Help with building a custom computer desk?

[DarkDubzs]

So im going to make a computer desk out of wood, but i have a small budget, so i will need to get cheap wood, but it has to be sturdy and light as possible, so I will probably make it mostly out of MDF, but i want to make the top and side faces of the desk look nice and like real wood. I want to get thin and light sheets of either real wood grain or some other material with the pattern maybe printed on, but still realistic enough. I was thinking a pattern like this: http://imgur.com/dwPWnHq or http://imgur.com/pT1T4jC or http://a.rgbimg.com/cache1rWdpp/users/x/xy/xymonau/300/noCYg90.jpg or http://www.psdgraphics.com/file/dark-wood-texture.jpg

Ive looked online, but i cant find anything. Ive tried searching for "Wood grain sheets" "Wooden sheets" "Wooden grain sheets" and everything else remotely similar. Please help me find what im looking for, or some other search terms to try. Thanks!

 

[Skripka]

Search for wood veneer

 

[Kibagami]

Why not use Furniture grade plywood? Lighter/stronger than MDF. Will cost a bit more, but then the veneer is already on it ready for stain etc. Ask for it at HD or Lowes, see what their current prices are for different veneers/thicknesses. I would go with at least 3/4" for a desktop.

 

[DarkDubzs]

Why not use Furniture grade plywood? Lighter/stronger than MDF. Will cost a bit more, but then the veneer is already on it ready for stain etc. Ask for it at HD or Lowes, see what their current prices are for different veneers/thicknesses. I would go with at least 3/4" for a desktop.

Yeah, i think im gonna go with plywood instead, ive been looking into it and its way stronger, can be thinner, and doesnt expand or break when water is exposed to it. Im thinking a plywood like this: \/

(this one actually seems to have a veneer on top too, does it? looks nice and brings my hopes up) Is that the kind i should get? Thats the only kind i see when i look up plywood and the kind i see in videos for strength and tests and stuff, but im kinda confused because ive also heard people call this stuff plywood too: \/

What is that wood really called? I dont think that kind of wood would be suitable for a desk build, ive never seen a desk be built out of that kind of plywood. I imagine it would bend in half or snap from heavy load, like a monitor, printer and a heavy desktop tower. Ive worked with that kind of plywood before, and im sure its much weaker than solid plywood sheets glued together, right?

3/4 inch for a veneer is kinda thick isnt it? I just want something thin to glue on top of the plywood/MDF/etc. wood build to make it look like it is natural wood with a natural grain and figure. Also, do you happen to know about those iron-on veneers? I see them a lot online and i dont know what it really means, i mean i know you iron it on, but do you apply glue first or is it pre glued? Or do you just iron it on with no other prep? Wouldn't the iron warp the wood or a possible print or burn it or anything?

 

[Skripka]

Chipboard is what you see in the second picture. First pic is a crossection of plywood: layers of wood material glued in plys....

What you see in the first pic is a veneer glued on top of the plywood. Veneers can look really good or really bad depending on how they're finished and how well they're done....but no matter what you do the edge of the plywood exposed the material for what it really is...plywood with a glue-on facing.

Also depends on your tools. Plywood is a material that is easy to burn as there's no real sense of grain IMHO.

 

[DarkDubzs]

Chipboard is what you see in the second picture. First pic is a crossection of plywood: layers of wood material glued in plys....

What you see in the first pic is a veneer glued on top of the plywood. Veneers can look really good or really bad depending on how they're finished and how well they're done....but no matter what you do the edge of the plywood exposed the material for what it really is...plywood with a glue-on facing.

Also depends on your tools. Plywood is a material that is easy to burn as there's no real sense of grain IMHO.

The sheet of wood in the first pic looks just about perfect for what i want. Im probably gonna end up not cutting the veneer or vinyl correctly or straight and its gonna look bad... :/ But that is what i want, the cuts look perfect too.

Im also gonna cover the side faces (edges) with veneer too, same with the rest of the visible wood faces, just not the bottoms of the wood if they cannot be seen.

Im not worried about burning the plywood, im worried about damaging the veneer, because that is what will be seen. Im worried that i will have to iron on the veneer like ive seen a lot of iron on veneers online. HD or Lowes will probably have paper back veneer or something that has to be done manual, and i will probably use spray on wood glue or something.