In search of a better desk.

This all started with a comment shortly after I received this desk, which was better than my last one, that I needed a new desk. I thought I was doing well with this one..... but the all mighty internet disagreed.

Edit: Here is the link to my original build https://pcpartpicker.com/b/GN7hP6

Sooooo I started searching for the ultimate "me" desk. After long last I had found it, the vikter gaming desk. Now where to purchase one. Hmmmmm well I guess I can't, this desk was part of a kickstarter program that failed. So on with looking for another one... nope still can't find one I like and that is in my price range.(side note- I am very tight with money, that's the only way to make it now a days.)

So after spending months in search for the holy grail of desks I decided that, you know what I'm a manly man so I can just build one better for cheaper. So I found a neat website that allows me to cad for free. So I used design cues from the desk I loved and created this 3D drawing.

Now on to the optimization of wood. Now with the exact dimensions of the vikter desk I couldn't get all the cuts I needed with one 4x8 sheet of wood. Now this doesn't work for me being cheap and all. So with a few modifications I was very successful. With this I was able to make key adjustments to the length of the desk and to the height of the tower shelf.

Now for the fun part in practice but dull part to write about. Here is the wood cut.

Sanding with 120 then 220.

Ok here is something that I learned along the way. Birch is a birch to stain.(see what I did there) so after some practice I settled on one coat of mineral spirits followed by three coats of stain. Here are the shelves in a red mahogany.

Desk top in ebony

Verticals in ebony.

Contrast of colors

Test fitting.

Now this held together by glue with finishing nails as the clamp. Not pictured is me staining trim to cover the plywood layers on the front face, which I also used the mahogany stain on. Also I used a piece of Lauan for the back panel stained in mahogany.

Now here is the finished product which I absolutely love. I do apologize for the crappy lighting, in the process of designing and build the desk I moved and this house doesn't have good lighting in the living room. (Next project)

This is me trying to get better lighting with a large 50w rgb led flood.