My $90 desk shelf split down the middle after 4 months - solid wood or metal frame next time?

I bought this bamboo desk shelf from an online shop back in March to raise my monitor. It looked great but last week I heard a crack and the whole thing split right down the center where the grain ran. Now I'm stuck deciding between getting a solid walnut slab from a local woodworker near Portland or going with a metal frame shelf that'll never warp. Has anyone here had better luck with one style over the other long term?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamesblack23d agoTop Commenter

Man that sucks. I had a similar thing happen with a heavy oak monitor stand my dad built me years ago. Cracked right along a knot after a humid summer. Ended up grabbing a cheap metal frame one from a surplus store for like 20 bucks and it's been sitting on my desk for 5 years now without a peep. Only downside is it looks a little industrial like something from a warehouse office.

alice_barnes3523d ago

OH man, that industrial look can actually grow on you though! I've noticed those metal frames hold up way better than anything with wood grain because they don't care about humidity at all. Plus that surplus store vibe gives it a CHARM that a lot of modern furniture is really missing these days.