Modular Desk Base — board plan

What to buy, and which parts come off which board.

Buy 3 boards at 8 ft.

3/4" × 24" — 3/4" plywood

1 board · 12.4 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 91% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 8 1/2" left over
28 1/2"28 1/2"14 1/2"14 1/2"
1. Carcass sides — 28 1/2"
2. Carcass sides — 28 1/2"
3. Shelves (incl. bottom) — 14 1/2"
4. Shelves (incl. bottom) — 14 1/2"

3/4" × 5 1/2" — 1x6

1 board · 0.5 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 18% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 78 7/8" left over
16"
1. Front bottom bay support — 16"

3/4" × 2 1/2" — 1x3 or 1x4

1 board · 0.4 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 32% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 65 3/4" left over
14 1/2"14 1/2"
1. Top inside bay supports — 14 1/2"
2. Top inside bay supports — 14 1/2"

Cuts are listed longest-first, which is how they should be made: the awkward pieces get placed while there is still board to place them on. The layout assumes one end of each board is squared off (1") and that every cut costs 1/8" of kerf — the reason six 16″ parts do not fit on a 96″ board.

3/4" × 24" — 3/4" plywood

Board 1 · 8 1/2" left over

3/4" × 5 1/2" — 1x6

Board 1 · 78 7/8" left over

3/4" × 2 1/2" — 1x3 or 1x4

Board 1 · 65 3/4" left over