Thread: Rolltop desk - WIP

Originally Posted by Rocker

I didn't use any jig for making the tambour. All the details for making it are given in post #24 of this thread.

Sorry mate,

It was a poor attempt at humor

Once again, awesome work, I am sure we all plan to build a roll top desk "some day" but it doesn't surprise me that you are the one to do it.

Cheers, Jack

Uh oh! Big stuff-up. I should have marked the positions of the dadoes in the top board of the pigeonhole unit from the glued up shelf/divider boxes, since I wasn't able to make the latter accurately enough to conform precisely with the ideal dimensions of the plan, so I now have to make a new top board and waste about 5 m of blackwood. First, though, I am going to try widening the dadoes to accomodate the errors, and glueing a narrow strip to the front edge of the existing top board to hide the bodgy dadoes. If the bodgy dadoes inside the pigeonholes are not too noticeable, I may stick with this solution, and not waste more wood.

Rocker

Rocker, it does my heart good to hear that I am not the only one that makes left/right back/front up/down stuff ups! Though I was alone in having that sort of senior moment! Seriously though, the desk is looking very impressive. My heart was in my mouth when I saw the description of the tambour method, thought it would bind or have insufficient rolling radius. I am very glad to hear that all went well and according to plan.
Looking forward to more episodes in your journey.
Jacko

Jacko,

Thanks. I have managed to get the main part of the pigeonhole unit together now, and will add the final pieces in the morning. I went with salvaging the bodgy top board, adding a strip to the front edge. I don't think the bodgy dadoes will be noticeable unless you crane your neck and peer into the pigeonholes. I will post pics of the completed unit tomorrow.

I learned by the dado debacle not to follow the instructions in plans too slavishly. I should have realised that the dadoes in the top boards should not have been cut at an early stage. Instead I should have marked their positions using the glued up shelf/divider boxes.

Rocker

After many trials and tribulations, the pigeonhole unit is fully assembled. It needs further sanding and finishing with wipe-on poly before installation in the desk.

I am convinced that the plans I bought gave me a bum steer on the pigeonhole unit assembly. By far the easiest way to do it would be to glue up the main boxes in stage one; then slide in the shelves; and finally slide in the pigeonhole dividers. This would eliminate the sort of problems that I had when trying to follow the recommended assembly method in the plans.

Rocker

G'day David!

My sympathies with the plan stuff-up. One of those "insert tab 'A' into slot 'B'" sort of sets of instructions, eh?

I note that you have used through dados rather than stopped ones for a number of the pigeon hole elements. Any reason for this, or do you plan to face-frame the assembly?

I must say that I often use through dados, but that's because I'm cack-handed, which you, clearly, are not.

BTW, after glue-up, especially with relatively 'fiddly' pieces like this, I find clean up to be a real chore - how do you manage this?

Really looking foreward to see the whole piece together

Great stuff mate!

Originally Posted by Auld Bassoon

I note that you have used through dados rather than stopped ones for a number of the pigeon hole elements. Any reason for this, or do you plan to face-frame the assembly?

I must say that I often use through dados, but that's because I'm cack-handed, which you, clearly, are not.

BTW, after glue-up, especially with relatively 'fiddly' pieces like this, I find clean up to be a real chore - how do you manage this?

Steve,

I didn't see any particular advantge in using stopped dadoes. They would just make the piece that much harder to make. I don't think they detract from the look of the pigeonhole assembly.

For sanding, I just hit it with 120-grit paper on a ROS. It is difficult to avoid unwanted rounding over, but doing it by hand would exhaust my patience.

Rocker

Today I dry-assembled the pedastals and placed them in the correct positions relative to one another, and installed the figure-8 fasteners used to attach the writing surface to their top edges (Photo 1). I then placed the writing surface in position (Photo 2), and marked the positions for drilling pilot holes in its under surface to attach it to the figure-8s. I had already drilled slotted holes in the writing surface for attaching the top unit that contains the tambour. Finally, I used a 3/4" forstner bit to drill 8-shaped recesses in the underside of the writing surface (Photo 3) to accommodate the fasteners.

I needed to drill a hole in the writing surface for computer cables, and puzzled for some time as to how to make it look tidy. I drilled the hole with a 28 mm forstner bit and found that black 25 mm i.d. irririgation pipe is a very snug fit in the hole. When pared off flush with the surface with a chisel, it actually looks quite flash.

Rocker

Starting to really take shape Rocker, those pigeons are going too like them holes!

Wonderful work Rocker, a definate heirloom in the making. Really impressed you are using blackwood for all pieces and not veneer stuff etc. Can't wait to see the finished desk.

You rock Rocker! Any thought to which crane company you're going to hire to get that thing in the house?


Damien

Great progress David.

Originally Posted by damienhazo

Any thought to which crane company you're going to hire to get that thing in the house?


Damien

Damien,

Actually, when the desk is disassembled into its four main components - the two pedastals, the writing surface/tambour/pigeonholes, and the back panel joining the pedastals - any one component is not unmanageably heavy. But I will be getting a removalist to take it to its final destination, Eagle, in the Colorado Rocky Mts. Fortunately, my son-in-law will be paying the freight I think it will be safer to send it as four separate components to be assembled on arrival.

As Wongo will know, Eagle's main claim to fame is as the place where Kobe Bryant, the basketball player, was accused, but acquitted, of raping a hotel receptionist.

Rocker

Kobe taught us a very valuable lesson.

When you are famous, everyone wants a piece of you
When you are rich, you can get away from murder