the house years ago used salvaged materials. I spied old wood trim that his son gave me and I asked him to call me before the demo so that I can salvage some faded white wood that’s on the side of the house! At one point I told my 13 year old son that he sure was strong and he said, “I have to be with a mom like you.” Ha!
J in WA 🙂
I am working on a pallet project as we speak and need some advice. Do you do anything to the wood besides sanding? Any treatments? I am making a bench {some awesome bench theme party happening later this week, lol} and was thinking maybe I should use some type of varnish for the wood. Also since it IS old pallet wood there are a few pieces that have split…would you still use them? Anything you can do to help with that? Thanks so much in advance and for being my inspiration!
Donna ~
I am about to embark on my first build-it-yourself project and I completely fell in love with your desk. A few questions did cross my mind, what size wood did you use to frame the table top? How many posts did you require to make the desk an impressive 12 feet long?
Natalie
Hey Natalie!
8 posts, and the planks on top are 5.5″ x 36″. The actual frame of the top were made out of 2×4’s. Super simple!