DIY Metal Frame Desk

Are you like me and have trouble finding the perfect desk? Over the years I have gone through several desks, each one just missing something to make it the best. Usually, the desks were too small and there was not enough storage space as I like to work with everything spread out. On the flip side, I had a desk that was too big and gathered too much clutter making it hard to keep track of things! Each time I got a new desk I would get a new idea for something better which led me to my homemade metal frame desk.

My idea was to have a large tabletop surface to suit my double monitor setup with enough room for a workbook or two. Additionally, I was looking for something with storage for pens and knick-knacks. The biggest dilemma I ran into was price. Most desks that fit this description cost way more than I wanted to spend. The alternative, build one! Of course, I had this idea in the middle of a pandemic while lumber prices were still through the roof, so I tried to produce an alternative to buying a bunch of new lumber. I started looking around the house for unused material that could be repurposed into something that resembles a desk. Luckily enough I found some materials. Metal display panels from an old work fixture, I used the main supports and grinded them down to create nice and clean metal bars and an old tabletop from my older desk. At this point the only thing I needed was a little bit of hardware to get started.

Below are step-by-step instructions on how I built my Metal Frame Desk.

Supplies

As mentioned above, I gained some metal bars from cutting pieces off an unused display panel. I was left with a bunch of bars cut at different lengths. Using my tabletop as a guide to determine what lengths I needed to create the frame. Once I had dimensions, I welded the bars together to get the sizes below.

x 3 – 6ft. bars

x 5 – 23in. bars

x 4 – 29in. bars x 1 – 6ft

x 2ft Wooden tabletop

(Optional)

x 2 – 6ft x 1 1/2in x1 1/2in

x 4 – 5in shelf brackets

x 2 – 4ft x 5 1/4in x 1/2in plywood

If you do not have access to reusable materials, then purchasing new is still a cheaper option than buying a prefabricated desk of the same style. Plus, you also get to experience building your own metal frame desk.

Step 1: Layout Materials

Laying all the materials out will allow you to confirm your materials match the design. This is also a good time to review your design if there is anything you would like to add or change and what material is needed.

Step 2: Weld Desk Frame

Desk Top Frame

1. Join one 23in bar and one 6ft bar to make a 90-degree angle.
   1. Use a welder’s corner magnet to hold the bars in place to make the first weld.
2. Tack weld the two bars to create your first corner. (I used a MIG Welder)
3. Next, work your way around the surface until you complete the outside of the rectangle the tabletop will sit on. Continue using the tack welds in case you may need to move something.
4. Check your corners with a speed square to ensure all corners are the same 90 degrees.
5. Find the center point of the frame and add one 23in bar creating the center brace and weld it in place.
6. Once all corners are squared up, complete the welds on all connections.

Desk Legs

1. Lay the tabletop frame on a flat surface and place a 29in bar perpendicular standing straight up in one of the corners.
   1. (Use the corner magnet along with a level to make sure the legs will stand straight)
2. Run a tack weld and double check to make sure the bar did not move in the process then finish the weld.
3. Repeat step 2 using the remaining 29in bars in the rest of the corners.

Bracing the Legs

1. Using the last 6ft bar, place it approx. 3in from the bottom of the legs parallel with the 6ft bar for the tabletop frame then weld.
2. Follow the same instruction but with the remaining 23in bars and on the desk sides.

This now completes the metal frame of the desk.

Step 3: Fasten Desktop

1. Flip the tabletop face down on flat surface. (Make sure the surface is clean or you could end up with indents in the wood)
2. Situate the desk frame on top of the tabletop with legs sticking up.
3. Drill at least four pilot holes through the three 23in bars into the tabletop and 8 holes through the 6ft bars all evenly spaced from corner to corner.
4. Fasten the frame to the tabletop using sheet metal or roofing screws in the predrilled pilot holes.

At this point you may wish to keep the desk as it is and add some stain or paint or even dress up the wood a little. Personally, I ran a wood router around the edges of the desk to make soft rounded edges.

Step 4: Add Shelves (Optional)

At this point you have a perfectly functional metal frame desk. I on the other hand, wanted to take it one step further and add some shelves to help keep me organized. Below is how I set that up.

1. Start by measuring inwards on both sides of the desk 2ft then make a mark on the top and bottom bars.
2. Predrill the marks
3. Next, line up the two 6ft 2×2 boards (actual 1 1/2in x 1 1/2in) with the predrilled holes standing straight up.
4. Use a level to make sure the boards are standing straight and then fasten them to the metal bars using a metal screw wherever the board crosses the bars.
5. Measure up 19in from the surface of the desk and make a mark on both vertical boards.
6. Do the same measuring at 33in this time.
7. Now install the shelf brackets using the marks to line up the top screw hole of the brackets.
8. Once the brackets are in place, install the 4ft plywood over top and fasten down with some smaller screws.

Now the metal frame desk is constructed, and the only thing left to do is decorate. I chose to stain my desk and later put on a few coats of polyurethane.