# Looking for some thoughts and ideas on a floating desk



## kevintunis (Oct 14, 2010)

I am looking for some thoughts and ideas on a floating desk. I'm not new to woodworking but my engineering skills, I need some help on. I have built a desk top out of 1 ½ stock the dimensions are 27" wide by a 147" long.

If I use 1" x 2" metal tubing and run it long ways 147" and fasten the metal bracket on both sides into the wall: will that provide enough support?

I estimate the desk to be around 200 pounds and I will be putting computers and such on it. I also know that occasionally people lean up against desk or sit on them and this should be taken into account also.


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## donbee (Feb 7, 2009)

Kevin, I'd like to get a better idea of the installation site. 
Are there walls on both sides 147" apart?
What kind of metal tubing are we talking about? Is it aluminum, steel, or what?
Do you mean to use the tubing to support thr front edge of the desktop or how will it be positioned under the desktop?
147" long is rather long, indeed. It might need some additional support in the middle to keep from sagging.
Please fill us in on the details.
Kindest regards,
ddwwb


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

Just my opinion but "no way". You might consider fabricating brackets every 4' that are shallow


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## Gregn (Mar 26, 2010)

Hi Kevin,
At 12' 3" the stress's that this desk would be enduring during use will be great. To give it a floating appearance to some degree you might be further ahead to engineer some L brackets with gussets to support the top. While this isn't a true floating design, unlike floating shelves that hang higher on the wall. The desk does sit lower on the wall and the L brackets would be almost invisible to the view and give the appearance of floating. I would want to space the brackets about 3' apart for equalized support to carry the weight of everything on it and the stress's during use. While this might not be the answer your looking for I think it would be a safer alternative to use for this application. Hope this is some help to you.


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## kevintunis (Oct 14, 2010)

Sorry I did not get back to you guys as fast as you answered my post. Still looking at idea because of the weight I think that maybe I should just put legs under the desk. If I use a wood bracket from the wall I am afraid that it might pull out. Mounting it to the walls on both sides using a welded metal bracket it seems it would sag in the middle. Anyway I just started using Google Sketchup about a month ago and decided to include the drawing of the desk here.


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## Jack_T (Feb 6, 2010)

I can't resist. Why not just put the desk on a house boat.

I have no idea how to do this but have added this thread to my watch list so that I can learn something. Sorry for the poor joke. Sometimes, I just can't help myself.


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## kevintunis (Oct 14, 2010)

Jack_T yea I thought about that but this part of Kansas is dry . Used the floating desk terminology in retrospect to the floating shelves.


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## dakremer (Dec 8, 2009)

I've seen this done before…..probably too much work though - but if its drywall behind it, you could….

1. take drywall off
2. cut dados in bottom of desk top for a (large) bracket of some sort. attach bracket to the studs so they are completely hidden - you are gonna need some HUGE brackets to hold that weight - no better way than hiding them in the studs.
3. re-drywall around the desk to cover everything back up

can't remember exactly where i saw it done this way, but i did - so it does work. haha….

hopefully that gives you some ideas…


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

Heres my thought …. when i build floating shleves i leave a hollowed out portion in the back of the shelf, then attach a board to the wall studs, insert the floating shelf over the attached board screew the 2 together and it floats.

What if you opened up the drywall and attached something to the studs which coudl withstand the weight of the desk, using the attachments like outriggers to support the bottom of the desk. Im not sure if its feasible but my 2 cents.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

i probably should have read dak's remarks … were thinkin on the same lines here


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## kevintunis (Oct 14, 2010)

I have been testing some ideas.
1. Angle bracket made from 1 by 3 - seems to work still feels like a lot of weight in the front pushing the bracket down and apart.
2. Thought about a 1×2 1/4 inch plate with 1/2 dowels and sliding the desk like a shelf - ruled this out as I feel it would just pull out of the wall.
3. Using a ledger on the wall building it out like a deck and making it look like a stretcher on a table. This looks way to bulking for me.
4 Just building it like a trestle table with a 2×4 stretcher against the bottom. This would probably give me the most support but I don't get the floating look I am after.


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## kevintunis (Oct 14, 2010)

dakremer - thought about that and I feel that it gives the most support and the look that it is floating but I have already finished my walls with American Clay


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## dakremer (Dec 8, 2009)

Here is what I was thinking, Kevin…..









would be really cool if you could make it out of black metal! mixing black metal and wood looks great!!.....

or some way to hide it completely in the wood desktop you already made….hope this helps…


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## dakremer (Dec 8, 2009)

oh, posted this too late! too bad about the already finished clay wall! This really would probably be the best way. I will try and think of some other ways.

Can we get a pic of what the finished desktop looks like?


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## kevintunis (Oct 14, 2010)

Dak I like the black metal to. Took a picture with my phone waiting for it to upload.


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## traupmann (Oct 8, 2010)

I have a suggestion that will mean minor damage to your wall. 
1. scribe line of desk top
2. find all studs in wall
3. cut hole on either side of stud large enough to work in, but stay below the line.
4. Using Simpson T mark the holes
5. drill the 4 holes through studs
6. bolt 2 simpson Ts with stud between.








Now the wall will come down before the T will fail
7 Tie the horizontal members with bolts 
8 build the desk.

You may taper the horizontal members from 3 1/2 to 1 to make the desk not look so thick. The top of the desk should cover any damage to the wall, and a minor repair below won't detract much.


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## kevintunis (Oct 14, 2010)

Here is a picture of the desktop:


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## dakremer (Dec 8, 2009)

cool Kevin! Its too bad about that clay wall.  that black metal frame would look SO good with this. Great job on the desktop - thats one big project!


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## dfletcher (Jan 14, 2010)

If you do the steel rods, there is a great chance of them bending from the weight. You may try adding a steel cable, maybe 1/4" thick, from the wall stud to the front of the desk, at the top. Place it at each end and possibly 2 in between. It would make a clean, pleasing look that would take the weight.

I have seen this done in a lot of commercial applications, it seems to work great and is small enough that it looks good but takes up very little room.


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## brtech (May 26, 2010)

Go find a really good steel fabrication shop, and have them make you a square tube frame to support the top. Weld some steel plate to the wall side, and drill holes through the plate to the studs. Use lag bolts. The plate would be visible, but under the desk. I think the plate with two lag bolts per stud will be better than one, especially one through the tubing.

Not sure if 1" square tube will work, but I think it would. Maybe the back tube could be bigger than the others to support the cantilever better. Tradeoff of weight and strength. You definitely want it welded.

I worry a bit about putting the plate on top of the clay.


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

I hung this stone mantle piece, similar to that Bentlyj drew.

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## Jack_T (Feb 6, 2010)

I think your weight calculations are a bit off. Using your measurements and a moisture content of 9% the weight of Douglas Fir (Interior West) would be 117lbs; the weight of Pine (Loblolly) would be 120lbs. ; the weight of Oak (Northern Red) would be 145lbs. Obviously, change in species, moisture content and/or keystroke error on my part will change these values.

Here is the link to the calculator that I used to compute the above weights. http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/calculators/calc.pl

Remember in calculating the weight that whatever support you decide to use will have to carry you need to add the weight of whatever you will put on the shelf. (Computer equipment can be heavy printer weight plus paper and toner). It will also have to carry the weight of being leaned on, that is Pressure.

When you apply a force to a solid object, the pressure is defined as the force applied divided by the area of application. The equation for pressure is:

P = F/A

where

P is the pressure
F is the applied force
A is the surface area where the force is applied
F/A is F divided by A
For example, if you push on an object with your hand with a force of 20 pounds, and the area of your hand is 10 square inches, then the pressure you are exerting is 20 / 10 = 2 pounds per square inch.

A very rudimentary measure of force can be determined using a simple floor scale placed on a hard surface at the height that you will float your desk. Lean on the scale in the same ways that you envision the desk being leaned on and use the weight displayed as force in the above formula.

Add the weight of the desk, the weight of the objects placed on the desk and the pressure and you will have a rough idea of what will need to be supported.

You might want to consider using some of the commercially sold supports for shelving.










You could remove the sheetrock over the stud to recess the strap (vertical portion) into the sheetrock, mount the strap and plaster over the unused portion of the strap. You could also route the bottom of the desk to hide the bracket (horizontal portion). Since the bracket would not reach all the way to the edge of the desk the dado would not have to go the the edge of the desk. It would give you the appearance that you are looking for.


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## DavidFisher (Apr 11, 2008)

bentlyj - I use a very similar structure as a lumber rack. I have holes drilled in 2×4 about every foot that I put a regular conduit pipe through and stack my lumber on. It is quite strong, especially if you have several pipes to support the load. I wouldn't want to drill the holes in the actual studs for my house, but some studs sistered in next to the actual studs would work great.


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## saber (Apr 13, 2011)

I'm interested in building a floating desk for my studio apartment. I think my desired dimensions are 47" wide and 17-20" deep. The walls are solid (no studs) and the building was built in the 60s/70s so figure concrete or something similar. I've seen a bracket for floating desks in an E shape where the desk slides onto the bracket made in both wood and metal rods connected to a beam. Would either of these work? Ideally, I'd like to build a deeper version of the image below. Is this possible without L brackets under the desk?


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