andrew dodson

I spent my Labor Day weekend doing several things - moving, working, laundry, and more.  One of my projects for the weekend was assembling a computer desk.  What started out as a pretty simple project turned into a fairly time-consuming process.

Saturday night, I purchased an el cheapo computer desk at Office Depot for $50.  After doing my research on the internet, I actually found this desk to be the most functional for my needs.  It was a “no tools required” desk, though I found that a hammer could assist in the assembly.  I also decided that I could modify the desk by adding a shelf.  Once this shelf was added, it would be near perfect for me.
I started putting the desk together Sunday afternoon.  After getting it mostly assembled, I discovered a piece of the desk was exactly the size I’d need for the to-be-added shelf.  I took the piece of wood to Lowe’s to match it up with what they have in stock.  I was surprised to find something with almost the exact finish.

While walking around the store, I stolled down the paint aisle.  “Hmm…” I thought.  “I could paint the desk too.  Black?  Yeah!”  I bought a small bucket of black paint, and… my first ever paint brush.  I was soon told by my new landlord (Brad O.) that I would probably need to prime the desk before painting it.  I picked up some primer and was ready to roll.

After getting back home, I finished assembling the desk and Brad assisted in cutting the new shelf.  Once assembled, I began the priming process.  At this point, I discovered this was going to be a longer project than expected.  I was able to prime the desk and apply the first coat of paint by late Sunday night.

Monday afternoon, I added the second coat of paint and assumed to be finished with the desk.  All was looking good.  Wrong.  When I installed the new shelf, I scratched the paint considerably.  The “groove” the shelf slid into was a tight fit and took off the paint completely.  This is when I learned I would probably need to add a coating of polyurethane to protect the paint.

I picked up a couple of cans of spray polyurethane this evening.  This weekend, I’ll take the time to add a couple of coats, and the project should finally be complete.  By this time, my speaker stands for my studio speakers should have arrived, and my new computer setup will be complete.