Desk organiser, perfectly fits in inches, but wood in mm - confused!!

[Gaogier]

Hello

So, basically, I have a squarish shape on my desk, with my PC, my iMac (2006 model) and stuff that goes with both.

I have decided to build a quick L shape PC stand/desk organiser.

My dimensions fits perfectly, and its in inches. But, the wood that I am getting is in mm, so I don't know what I need to tell the guy who will cut the wood for me in store would be, as they are 2 different measurement systems. I am not 100% sure what material I plan to use, or the thickness.


My dimensions are as follows

28" wide, 8" deep, 5" tall, (this is the back end) the side end is (21" deep, 8" wide and 5" tall.

So to add this together I need the back end to be, 28" x 5 - top (back section) 28" x 8 same for the bottom. I need 5" x 8" on the end. Then the front bit, would be 20"x5. For the other section would be 21" x 5 (outside edge) 13" x 5" (inside edge) 13" x 8" for the top and the bottom, with 5" x 8" to the other end. I really hope this made sense here.

I need the front (smaller section's) 5"x8" to be removable, so I can store stuff if needed. The bigger section of 20"x5" would also be removable for keyboards, mouse, etc.

Now if there is anyway there is an iOS app that helps work all of this out, please please please let me know. This is so confusing as I know I have to make bits smaller by either 18mm, 15mm or 12mm depending on quality of stock. There is no room for errors here either. Which is why the messerments are in inches as the guys at the store probably deal with mm more often than inches even though us british use a mix of both imperal and metric and everything else.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Why don't you just convert the imperial to metric if you're worried the bloke cutting the wood can't cope with imperial? Just use an online converter or a calculator.

 

[ktuludays]

Or re-measure in metric

 

[mattylad]

HIs tape measure will have imperial measurements on it.

 

[Gaogier]

it’s not that I don’t trust the guy cutting the wood, it’s the fact I don’t trust my brain on all the maths.

When I was at school I was good at maths and got a B but due to a clinical error I should have gotten an A. Due to current health reasons, I take morphine daily, and this effects my brain to the count that I often get really simple things wrong.

Example the other day, was teaching my niece how to write some letters, she wanted to know how to write J, however I couldn’t work out how to write it. I was doing a mirror image of it.

 

[big-all]

who is working out the deduction /added at the corners for a butt joint ??
as in 28x8" if external material thickness needs to be deducted from sides or internal material thickness needs to be added to the front and back

 

[foxhole]

Just Google it .

 

[Gaogier]

I am the one working it all out, at least trying to… went to B&Q today to see if the guys there could help me, they couldn’t do anything (basically they are bad at maths) they just cut the wood at the measurements given.

I did however find some scrap wood just big enough for me to put together so I can work out all the measurements without having to not be in pain for days to reduce my medication level’s enough to work it out in my head.

I saved all the cardboard and made a model of what I wanted, to make sure it A, fits, B not too big and bulky and C was practical. Which it ticks all the boxes.

I also need to work out the right size sheet I need, else I will overspend when I don’t need or afford to.


Btw, I have the ability to A, get the smaller sheets home, B, prepare and mark the wood for cutting, C, rip down the sheet to a more manageable size (circular saw + homemade guide), D, cut it down to correct measurements (table saw), E, any angles needed (mitre saw), any round overs (router).


I would do dove tail joints but I have never done that before so, I don’t want to try it on something that will be on show for years to come, and don’t have the money to replace anything that will go wrong, which doing it for the first time will.