In case you did not already know, my husband is a student. We moved to Butte so he could return to school for his Master's degree in engineering. He does a lot of homework but since he doesn't have a desk he's been working at the dining room table. He's been wanting a desk, but at 6'7" most desks are too short for him and the fancy, tall desks are much too expensive for a student's budget. Enter the lab table:
A professor was getting rid of this old desk that had been used as a lab table for many, many years. It wasn't much to look at but the legs and frame were solid oak and the desk was very tall.
The top is pine or fir which does not handle wear and abuse as well as the oak frame. Still, it was salvageable.
Refinishing the desk was my project but since it was for Luke he got to choose the stain color. He wanted a walnut finish with satin poly, not my first choice but it turned out well.
We found the chair for a $5 at a thrift store. It's a temporary measure but it will work well until he graduates.
The top still is not perfect. But after 64 years in a college lab it looks pretty good.
And just so you don't have to scroll to see a before and after:
All said and done the desk took about twenty hours and $40 in materials (we will be able to use the leftover stain and poly). If I was doing this for a living the desk would have been a waste of time but Luke is thrilled with his new workspace so I guess it was worthwhile.
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