# Wood for a table top?



## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

I am making a computer cabinet for my computer room. It will hold my PC, printer, scanner and several external hdd's. What I have is two solid wood base cabinets (18 in wide each) each with a drawer and a single door. My plan is to attach them side by side. I have already found a perfect place for my external hdd's to sit on a shelf underneath in one cabinet. And I am building a slide out tray (half drawer?) so I can put the scanner on it out of the way and just slide it out when needed.

Note: My main computer desk has two monitors on it and more junk that I care to admit. :-(

My question is this ---what type of material is available that I can use for a top? It will be approx 40" wide x 30 ish deep.

I thought about...
1) Use poplar boards and make the top using pocket screws to attach the pieces together, then cut to the final size before staining and installing. However, I don't have a planer or joiner and worry about unevenness due to bowing.

2) Use 3/4 inch plywood to make the top and trim the edges with poplar. 

I already have stain that will closely match the cabinet finish so I am good to go. The cabinet finish appears to be maple wood with a cherry type stain. Actually kinda dark. The stain I will be using is MinWax "Gunstock".

I don't really like the grain of Oak. About all my local Lowe's carries is Oak and Birch. Are there any other options available? I will need to buy a 4x4 foot piece if I use plywood.

Any advice or tips appreciated.
Thanks
Mike


----------



## bill (May 21, 2004)

Option 2 sounds good to me with A grade plywood. Birch is common because of it's strength and very little if any creep.


----------



## Trls (Jun 17, 2008)

Buy a solid core birch finish 3'0 x6'8 door slab and cut it to fit, you can buy birch veneer to edge it with. 80 Bison Lumber


----------



## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

Mike, you might consider taking a drive over to Clarks Hardwoods over in the Heights to pick up the plywood of your choice. 
Many years ago I built our computer furniture out of oak plywood and trimmed it with oak 1x2. With a very light stain and many coats of poly it still looks like new.


----------



## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

Thanks for everyone's input. I finally decided to build the top out of plywood so...off I went to Clark's and bought a sheet of Maple plywood and some edge banding to trim the edges. The salesman cut the sheet in half and loaded it in my truck. Nice folks. Man, I could spend a lot of money in that place! Sorta like the high end camera stores I have been in.


----------



## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

I shoulda warned you to leave checkbook and credits cards at home. 

Let's see pics when you get it finished.


----------



## Podzie (Feb 8, 2011)

We did something similar, but just biscuit joined some cheap 8" yellow pine boards from Lowe's. After sanding, staining, sealing it all came out okay.

Post pics when you're done!


----------



## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

*Project Complete!*

My computer room needed some organization so I bought a couple of cabinet bases, screwed them together and made the table top out of the maple plywood. I used maple veneer for the edge banding. That was my first try and it turned out pretty good. I tried to match the stain as best I could. Looks pretty good in subdued lighting! 

I made a larger shelf for one cabinet to hold my network storage hard drives. Each cabinet has a power strip so I can route the power cords and wall warts from inside and not have all those unsightly cords laying everywhere.

In the other cabinet, I built a sliding shelf that holds my scanner. I don't use it much but it is easy to pull it out when needed. Certainly freed up some desk space.

Here is a slide show of the pics I tool during construction.
http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd265/mt_stringer/Computer Storage Cabinets/?albumview=slideshow


----------



## bill (May 21, 2004)

Looks good


----------



## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

Very nice!!

However, you're retired..........not supposed to get these projects done so quickly.


----------

