Loading…
15
Why does nobody talk about rebuilding a desk instead of buying a new one
I spent 3 weeks looking at new standing desks and almost dropped $650 on one with all the extras. Then my neighbor down the hall showed me his old oak desk that he sanded down and refinished with just some stain and a drill. Completely different piece of furniture, like night and day. He did it over a rainy weekend in his cramped studio, no garage or big tools needed. The grain came out way nicer than anything I could buy today, and it cost him like $40 in materials. I gave him a shot at my setup and we're gonna tackle mine next Saturday. Has anyone else brought an older desk back to life instead of upgrading? What finish did you use that survived daily mouse wear?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
noahclark4d ago
Is a rainy weekend of sanding and staining really worth it when you can just click buy and have it delivered in two days? In my experience, these refurb projects always look great in the guy's photos, then you find out he owns a random orbit sander, a shop vac, and a garage you don't have. Your neighbor makes it sound cheap, but factor in the sandpaper, stain, brushes, poly, and like 10 hours of your Saturday, and suddenly that $650 desk looks pretty fair. Old oak is also often veneer over particle board, and if you sand through that thin top layer the whole thing is trash. Plus a refinished desk still has whatever wobble and drawer problems it had before, so you saved money but kept the flaws. I get the appeal of keeping something out of a landfill, but calling this the easy or smart move for most people is a stretch, your mileage may vary.
9