Hello everyone,
I want to build my new home studio desk. I know how to build things with wood.
But I want to know which wood to use.
I saw on Thomann some high quality pro desk made in MDF (medium density fibreboard).
Why pro studio desk are in MDF, and not in particle board like other Ikea-style desk ?
If someone can explain the advantage of MDF over particle board for a DIY desk it would be cool. Also, if you have some advices or you know some traps to avoid, share it please 
From a DIY point of view MDF is readily available in various thicknesses here in the UK but particle board isn’t common.
The stuff Ikea use is likely made for them to their spec as they’ll be buying bulk quantities. It could be the case that there’s a minimum order quantity that the studio desk manufacturers can’t/won’t pay for.
MDF, like Ply is a ‘known quantity’ to DIY’ers and Pro’s alike and is available everywhere fairly cheaply. I’m not a chippy but I don’t think there are huge differences in structural strength between particle board and MDF for a given thickness either.
Dont know if I would build a desk from MDF. I have used it at home for some projects and I would say its too soft for such projects. but I am by means no woodworker
You can finish MDF really easily if you are adding holes and curves as it’s essentially homogeneous - whereas grained/larger constituent pulped ‘woods’ add progressively more challenges, especially artificial stuff. I made a desk/studio space from flooring board sheets due to its structural stiffness in my application where the desire was to have a ‘floating’ appearance but which i could still stand on - it’s kinda legless almost cantilever - MDF would be less stiff and sags over time if unsupported.
Make it with whatever you like, but it depends on the finish/form you have in mind, no material is bad, you just need to add up the pros and cons - the material i used needed a lot of dressing to make the edges neater and the larger constituents tended to swell when they absorbed paint - but it hasn’t budged a mm in 15-20years - doing it yourself allows you to tailor in the flexibility you need
if money is no object use some real wood, it’s gonna be a nicer environment
MDF is easy to work with, commonly available, and relatively cheap. it’ll work for many applications but isn’t that durable. one benefit is that the surface will probably be very flat. MDF also paints pretty well, or you can cover it with melamine or similar for a countertop effect. a prime disadvantage is that it’s susceptible to sagging and degrading with exposure to humidity/water and over time. there’s also some risk of off gassing, since the wood is bonded together with something that includes formaldehyde. personally, i wouldn’t use it for a desk. it’s perfectly fine for lots of things, though. i used it for the top of a 3’ x 6’ rolling assemble table/work bench in my basement wood shop.
if you’re just starting out, i’d recommend using baltic birch plywood. it looks nice, is dense, is also readily available and not too expensive, and will be durable over the long run. baltic birch ply has contiguous plies of wood for each one, whereas regular plywood has voids and won’t look as nice.
if you’re more experienced with woodworking or have the tools/time/inclination, you could do something fancier with hardwoods, like oak or maple. i have some future plans/sketches for a small writing desk in either oak or cherry that i might start sometime soon. have to finish a small chest of drawers and a bureau first, though. it’s just a matter of making the time.
I would add that if you’re working with MDF you absolutely must wear some sort of mask and/or deal with ventilation. MDF dust is really tiny and you can feel it in your lungs for weeks and weeks. I found out the hard way.
Thanks guys for all theses replies.
I think I will build the desk with particle board because I can have unlimited for free at my work. So if there is no differences in vibrations absorption, particle board looks fine.
Ewe, MDF is heavy, brittle, not made for longevity, warps over time, highly sensitive to moisture.
MDF has it’s place, but I would say people using it to build desks just don’t consider other options, or are only being cost conscious, not quality.
Yes you can sand, paint, glue, and drill MDF easily and it looks pretty good at first.
3 years from now and a move, not so much 
Look into birch and stuff like that for the big bulk parts of desks, far superior to MDF in every way for such a project.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Columbia-Forest-Products-3-4-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-PureBond-Birch-Plywood-165921/100077837
I highly recommend the hobby board section at Home Depot or Lowes.
The Poplar Board, for accessories, small parts, drawers, etc.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Weaber-1-4-in-x-6-in-x-4-ft-S4S-Poplar-Board-27405/207058973
The poplar board is cut in so many sizes too, if you’re not savvy at cutting, you can just buy the planks and kind of go my those dimensions.
If you 'have a numatic nail gun and glue, you can use dry wall screws glue as long as you pre drill and countersinks the holes.
It’s insane when you see this kind of desk it mean it’s not so pro :
Look at the other, sort by price, theses are all in MDF… weird.
they’re probably not that expensive to make, and studio furniture ends up in studios (usually), which are dry places. mass produced furniture will often use MDF and similar materials yet still seem to be expensive. worst case, if you go with MDF or particle board, you may have to replace it somewhere down the road. with that said, we have an ikea book case or two that have survived more moves that they should have, considering the materials and construction. good luck with whatever you choose, and feel free to ask questions.
If I was building one I would definitely use multiplex wood and maybe MDF for some smaller racks - but honestly … nah … rather all in multiplex. I wouldn‘t even know how to finish MDF so it won‘t suck in all the colored liquids it could get in contact with.
I didn’t even know MDF was used for desks … would not buy.
Yeah I already done desks and other thing in multiplex. It work well but multiplex board can be curved. My actual desk is made with multiplex and when I put a long machine like a keyboard on it, it have only 3 feets touching the desk.
That why I will make another one with particle board that is really plate.
Here’s the plans for the one mine was based on which might come in handy. Mine was
made wider to fit a 61 key synth on a slide out tray. I can measure mine if you’re interested.
Construction, it’s basically 3 parts. 2 rack mount sections with a top plate which goes between them. You could make similar one by buying a couple of those cheap 19" racks off ebay and a large desk top.
Best decision I made was to abandon my DIY desk (and I can build quality stuff), and just order the biggest desk UPLIFT makes, plus some monitor stands.
Here was my DIY ideas
Here’s the best decision I made about all that
Eventually I’ll get my other turntable back too!
I can’t buy desk, my space in the living room is so tiny I have to make everything fit just in place.
I’m a woodworker by trade and I wouldn’t choose mdf or particleboard/ chipboard for a desk, though it can be done. There are some really nice things about mdf but they don’t apply to a project like this. It’s super strong in some ways (I’ve built functional gear boxes out of it) and very weak in others. If you’re set up with safety gear/ dust extraction it can be easy to work with since it’s so uniform and flat. Its a sensible material for a production shop, from a financial perspective, where you make essentially the same thing over and over and have a cnc cutter doing a lot of the work. For anything that has to stand the test of time I’d avoid it. I would recommend decent quality plywood (or actual lumber if your tools and skills are up to the task).
That being said, if you really want to use mdf feel free to mine my brain for advice. You would want to approach the design differently than you would with other materials and finishing requires some uncommon techniques as well.
Yeah you wouldn’t want to buy a smaller desk that fits, or get a custom sized top, that’d be too much effort.
Build one
Here’s a side desk I’m currently building.
I used a birch top from ikea which I cut down to size. The rest is just construction pine from Lowe’s which I planed and squared.
No screws or nails. I used a chisel and hammer to cut out openings in the legs to put the cross boards in. It’s super sturdy as is and I plan to add a slanted shelf to the top.
My other desk I used Baltic birch plywood and a birch top again.
If you want something that’s going to last use some hardwood or even softwood like pine.
Nice one. Always like some hand cut mortise and tenon joints. Pure joinery was the foundation of woodwork back when using fasteners meant a trip to the blacksmiths shop to buy individually forged nails at a premium. Looks good.
