How to build and finish a desk top / DIY Table top
In this video I go over how to build a top for a desk but the same process can be used for a table top!
How to install C Channel tutorial - • Do you NEED C Channel ...
C Channel and Rampa hardware from bidwellwood.com use the code "WALKER10" for 10% off
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Tools and materials used in this video (affiliate links included)
Rockler glue applicator set - amzn.to/2Xb4Ai2
Ryobi Biscuit Cutter - amzn.to/2CJwQ24
Bessy Bar clamp kit - amzn.to/2pmfQfe
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Festool Rotex - amzn.to/2OdNX11
Mirka Deros - amzn.to/2QgL4iP
Woodpeckers Square - amzn.to/33JdPIY
Amana Tool 1/4" Upcut bit - amzn.to/2pd1eyu
Amana Tool Flattening Bit - amzn.to/33JRwmg
Starbond CA Glue - amzn.to/2q2t4y6
Rampa Inserts - www.rampa.com/de/en/
Makita Track saw - amzn.to/3702Ixn
Makita Palm Router - amzn.to/2Qhk7M0
JessEm Stock Guides - amzn.to/2QgQbzB
Milescraft Push stick - amzn.to/371oVeg
Amana Tool Ripping blade - amzn.to/2NNn9Ge
Tape Measure - amzn.to/2CG4NAr
Wood Brand - www.gearheartindustry.com
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This was probably already asked, but what did you use for the legs? Same metal I imagine, but curious if they were just straight legs or "U" shaped. Great video!
I’d love to see how to do this with out all these fancy tools, I need to make a table top to replace my mdf one. And no idea how to put it together I got the wood glue some g clamps which I’ve realised are the wrong size and wood filler been trying to look for a how to
Hey I have a question, why did you us biscuits, I see some woodworkers use biscuits or dows, and others don't use them at all. So when do you need to use them?
Not having a workshop, it makes me very envious of all you guys that can just 'pop' into your shop and work away, I really likes what you done with the table top, it looked fantastic, hope you are keeping safe and well in this crazy world we are all in, very best regards from Australia.
I was like that too it took years to get to this point. I appreciate you watching and the support! Hopefully you can get a shop of your own in the future!
The difference between passable woodwork and excellent woodwork is patience.
@Mr Hansen this is the way
Or a lot invested in good tools.
@@jim9930 just being provocative? Or do you want to add real insight, and try for a constructive discussion.
And $4000 worth of woodwork tools
@@dauntingkitty it definitely doesn't hurt! Haha. High quality tools can make things much easier.
I admit I was going to just view this video and quickly skip through it....but ended up staying and just watching the entire thing, good job!
Thanks so much!!
I'm a plumber/ gasfitter in Boston and really cannot watch these videos enough.
Sunset 4:44. You get a like for the excellent teaching and a comment for that gorgeous, gorgeous experience. I literally feel a richer man for seeing that sunset. Thank you!
Thanks so much!
@@WalkersWoodworks No problem! I realized when I got this notification, though, that I complimented your teaching and the sunset, but not the gorgeous finish you got on there! I had to show my wife, especially the hint of quilting you got going on at 10:14. Gorgeous. I'm trying to convince her to agree to use our stimulus check and tax refund to get into a woodland mills bandsaw mill and a decent planer, so I can see that gorgeous stuff too. I try to make it through all my urban logging treasure trove in an efficient manner, but being a hatchet and scrub plane guy, my output is pretty slow. My best work is some pretty nice joint stools, a bunch of spoons and rustic stuff like that, but I've got a bunch of short cherry logs and some birch rounds sitting there drying out....She's getting there. Wish me luck. Sorry for the long story. KZhead quarantine cabin fever therapy I suppose....
Tell her I said that's a great investment haha.
I love that you don't edit out your mistakes.
Gotta keep it real!
Man, this was golden. Building a top for an office desk I need and was concerned about warping overtime. C-channels and alternating the grain is brilliant. Thank you, sir!
Thank you!
I know nothing about building a table or wood shop work, but man that was beautifully explained. God bless you man
Thanks so much!
I don't know if someone else already mentioned this in the comments, but useful tip for new woodworkers: don't make your biscuit slots too close to the top side of your boards. After moisture sets in they will "telegraph" through the wood by making the surface uneven. You'll be able to see where they are, and the customer will too. Especially when you try a new type of wood and you don't know how it'll react it's best to make the slots closer to the bottom side of your boards.
Good tip. I always try to center them.
Дякую за пораду
Ang ganda.
4:17 that sunset!
It is nice to see woodworkers who aren't lazily slathering everything in gallons of epoxy.
I like the C Channel idea. Good way to add some strength and legs too.
True!
I like those clamps you had with the feet. That would help a lot at the shop I work at. I'm going to mention that to my boss. Great Job. :)
Tools and skills I can only dream of. High quality craftsmanship!
@4.21 beautiful sky just like the table top
Thank you!
Beautiful sunset @ 04:46-04:49
Right?? It was good timing lol.
I've got those JessEm hold downs on my table saw too. Love them.
They are amazing!
This is top notch! I really love your youtube channel. You get straight to the point but explain everything you are doing. That maple top is 🔥
Thanks Greg! Really glad you're enjoying it!
Almost exactly my process to build small countertops (no steel channels needed). I usually use maple or poplar and top them with 1/4" glass cut to size. Nice job. (BTW... I have that exact same Mikita track saw... love it.)
I really enjoy the process and I am looking forward to do something similar.
I love the look of maple with just a water-borne finish on it and the way you embedded the channels was awesome. Nice looking table top!
Thank you! Really appreciate it. I think it definitely kept the natural look.
Table turned out awesome! I love that signature touch at the end branding the table!
Thanks man!!
Amazing work and craftsmanship while doing this project. I watch many video of these sort of work and everyone of them had their own power tools for every job. Truly remarkable...
great video. Really appreciate linking all the tools and things used throughout.
Thank you! Appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment.
Great job. That's amazing. A marvelous quality piece of art.
Thank you!
hey man that sunset looks great and so does that clear coat! nice table, workshop looking good!
Haha thanks man! Thanks for watching. Much appreciated.
Perfect video: straight to the point, good pace. You can see a professional at work and it is inspiring. Thank you so much.
Beautiful job - some great ideas for special things to make the desk great
Thank you!
Really enjoyed this.. I’ve watched tons of table tops video’s but pick more tips from this one than others! Thanks 🇬🇧
Thanks!!
Hi Brandon...just wanted to let you know that you have inspired me to begin woodworking as a hobby. I find your videos to be very informative & easy to follow. Being a newbie I do have to say that I really appreciate the videos that you narrate as opposed to the ones that you don’t because I like to know exactly what you’re doing & what tools you’re using. Thanks for the inspiration.
That's awesome to hear. Thanks for sharing that with me. I also like voiced over videos. Most of mine I do have voice over. 👍
This is an amazing video..... Your preparation, purpose specific tools, clean work practice and easy to understand commentary make it seem like this is an easy DIY but there is SOOOOOO much craftsmanship here. I don't know that I will ever do woodwork as a profession but I would love to be this organized in a hobby shop at home. Thank you for setting a great example!! and tool recommendations.
Thanks so much for watching. It's more like a second job for me haha. I have a full time job as well.
Nice! Now I know all the things I did wrong when I built a table. Lots of things!
Haha live and learn!
I've been debating on a computer desk build. This is probably the way I'm going to go, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching! Best of luck on the build.
Fantastic. Simple. Elegant. I also learned a lot. Thank you!
Thanks for watching! Glad it helped.
Nice work Brandon! You explained the process very well.
Thanks Donny! Appreciate that. Trying to get better every video.
Gorgeous table top and excellent instruction!
Inspiring video, thanks for sharing this as well as the tools/branding etc... this will help me and my business!!
Thanks for watching! Means alot. Glad it helped you out.
Beautiful. I'm really inspired to make my own tables from this video.
Good! Thanks so much!
Excellent video and thorough explanation of the finishing process. Thanks!!
Thanks! And thanks for watching!
Great looking table top! You do great woodwork and instructional videos... thanks for sharing these projects!
Thank you! Appreciate you watching!
Great job on the table, and really good looking materials. The only thing i personally would change is the use of PU. Here in Sweden, and the North generally, finding old furniture with natural coloration changes, some cracks and patina from decades of use, is a mark of beauty. If you want to experiment, try waxing the ood and heatgun melt it, then polish it into the wood and see if you like it. A very organic and fully chemical free version. Keep up the great crafting, and stay safe 👍
Hey Brandon, I have probably watched this video 3 times since you published it, and I just finished building a simple maple plywood desk for my wife. I'm thinking of going back and putting a top like this on it later, and this video will be the one off of which I base the new top. Thanks for a quality video with clear instructions and no unnecessary ancillary commentary. (stuff like pointing out the awesome sunset is appreciated!)
Thanks a lot Michael that means alot. Really appreciate the support. Good luck on the build!
Absolutely beautiful...and you make it look so easy!!
Thank you!!
What a gorgeous tabletop! Very informative video. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much! And thanks for watching!
Love that you install channel on the underside to prevent bowing/warping over time. GREAT idea!
I wish I could remember where I first saw that trick but I use it all the time.
@@WalkersWoodworks I am new to woodworking. Thanks for sharing this info. I have a question, does bowing/warping occur all the time if a channel is not made? Does it occur on all woods? And to my understanding, the channel you made also doubled up as the place to place the C-panel am I right to say so? Thanks!
@@WalkersWoodworks The great idea should now be considered stolen!
Could you also just 2x4 or 1x2? Would it accomplish the same thing?
@@eechiihaojulian9307, it is not usual among furniture makers to anchor a table top to metal channel in order to keep it flat. It is normal to expect a piece of wood to keep its shape well enough, if it has been made from properly dried furniture quality stock. If the wood has been exposed for a time to conditions more humid than are normal indoors, for example stored under cover but outside, before being worked to its final shape, than you make expect some problems with stability.
How can something look so simple and yet so daunting and intimidating at the same time? Great project! This video earned a sub. :)
Thanks so much! Haha practice, practice.
Beautiful sunset!
This is absolutely amazing. Really jealous of all the tools you have. Great piece of work
Thank you!
This is perfect woodworking. Simple steps that are not overcomplicated and are completely effective and efficiently. Great work
Thank you!!
Subbed. This was gorgeous, would love to have a top like that one day. So much space! Really love your attention to detail and nice calming style.
Thanks! Really appreciate that.
That turned out beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Absolutely loved this video. Very straightforward and clear. Fun to watch, thanks alot!
Thanks for watching!
I used your video last year as a guide when building my desk. I used a butchers block so really only needed the sanding content and finishing content. Fast forward a year later and now building a kitchen table top with redwood!! Using your entire video now. It’s been great
Heck ya! That's awesome!
I'm about as novice as a novice can get, despite a long-time appreciation for woodwork. After some time looking into buying a new computer/writing desk I decided that a humble attempt at crafting my own would be the best route; given my budget, standards, and access to a few of the requisite tools. MORE TO THE POINT I stumbled upon this video right away in my research. I gotta say that it has given me plenty of inspiration and considerations! The editing was clean enough, information seems more than sound, and in all it was concise video. Thanks!
Thank you! Sorry about the glitching. Not sure why it did that.
I really enjoyed the build, beautiful work. Nice finish.
Thanks so much!
the results looks so nice, but the process of doing it - that is what amazes me :) Great work, I love it!
Thank you so much!!
I love how you built this without a planer/jointer; cause I don't have a planer or jointer and I was wondering how I was going to put something like this together for my office. I just have to get some more pipe clamps and a few Bessey parallel clamps and I'm good to go! Thanks for the video and inspiration.
S3S lumber. :)
This is exactly what I needed for building my first desk, I’ve always liked carpentry, and want to further my craft. This video was extremely helpful with achieving that goal. Thank you sir.
So glad it helped! Thank you for watching!!!
Beautiful work Brandon ... you're always fun to watch and I always learn something new. Cheers and have a wonderful holiday!!
Thank you! Appreciate the support!
I really did enjoy watching your work. Good stuff.
Thank you!
This is very easy thank you for explaining this to me I was going to go to IKEA and use their slab but you showed me how easy this can be thank you once again
Thank you for watching!
Awesome build! For anyone else that's going to build something like this for a computer desk though if you don't sink the C-Channel or Angle Iron you can use them for cable management as well.
True Story!
Derek Ries so you get the same function out of the c-channels by not sinking them?
Dain if you flip the C channel 180 degrees it should give sufficient rigidity to prevent warping, providing you have used biscuit joints as well mate, obviously sinking the strengthening channels looks neater though.
That Sunset At 4:15... Beautiful!!! Thanks For The Sanding, Because I’m About To Level My First Computer Desk Top, Using Softwood. I’m Excited To Complete This Project!!
Awesome! Good luck!
Great work and great advice for me. I should start my build in the coming weeks. Thanks
Awesome!!
Im no joiner and wont be making a desktop anytime soon, but loved watching your video, cheers
Thanks so much!
Man your voice and woodworking videos are so perfect way to end the day.(it's 12 am in india)
Thanks! Really appreciate you watching.
I just tried the Scotchbrite technique and it is magical 😅 the desk’s surface came out super smooth! Thank you Walker!
Gorgeous desk top! You put a ton of care into it and it shows!
Thank you
and yet the finish is cheap plastic.
RainDog222222 some people prefer the poly finish because it protects the surface if it gets wet
That maple even looked heavy watching this video. Awesome work.
Thank you! Haha it was definitely heavy.
The sunset at 4:16 is incredible!
Great video. I love the idea of using the metal C channel. I'll definitely have to incorporate that into my projects.
Thanks Dave! It helps alot.
That sander is the bomb!! I used it over the weekend, so love it!!
For sure!
Sorry about the glitching! It must have been in the upload process. Try to stick with me haha. Really appreciate all your support!
Thought it was time for a new phone...
Do you have a link or any info on the shop vac connection you have for you biscuit jointer
Hey, that’s ok. I think if you know it’s there, maybe mention it with a card at the beginning? It’s a tiny bit of a seizure risk.
I want to see a mortise and tenon wedge table, like a normal table top that has mortises running through all the boards and wedged at both ends, glueless tabletop?
if i dont want to buy a biscuit jointer or learn how to use one more so could i just use glue and pipe clamps?
Awesome build! Would have loved to see what type of legs were used on the finished product.
This one actually sits on cabinet bases lol.
That is absolutely beautiful work!!
Thanks so much!
Great job, beautiful desk.
Thank you!
Just yesterday I was designing a house with a dining room that won't be too small for my family… and contemplating that I need to learn how to build a dining table to suit. Do you have a vid of building the legs and underframe?
I have a "watch me work" style video of building a table.
Michael Alm has a video on using a table saw to make conical legs. Maybe you'd both be interested in that one
Great vid Brandon. Makes me feel that even I can do after your vid.
Lol thanks man.
I really like this video... great instructions, direct to the point of exactly what is going on, great voice over, and I loved the sunset shot :) .... will be checking out more of your stuff
Thanks man! Really appreciate it.
Great, informative video. And the table turned out so beautifully! I liked the bit about the long-term effects of oil-based finishes vs water-based. Good to know.
Thanks for watching! Yea there are a ton of tips you pick up along the way and I'm happy to share them with you guys!
Nice tip on alternating the grain :) thanks. Not that I would ever contemplate making such a large table top, but am curious on how that would be fitted to base/legs?
I always use the z clip style table top fasters.
@@WalkersWoodworks I just checked that out.. makes a lot of sense Bud, cheers !
4:14 That sunset tho!! O.o
Right? Haha
Wow. I was really impressed with your technique. Subscribed! Thanks for the ideas.
Thanks so much!
No nonsense video, so awesome! keep up the good work!
Thank you!
4:22 that view though
Wish I would have seen this a few weeks ago. But as you say "live and learn"
Time to make another! Haha
I love videos where I learn things I haven't seen before. Well done sir.
Very instructional and beautiful result! The techniques can be used for infinite applications Subscribed!
Thank you! Appreciate the support!
Outstanding video! I've got an 18" oak that had to come down a few years ago. A friend has a sawmill so we slabbed it out to 1.5"x 10' planks that have been stacked and stickered. All I needed was ideas of what to make with them. Once I've made dimensional lumber from them do you think they would be too thin (maybe 1") to do something like your desktop?
No not at all. But I would do an apron with the base for something that thin and use table top fasteners to secure it.
Stickered?
@@CoolBreeze640 Late to the party, but it just means that you use spacers or "stickers" between every board when stacking to dry. It allows air to circulate around every board rather than locking in moisture if boards are stacked right on top of each other. This also helps the boards dry more evenly and prevents massive cups, warps, twists, etc. due to differential drying.
@@tbroekemeier Thanks!
If you want to avoid stress on your back when removing the clamps, place a scrap 4×4 under each end after the glue dries. It should give just enough room to get the pipe clamps off
Good idea! I'll have to do that next time.
Thats how our woods teacher had us do it back in highschool😅
Really like your shop man, I cant wait to have one.
Thank you!
Wow.. So awesome to see real craftsman.
I would love to build this masterpiece, however, missing several tools. Need this as a desk for my sewing machine and work from home set up. Would be great to go from one side to the other seamlessly. Will have to invest in two more tools. Thank you for the great video!
Mr Hansen, Yes!!! Didn’t think you would catch that. Lol
Mr Hansen here is a virtual hug!
I don’t think you’d need a biscuit joiner, You could use dowels and glue, or pocket holes and glue. But that’s my opinion 🤷🏻♂️
I would also suggest 2x4s especially if you’re building a smaller table
Mr Hansen, you must have been inhaling that glue. Lol
4:11 that sunset tho
Awesome desk and beautiful sunset at @4:18 mark.
Thank you!!
Awesome table top, great information. Will check out more of your projects. Hope some of them will show how you attach table tops to legs, etc.
First time I've heard that tip to combat wood grain raise. Will have to keep my eyes on you :)
Thanks for sharing this! Incidentally, I never knew about this C-channel stuff, and assumed that I'd need to do a through dovetail for everything (which intimidated the hell out of me). Btw, you may want to get a Japanese chamfer plane. They're the easiest way to lay a crisp, uniform chamfer that I've tried.
Como queria uma mesa dessa, Beautiful work 🇧🇷🤩