Fiddleback Desk

**jarrah jack** · 18th July 2012, 09:49 PM

I've had a few quilted Myrtle slabs hanging around in the workshop for a few years and never found the right project to use them and consequently see them no more. I've still got two left after this project and it will be a sad day when the last goes out. I don't like using stored timber and prefer to sometimes not quote for jobs rather than let them go. Just the way I am I suppose.

I'll do this over two posts but a client wanted a desk with one of the slabs on top and gave me artistic license to the design, after I told him I would take it in any case.

The design involved much thinking and a few beers, then more thinking and even more beers. The concept was to show and compliment a truely beautiful piece of timber. Trouble was that it was too narrow so I eventually found the only board that I reckoned could go with the myrtle without cutting up another slab. It was a reclaimed beam of fiddleback vic ash with some strong pink suggesting it came from a very old tree.

Next came the design of the legs and a few drawers to go somewhere. I wanted it to look like a light bare frame and legs to fit around the natural edge of the curved slab.

The drawers were designed to fit the bulge of the slab. They were laminated around a curved frame and glued for a few days to hold the asymetrical curve.

**jarrah jack** · 18th July 2012, 10:12 PM

Second part..

The frame was made some fiddleback Silvertop Ash and the drawer fronts from highly figured Southern Mahogony form north east Victoria. I enjoy mixing timbers as I think that sometimes using just the one for a project can be a bit boring. Showing different timbers side by side can enhance the qualities of each if that makes sense. Many times the choice can become necessary as its impossible to get a lot of species in the sizes you need for large projects like tables.

After agonising over which drawer handles to use I decided on none at all. That made life easy. The bottom drawer can be opened from underneath and the top from grabbing the sides or from underneath with the bottom drawer open. It doesn't matter that much as they wouldn't be used that often.

I sprayed with the usual feast watson leaving many days between coats because of the cold wet weather. Not easy finishing jobs in mid winter.

It will be very sad to see the desk go and, if I had the house for it,I would be building another for the Mrs although these jobs with dovetail drawers take a long time and a lot of effort to complete, especially compared to a table for instance. I think I counted thirteen clamps when I put the frame together. Heaps of lose tenon joins as well.

**fletty** · 18th July 2012, 10:20 PM

well done JJack .... I love it!
Until I read on I thought the drawer fronts were just distorted by the camera angle. Do you have a pic from above to show the amount of asymmetry?
I hope the client loves ... and respects ... it,
fletty

**Wongo** · 18th July 2012, 11:44 PM

That is a very creative desk. I love it.

**tea lady** · 18th July 2012, 11:52 PM

Love it! Love the natural form of the slab being used effectively. And very lovely wood.

**3 toed sloth** · 19th July 2012, 08:29 AM

Thanks for a great post JJ, you obviously love your timber and you've certainly done it justice. I love the drawer fronts, absolutely beautiful.

**AlexS** · 19th July 2012, 09:14 AM

I'm not usually that keen on natural slab tops, but I think in this case you've done a really nice job with it, and the curved drawer fronts are just right. Well done.

**Charleville** · 19th July 2012, 11:31 AM

Asymmetric drawer fronts! Wow! You are a glutton for punishment, JJ.

I can't help feeling that there was an immense amount of work in getting the slab to look so nice as well.

As always a stunning job, JJ. Very well done!

.

**jarrah jack** · 20th July 2012, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by fletty

well done JJack .... I love it!
Until I read on I thought the drawer fronts were just distorted by the camera angle. Do you have a pic from above to show the amount of asymmetry?
I hope the client loves ... and respects ... it,
fletty

I think the second lot of pic's should show it better Fletty.

Thanks everyone for the encouraging comments.

Thread: Fiddleback Desk

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Fiddleback Desk

Similar Threads

Fiddleback Blackwood

Fiddleback Red Ash

Most stable computer desk? Desk wobbles too much.

Fiddleback

Fiddleback

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions