Furniture Help!

[alphaace]

Hey Everyone,

So the university housing where I live recently decided to put in a pipe through one of my rooms to add drainage. All well and good, but now my desk doesn't fit...I've taken a picture of the wall and put it up here: http://alrig.com/desk/room.JPG

Problem is that with the column that's now sticking up through the room (you can see it on the left). It cuts off about 10" of wall space. I was hoping to get a desk that can fit both walls, but as you can see there's a weird angle between them (maybe 160 degrees or so) so an "L" desk seems out. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions? Though my wife loves having the office to herself, I need a desk! In case you want the measurements, the flat wall directly to the side of the column is 44" inches long.

Thanks for your help!

[joechimp]

I suspect Sammy will be along shortly to help you out. I have some ideas but he does that stuff for a living. 

[gandy]

It would be better if you could draw a top down view of the room with dimensions including openings (doorways). I'm thinking two small desks or one custom built desk with two work areas. It's hard to tell from the photo.

[Just17]

It would be better if you could draw a top down view of the room with dimensions including openings (doorways). I'm thinking two small desks or one custom built desk with two work areas. It's hard to tell from the photo.

+1

Based on what can be judged from the pic it seems a custom built desk is the answer.

It could be as simple as a desk top cut to suit with basic support, and stand-alone under desktop storage units ....

[sammy2fish]

I suspect Sammy will be along shortly to help you out. I have some ideas but he does that stuff for a living. 

Joe... I am a carpenter.  BUT there are so many fields in carpentry. 

dammit.. my downloads are coming up like crazy....

John, a good friend of mine.... http://www.profilecanada.com/companydetail.cfm?company=2637430_Johns_Furniture_Repair_Saskatoon_SK is seriously the best guy at restoring furniture or any kind.  I go to see him in his shop from time to time (we have the odd Wiser's & coke together).

He restores baby pianos, church pews, tables, chairs, & much more.  The way he mixes tints, adds wax, uses certain fills (he won't tell me).  Mixes wood bondage to achieve what he wants... Well, you will feel lacking that you are not in his vicinity.

[joechimp]

I suspect Sammy will be along shortly to help you out. I have some ideas but he does that stuff for a living.  

Joe... I am a carpenter.  BUT there are so many fields in carpentry.  

Well, I figured you would know more than I. Well, I still think that. 

[sammy2fish]

I suspect Sammy will be along shortly to help you out. I have some ideas but he does that stuff for a living.  

Joe... I am a carpenter.  BUT there are so many fields in carpentry.  

Well, I figured you would know more than I. Well, I still think that. 

Thanks Joe.

I've seen my friend John, take a dining room table or dresser... and take out the dents and/or scratches, and make it look new.

I have been a carpenter most of my life.  Went from framing houses, to siding them, then pouring concrete around them. Then did renovations & additions.  Now for the last 11 years, I've been an (interior) finish carpenter.

As a trades-person, you can only learn so much academically.  The "tricks" to the trade, can only be learnt "hands-on".  To take something that is only 98% good, and make it 100% good, takes know-how.

I sucked at paperwork/tests (I'm dyslectic), but adapt quickly in a hands-on situation.

Just because someone passes the tests and becomes a journeyman (carpenter, electrician, plumber...) don't mean they are good in the real situation.

Whether it is my buddy John, or me, or someone else here on the forum.... experience still rules.

(sorry for the rant)

[joechimp]

Not a rant at all Sammy.
Your words make a lot of sense for not just carpentry. There is no substitute for hands on experience. You could practice music over and over again and be technically great but there is no substitute for playing with other musicians. "Hands on experience."
I once worked in a machine shop. Was given instructions on proper procedures and taught the way to do things. But until you actually get your hands on the metal and get a feel for what each material does. You can't really know what to expect. Feeling your cutting tools and just knowing when you need to sharpen. etc. etc.

I could state many other examples. But you get the drift.

So hopefully people will absorb your good words. Your"Rant", makes a whole lot of sense.
You are right, "EXPERIENCE RULES."

[sammy2fish]

So hopefully people will absorb your good words. Your"Rant", makes a whole lot of sense.
You are right, "EXPERIENCE RULES."

You are so right.

I have a friend by the name of Bill Braun.  He owns and runs a welding shop http://www.weblocal.ca/valley-welding-serv-martensville-sk.html.

He can weld anything, iron, steel, aluminum, (whatever), seriously.  He has done work for CN (Canadian National Railways), I had a pair of tri-focial glasses where the frame had broke.  He actually welded/brazed the the frame, and make them good....(in a welding shop...).

[Lucky Blue]

The question from  alphaace -
If it your own home then a custom made desk. 
If student housing and you need to save space and money- 
 consider two small desks or tables that fit within the space (as gandy said above) . Then on top would be one flat piece specially cut to fit, it could be plyboard or particle board or melamine sheet or even stiff cardboard.  Fix it to the table tops with screws or clips (tableholders) or even blutac. 

[joechimp]

If all else fails take a sledge hammer and smash the hell out of the wall.

Sorry if that wasn't helpful. 

[aguila]

Why not get an edge-glued panel or some other hard board if you're not into real wood (IKEA or HomeDepot) and cut it to shape? Then get some legs and put the slabs on them? IKEA (and others for sure) have containers to use as legs.

The questions unanswered are:

  - what are your skills?
  - do you need something ready-made?
  - did your old desk fit in the angle and could you cut it to shape?
  - what is your budget?

If you decided what to do I'm sure there's lots of handymen here to guide you in how to it

If you live in (or near a bigger city) there might be a DIY workshop close enough where you can use professional tools. Not having good tools for a job is always a nuisance....

[nitrogen_widget]

If it were me, i'd get a piece of deep cheap counter top & cut it with a jig-saw to fit flush around the new column & use 2x4's screwed to the wall to hold that end up with some cheap table legs from a home center or another table on the front part or even 2x4's.

This is what I did in every apartment I lived in for a desk / workbench.
Then when I moved I just filled in the holes with some drywall patch, sanded & repainted.

But, I also wound up renovating my own home & helped my dad build ours so doing that kind of thing really wasn't that complicated for me & my dad had all the tools to do it.

[smileeb]

Get a internal room door for a desktop and some storage crates or shelf's for bases.

[aguila]

Get a internal room door for a desktop and some storage crates or shelf's for bases.

IKEA's table tops are just that - internal room doors. But you wouldn't want to cut them to shape because it's all paper inside...