Particle Board, Particle Board
December 27, 2006 11:34 AM Subscribe
Is it a Bad Idea to cut particle board?
We recently bought a computer desk for our office. It's nice for the price and our needs, only we found that it is about 1-2 inches too long as it prevents the office door from closing. I think our options are A) deal with an office door that will never fully close (as I work from home, I'd really like to be able to fully shut the door) or B) shave off the required amount in order to allow the door to shut.
The desk is made from laminated particleboard. Would it be a "Bad Idea" to try and cut this wood? We were thinking about cutting an inch or two off the end of the desk (in a straight line) or just slicing off a triangular shape towards the back of the desk, which is where the door needs to pass in order to close.
I know what happens when particleboard gets wet. I'm not sure if it is somehow treated on the outside that would be compromised if we slice off the end of the table. Plus, we're in coastal Florida where humidity is relatively high. I'm also concerned that I might not get a nice clean cut and would instead have chips and pieces of wood crumbling off the end.
So, my question is: Should I even consider this?
If this can be safely done, how would I go about doing it? Should any treatment be made to the newly-exposed end? (Sealing it, or applying a strip of laminate, etc.)
And just to head off any other suggestions, we've been trying to figure out alternate placement or returning it and getting a different desk set, but for what we're looking for, the dimensions of the room we're working in, and the price of other comparable desks, we'd really like to stick with this one.
We recently bought a computer desk for our office. It's nice for the price and our needs, only we found that it is about 1-2 inches too long as it prevents the office door from closing. I think our options are A) deal with an office door that will never fully close (as I work from home, I'd really like to be able to fully shut the door) or B) shave off the required amount in order to allow the door to shut.
The desk is made from laminated particleboard. Would it be a "Bad Idea" to try and cut this wood? We were thinking about cutting an inch or two off the end of the desk (in a straight line) or just slicing off a triangular shape towards the back of the desk, which is where the door needs to pass in order to close.
I know what happens when particleboard gets wet. I'm not sure if it is somehow treated on the outside that would be compromised if we slice off the end of the table. Plus, we're in coastal Florida where humidity is relatively high. I'm also concerned that I might not get a nice clean cut and would instead have chips and pieces of wood crumbling off the end.
So, my question is: Should I even consider this?
If this can be safely done, how would I go about doing it? Should any treatment be made to the newly-exposed end? (Sealing it, or applying a strip of laminate, etc.)
And just to head off any other suggestions, we've been trying to figure out alternate placement or returning it and getting a different desk set, but for what we're looking for, the dimensions of the room we're working in, and the price of other comparable desks, we'd really like to stick with this one.
Invoke's instructions are good. You can also put some masking tape over the line you intend to cut to reduce chipping (and cut slowly!), and if you're concerned about the raw edge you can buy iron-on strips of laminate at Home Depot-type stores.
posted by AV at 12:05 PM on December 27, 2006
posted by AV at 12:05 PM on December 27, 2006
Score the plastic with a utility knife before you cut. Helps prevent cracking.
posted by electroboy at 12:24 PM on December 27, 2006
posted by electroboy at 12:24 PM on December 27, 2006
You can also buy laminate/ veneer for not too much money and make the new edge fit in better. Finding an exact match is unlikely but you can get really close.
posted by I Foody at 1:46 PM on December 27, 2006
posted by I Foody at 1:46 PM on December 27, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
Seal the exposed end with a solution of watered-down elmers glue, or else just a poly seal.
You'll be fine.
posted by Invoke at 11:40 AM on December 27, 2006