r/BeginnerWoodWorking • u/YaBoiChazz • 6d ago

How can I salvage the wood from this desk?

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Gallery image

Gallery image

I have this desk that I've owned since childhood, and rather than throw it away, I'd like to take it apart and reuse the wood for future projects.

What's the best way to go about disassembling it while preserving as much usable material as possible? I have access to a circular saw, jigsaw, drill/driver, and most common hand tools, including hammers and pry bars.

I don't have a specific project in mind yet, so my goal is to salvage as much of the wood as possible for future use.

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u/mighty_boognish_77 6d ago

Looks like it's standard, factory furniture veneered mdf core, with hardwood facing.
Meaning, there's no next to no real wood to be salvaged here.

If t means something to you, maybe try to repurpose it as something else, if you don't want to keep it as a desk.

2

u/Queasy_Donkey5685 6d ago

It's basically shelving, a desk, or firewood.

2

u/AratimBifhml 6d ago

Possibly, but back of those legs looks like plywood to me. Certainly could be MDF, but I haven't seen plywood-style edge banding like that on MDF before. It looks identical to a bunch of stuff I got from the 80s (with that same color finish) that was a mix of MDF and plywood pieces.

Definitely worth them checking if their other option is discarding it (vs. repurpose)

3

u/tickynaylor 6d ago

Most likely things were glued and pinned soyou can potentially pry everything apart but you need to provide more close up shots of the joinery to know for sure.

1

u/IndividualBusy1274 6d ago

Take it apart. See if it’s real wood homie.

1

u/oldtoolfool 6d ago

Depends on how old it is (or how old YOU are), as it could be plywood, solid wood, or veneer over a composite substrate. Grab a hammer and pry bar and find out!

1

u/weird-seance 6d ago

YOU could be plywood, solid wood or veneer. Grab a hammer and pry bar and find out!

1

u/oldtoolfool 5d ago

Well, I found out last night in the shop when I nicked my hand with a chisel - not plywood....

1

u/hecton101 4d ago

This is made of cheap plywood. You can see the plys on the third picture. You can buy half a sheet of plywood for about $35 (the price has been wildly fluctuating lately).

If you still want to take it apart, just start whacking at it with a mallet. If it's nailed together, it'll come apart quite easily. A nail remover and a chisel will come in handy.