Wood – PC in desk build

woodwoodworking

I'm working on modifying an existing table to hold 2 PC's under it horizontally.

The PC motherboards will have to be placed on a 1,200mm X 400mm X 18mm countertop that will be connected to 2 other pieces of wood on the 400mm side.

The countertop weights quite a bit, I'd say around 5KG, add another ~10KG of stuff and we're around 15KG, so the question is, which is the "good enough" approach to connect the countertop to the 2 pieces of wood and make it hold the weight, I'm thinking L-shaped steel connectors(2 per side of 20mm width), but I'd like more opinions.

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EDIT: I'm using oak as material.

Best Answer

15KG or 33 pounds is not very much weight.

400mm = 16" so I assume by oak you are speaking of oak-veneered plywood. If it is solid oak, then so much the better.

As long as the table top is not 20mm (3/4") particle board, particularly not low density particleboard, it will be quiet sufficient to simply use 2" sheetrock screws to attach the sides to the countertop, then angle 3" sheetrock screws through the sides up into the bottom of the table top. Pre-drill all. Two screws per joint would suffice, but i'd use three, which would put a 2.5 KG tensile load on each tabletop screw. It'd be okay to attach the sides and countertop either way, by either screwing horizontally through the sides into the countertop, or through the countertop up into the sides.

Another way is to assemble what you have sketched, then screw a 6mm or thicker sheet of plywood that is 400mm x 1250mm to the tops of the sides, then attach the assembly to the tabletop by screwing up through the through 25mm wide plywood wings.

Another way is to use 40mm or larger corner braces on the outside of the side/countertop joint, and outside of the side/tabletop joint, using two per joint.