A Simple Modern Desk — board plan

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

Buy 13 boards at 8 ft.

3/4" × 24" — Project panel / MDF

1 board · 6.9 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 51% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 46 7/8" left over
48"
1. Tabletop (G) — 48"

3/4" × 3 1/2" — 1x4

4 boards · 7.2 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 90% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 1/4" left over
48"46 1/2"
1. Back apron (E) — 48"
2. Drawer framing back (H) — 46 1/2"
Board 2 · 0" left over
25 1/2"25 1/2"25 1/2"18"
1. Side leg trim (C) — 25 1/2"
2. Side leg trim (C) — 25 1/2"
3. Side leg trim (C) — 25 1/2"
4. Drawer faces (M) — 18"
Board 3 · 6" left over
25 1/2"22 1/2"22 1/2"18"
1. Side leg trim (C) — 25 1/2"
2. Side aprons (D) — 22 1/2"
3. Side aprons (D) — 22 1/2"
4. Drawer faces (M) — 18"
Board 4 · 30 5/8" left over
17 1/4"17 1/4"17 1/4"6"6"
1. Drawer framing sides/middle (I) — 17 1/4"
2. Drawer framing sides/middle (I) — 17 1/4"
3. Drawer framing sides/middle (I) — 17 1/4"
4. Front aprons (F) — 6"
5. Front aprons (F) — 6"

3/4" × 2 1/2" — 1x3

7 boards · 8.7 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 88% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 6 7/8" left over
29 1/4"29 1/4"29 1/4"
1. Leg centers (A) — 29 1/4"
2. Leg centers (A) — 29 1/4"
3. Leg centers (A) — 29 1/4"
Board 2 · 6 7/8" left over
29 1/4"29 1/4"29 1/4"
1. Leg centers (A) — 29 1/4"
2. Leg centers (A) — 29 1/4"
3. Leg centers (A) — 29 1/4"
Board 3 · 6 7/8" left over
29 1/4"29 1/4"

1/4" × 16 5/8" — 1/4" plywood

1 board · 1.1 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 36% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 61 1/4" left over
16 3/4"16 3/4"
1. Drawer bottoms (L) — 16 3/4"
2. Drawer bottoms (L) — 16 3/4"

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.

A Simple Modern Desk — board plan

3/4" × 24" — Project panel / MDF

Board 1 · 46 7/8" left over

3/4" × 3 1/2" — 1x4

Board 1 · 1/4" left over

Board 2 · 0" left over

Board 3 · 6" left over

Board 4 · 30 5/8" left over

3/4" × 2 1/2" — 1x3

Board 1 · 6 7/8" left over

Board 2 · 6 7/8" left over

Board 3 · 6 7/8" left over

1/4" × 16 5/8" — 1/4" plywood

Board 1 · 61 1/4" left over

Board 4 · 6 7/8" left over

Board 5 · 1 1/4" left over

Board 6 · 3 1/2" left over

Board 7 · 49 1/4" left over