Dwell Made Presents: DIY Mini Copper Desk With Leather Sling
Build your own lightweight, versatile desk out of copper pipes using this step-by-step video and guide.
In this episode of Dwell Made, Jamie Guan of HomeMade Modern makes a desk out of copper pipes. The desk is paired with a leather sling, which adds another level of functionality as a laptop storage.
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Step 1: Cut Copper Pipes
I measured the copper pipes to the appropriate lengths and cut them using my tubing cutter.
Step 2: Clean Copper Pipes
I cleaned the copper pipes by rubbing scotch brite on them. Steel wool can also be used to clean copper pipes.
Step 3: Cut, Sand, and Seal Plywood
I cut a piece of plywood at 13" x 13" to serve as the desktop. I sanded and finished the plywood with a coat of Minwax polycrylic.
Step 4: Cut Leather for Sling
I cut a piece of leather at 35" x 11.5" for the sling.
For one of the sides, I cut out two notches to make space for the vertical bars that made up the copper structure.
To add more functionality to the sling, I made a pocket, but this step is completely optional.
Step 5: Hammer on Snaps
I positioned the snaps on the leather and hammered them in place using a snap fastener kit. Screw posts can be used as an alternative to snaps.
Step 6: Stitch Pocket onto Sling
I used an over-stitch tool to create a stitch pattern along the sides of the pocket. I then positioned the pocket where I wanted it on the leather sling and began punching out holes. I stitched the two pieces together using a waxed thread.
Step 7: Assemble and Glue Copper Pipes Together
I did a dry fit before gluing the copper pipes together using gorilla glue. I found it helpful to divide the gluing process into different segments to make sure the structure was straight.
Once the segments dried, I glued the entire structure together.
Step 8: Screw on Desktop and Attach Sling
I used ½" copper tube straps to hold the bottom of the plywood to the copper structure.
I then screwed it in place using ¼" screws.
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