Built a kids' desk for my son's birthday

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When I was a kid I loved building models, rockets, planes, etc.  I never had a dedicated space to do it.  Well, my son turns 9 this week and I wanted to give him his own little workbench, so I built this one.   I purchased some melamine 3/4" thick, 48" x 24", then using 1" square thinwall tubing I welded a frame that is 3" smaller than the melamine, (cut, welded, wirebrushed), then acetone wiped it twice, then spray painted it with Rustoleum's hammer finish paint, then trimmed the melamine with 1.125" pine trim all the way around with mitered corners, then glued and brad nailed it to the melamine (with a "rim" or "lip" around so pencils won't roll off), then used caulking to glue the top down.  I used caulking so the top is easily removable and I can flip it to the other side.  I didn't want to screw it down or use a more permanent glue.The stuff around the project is my little garage/shop.I started it yesterday at 5pm and worked until 9:30pm, and finished it tonight in about 2.5 hours.Enjoy the humble desk !       Attached ImagesLast edited by KRS; 04-25-2007 at 11:27 PM.***************************************Lincoln AC225 stick welderLincoln HD100 WeldPak flux core wire feed welderThree of the cheapest grinders money can buy
Reply:Try this again ! Attached Images***************************************Lincoln AC225 stick welderLincoln HD100 WeldPak flux core wire feed welderThree of the cheapest grinders money can buy
Reply:I hope he gets years of use from it.  As he grows, I'll just add casters into the bottom and it'll grow with him.Last edited by KRS; 04-25-2007 at 11:04 PM.***************************************Lincoln AC225 stick welderLincoln HD100 WeldPak flux core wire feed welderThree of the cheapest grinders money can buy
Reply:Looks good. I'll bet you couldn't buy one built like this one without paying an arm and a leg.Nice work!
Reply:KRS, what a great gift!When I was little my grandfather built my sister and I a kid sized table and chairs. We didn't fully appreciate it at the time, but over the years more pictures were taken of us at that table than anywhere.Melamine is tough stuff, it will last forever.hobby welderhere to learn
Reply:Great work. He'll get a lot of miles out of it. It's "his" table. Makes a big difference.As a side note I made something similar for my granddaughter or her grandma, not sure which .. The lil woman took the top down to a counter top place and they were tickled to death to put scrap piece on there. They cut it, glued it and routed it for about $7.00..
Reply:Thank you guys, it was a fun little project.Purchased new would have been expensive.  The steel was $0.81 per foot, used almost 28' but had to buy 30', the paint was $5, the welding materials I had, I purchased 4 little plastic end-caps for the feet, the $11.90 melamine top, and the trim at $2.79 per stick, used two sticks.  Glue, brads, and brad nailer were in the shop already.  So... less than $40.He'll enjoy it for years.  Glad it brought back some memories.***************************************Lincoln AC225 stick welderLincoln HD100 WeldPak flux core wire feed welderThree of the cheapest grinders money can buy
Reply:Oh man that is nice. Simple, yet elegant. Sturdy, yet lightweight. Purchased new would have been expensive. The steel was $0.81 per foot, used almost 28' but had to buy 30', the paint was $5, the welding materials I had, I purchased 4 little plastic end-caps for the feet, the $11.90 melamine top, and the trim at $2.79 per stick, used two sticks. Glue, brads, and brad nailer were in the shop already. So... less than $40.Some things you build yourself, for everything else, there's mastercard. That is meant as a compliment.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Nice job.
Reply:Nice job.He will look at it later in life and see it was built with love.  Funny how some things become heirlooms.  I have a workbench that was built in 1963 by my dad.  I could build one stronger and better today, but the fact that he built it, I can't get rid of it.
Reply:Thank you for the kind words.I really like it and am excited to help him build rockets, etc.***************************************Lincoln AC225 stick welderLincoln HD100 WeldPak flux core wire feed welderThree of the cheapest grinders money can buy
Reply:Nice!!I wish my father had built something like that for me when I was younger.I'm sure he'll get many years of great use from it. It looks great.- Paulhttp://all-a-cart.comWelding Cart Kits and accessories
Reply:Presented it for his birthday, along with two rocket models.He likes it and it's already got some glue on it  Have a good one everybody!***************************************Lincoln AC225 stick welderLincoln HD100 WeldPak flux core wire feed welderThree of the cheapest grinders money can buy