Art desk - WIP

[NickM]

I think you are rather hard on yourself. That work looks very professional. I would be proud of it. Adrian

You're right to some extent. Overall I'm really chuffed with it as I've never attempted anything like this before. However, I want to recognise the imperfections so I can improve. The main bit I'm disappointed with is the breadboard ends.

The main issues were as follows:

• I hand flattened the table top and it ended up fractionally thicker at the front than the back, and I didn't realise.

• I cut the tenon for the breadboard end using a dado blade on a table saw (this project is a mix of hand tools and machines) and because of the thickness issue I ended up with a tight tenon at one end a slightly loose one at the other.

• When fitting the breadboard end, it was very tight at one end and in removing if I ham fistedly knocked a corner off. That annoyed me, but I repaired it and most of it was removed anyway when I planed everything to size.

• I made another heavy handed mistake when I put the dowels in the breadboard ends. I draw bored them, but overdid it on a couple of holes. I whacked the dowels in(buoyed with confidence from the previous ones) and they went in at a slight angle and caused a bit of blow out on the back. Fortunately the top is alright. I will just fill/patch up the damage on the back.

• They are a bit gappy. Actually, they looked better before I put the draw bores in!

On the final point, one issue I have (and I have a similar issue with mortise and tenon joints) is fine tuning the shoulders of the tenon. If there's a gap, it usually looks as though it's caused by a shoulder being tight in one place (usually on one side) and there being a gap elsewhere. I guess the problem is either slightly inaccurate marking or cutting, but presumably the only answer once you're at that stage is to relieve the tight shoulder slightly to even things up? I don't have a shoulder plane and have always tried paring it back with a chisel but the results are never very satisfactory (mainly because I don't end up with a flat shoulder. Do I "need" a shoulder plane?! We're only talking about micro adjustments here (it would be a couple of fine shavings along the shoulder) so I find it hard to do with a chisel. Is there another technique I'm missing?

 

[MikeG.]

I don't have a shoulder plane either. If there is one tool left on my mental list, I guess it's that one. However, I manage perfectly well without. Adjusting shoulders with a chisel is mainly a question of taking extreme care with setting out a new knife line, sometimes clamping a steel straight-edge in place and working to that. In general, shoulders are the most visible parts of your joinery, and so setting these out perfectly in the first place is the primary focus.

The reason knocking draw bore pegs home is so satisfying is that it is high stakes stuff. Sometimes, they just refuse to go in past the tenon. Sometimes they break off. Sometimes they don't pull the joint together enough. But when they're right.......it's such a lovely feeling to hear the note get higher and to see them emerge cleanly on the other side with a nice tight joint showing.

No piece of woodwork is perfect, and I hope you take much pride in this job, as well as learning the little lessons. I think it's great, with proper joinery. Right up my street......

 

[AndyT]

Nick, it's perfectly normal that you are bothered by the little bits that went wrong. I think we all feel that way about the things we make and it's part of how we learn.

But the person using the desk won't even be aware of those things. They will be pleased to have a piece of furniture which fills the role it was meant for and enables them to enjoy their art.

That's what matters most, I reckon.

 

[NickM]

Thanks Mike

Marking a new knife line hadn't occurred to me! I've basically been trying to do it by guesswork - taking a bit off, checking the result and repeating but it hasn't worked all that well. A new line or a hard edge to work to would solve that. I wish I'd asked sooner!

I will certainly be proud of it when it's finished. Just a bit more thinking to be done about how the support mechanism for the top will work, but the nice thing about that is that I don't really need to commit to anything until I know it works, so I can see a few prototypes being made and binned!

If all else fails I'll just stick in a couple of gas struts from a car boot...

 

[NickM]

I've been slammed with work over the past couple of weeks, but things calmed down just in time for me to be able to get stuck in properly over the long weekend. Unfortunately, in my enthusiasm I didn't take any pictures as I went along.

The last major task I had to do was to make the mechanism to support the top in its raised position. I knew roughly what I was aiming for, but was fully prepared to have to go through some prototypes.

This is the end result, with a bit more explanation below.

First I made the frame which would be attached to the underside of the top and which would hinge down. The bottom of the frame would engage in "deckchair" grooves to support the top at different heights. The frame was made with simple halving joints.

Sticking with traditional methods, I 3D printed some temporary brackets and stuck them to the underside of the top with double sided tape. Just how chippendale would have done it!

Having made the frame I could use that to work out the angle of each groove. I stuck a piece of tape to the inside of the desk and traced the outline at each position. I removed the tape and stuck it on the side of the piece of wood I used to make the deckchair supports.

I marked it all out and then roughly cut the grooves on the bandsaw before paring them with a chisel. I did all this in a single, wider piece and then ripped it to make each side.

I took the top off the desk and cut those support pieces to length. I then made front and back pieces which run across the width and used half lap joints to fit it all together. I taped it all in position and did a dry run to make sure everything worked and that there was still room for the drawer. It was all fine so I glued the supports into position.

One issue I encountered was that I was struggling to fit the frame between the side supports - I had to trim the frame a bit on the bandsaw to check it all worked. I therefore remade the frame so that there was a bit more space. I also screwed my temporary plastic brackets into position.

I'm pleased to say that it all works well.

 

[NickM]

Having got it all built, I have since been sanding it to get it ready for some kind of finish (probably hard wax oil).

The only other things which remain are:

1. getting some brass brackets made to replace the 3D printed plastic ones. The plan is for my dad to make those (silver soldering them). I can send him plastic ones so he has a template to follow. This is the design:

2. Fitting a sheet of thin ply above the drawer. The deckchair supports and cross pieces have rebates for that. I need to get some 3mm birch ply for that. I have some 3mm ply from Travis Perkins but it's a nasty red colour.

3. Finishing.

 

[NickM]

I thought I'd make a separate post about a potential flaw in the construction which struck me when I woke up this morning.

The issue relates to the central panel which has breadboard ends. As with a "normal" breadboard end, I have a tight fitting and glued middle tenon and loose outer tenons. This will allow the panel to move in both directions.

The problem is that one end of the panel has a hing screwed to it so I'm worried that excessive movement could pop the screws out of the hinge.

There's absolutely nothing I can do about it now (short of hermetically sealing my 220 year old house and installing full temperature and humidity control systems), but, in hindsight, I should have glued the tenon nearest the hinge end and "forced" any movement to go in one direction.

Time will tell if I get away with it. If the worst comes to the worst, I could remake the centre panel. I wasn't completely happy with it anyway, so it wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

[NickM]

Here are a few pictures of the finished desk (apart from the brass brackets for the supports to replace the 3D printed versions!).

I'm really pleased with how it has turned out.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Great work Nick.

 

[AndyT]

I'm impressed by the desk but also by the completely clear and tidy room - is that really where someone paints, or is it a special space, reserved just for photographing your woodwork?

 

[MikeG.]

That's really excellent, Nick. A proper project and a lovely piece of furniture. Well done. =D> =D> =D>

 

[NickM]

I'm impressed by the desk but also by the completely clear and tidy room - is that really where someone paints, or is it a special space, reserved just for photographing your woodwork?

Ha! It’s a front hall which normally has very little in it so it seemed a good place for a few photos.

 

[NickM]

As an interesting postscript to this project, my wife sent a picture of the desk to her mother (a keen artist herself) and it reminded her of an art desk which her great aunt used to use. Her brother now owns that desk and sent the following photos. There are some similarities in some aspects of the design.

 

[MusicMan]

Nice project, well executed. And what does the client think of it?

Keith

 

[The Gent]

Very well done