Calculating table's legs positioning

ketamynx

I have an MDF board (that corky stuff), 80x30" and 6/10" thick.

I want to make it a desk, so obviously I'm going to buy some legs from Ikea.

The leg is a regular tube, a socket and 5 screws.

Is there a way to calculate the safe distance to leave between the legs?
I mean I could just buy three legs and put them in a triangle shape but there's no guarantee of the board not breaking on heavier objects.

mikegyver

MDF can be moisture prone and is not meant for load bearing without lots of support. If you are using it as a desk it will sag over time with any weight. 1/2 MDF is not good desk material, it won't "break" like a solid board, but it's just not that strong.

Use 3/4" plywood and keep the span no longer than 3' between supports. Or just buy the ikea top, they usually sell them separately.

mikegyver

MDF can be moisture prone and is not meant for load bearing without lots of support. If you are using it as a desk it will sag over time with any weight. 1/2 MDF is not good desk material, it won't "break" like a solid board, but it's just not that strong.

Use 3/4" plywood and keep the span no longer than 3' between supports. Or just buy the ikea top, they usually sell them separately.