Three Student's Desks WIP

**John Samuel** · 23rd November 2015, 06:52 PM

SWMBO and I were minding the grandurchins recently when it was pointed out to me that 3 of the 4 urchins did not have a desk ... and wouldn't it be a good idea if Poppy made them desks as Chrissie pressies?

I know a command when I hear one.

The desks will have a pedestal on one side with 4 drawers and tapered legs on the other. Two will be about 1100 mm long and the third will be about 950 mm long.

Pedestals come first. The first pic is the 15 web rames needed for the desks. The second is some of the sides of the pedestals in the vacuum press. The sides will be veneered over MDF with a cedar frame, to give it a frame and panel look.

Web Frames.jpg Laminating Sides.jpg

Camphor laurel was chosen as the laminate for two reasons. Firstly, Chrissie is bearing down upon us and I have three desks and a bookcase (for the fourth grandurchin) to make. The camphor laurel laminates were sitting in the racks, ready to go. Secondly, I liked the mix of camphor laurel and cedar in the Frilly Nickers Cabinet made a year or two ago (see next pic).

Cabinet 1.jpg

**ajw** · 23rd November 2015, 08:31 PM

Watching with interest. Where did you get your vacuum bag and hand pump from?

cheers,

ajw

**John Samuel** · 24th November 2015, 09:48 AM

AJW,

The bag is made from (about) 0.4 mm vinyl sheet bought from Bunnings. Don't use the thinner stuff (DAMHIKT). The nozzle is a 20 mm/3/4" water tank fitting, also from Bunnings. The pump is a Vacu Vin pump for extracting air from wine bottles, readily available on-line. The vinyl is folded in half and the sides are permanently sealed with 3M VHB tape. The mouth is sealed with re-usable air-tight tape from Carba Tec or Adelaide Casting Supplies.

Here is a link with some more detail. https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...=179215&page=2

The only change I have made from the original bag is to use the 3M VHB tape on the sides. It does not let go when you fold up the bag the way the re-sealable tape can. Definitely use the VHB or similar tape to make permanent seals on the sides. I always clamp the mouth of the bag to guarantee an airtight seal. Be careful that the corners (where the sides meet the folded end) are sealed well. I pushed a little re-sealable tape into the corner and used a small clamp to guarantee an air-tight seal.

It works like a charm. I strongly recommend you glue up with the Titebond PU glue, applied with a small roller (a cheapie because it is thrown away after use). An hour after you put the job into the press, it can come out. The Titebond PU is low foaming with 20-30 minutes of open time and 45 minutes of clamp time ... perfect for veneering.

**John Samuel** · 24th November 2015, 06:58 PM

Today I made all six legs and finished off the side panels for the pedestals. The pic shows the legs and one panel, all are ready for finish sanding.

Panel and legs.jpg

The Surian cedar usually comes up much darker and more red once the lacquer goes on.

Next I start preparing to assemble the pedestals.

**John Samuel** · 26th November 2015, 05:50 PM

Components for all three pedestals are prepared for assembly.

Here is the start of a dry assembly test. Note the biscuit slots. There are 124 biscuits in each pedestal.

Dry Assy.jpg

And here is the first pedestal glued up in its clamp farm.

Clamp Farm.jpg

**John Samuel** · 29th November 2015, 03:50 PM

All three desks are now assembled to the stage shown below. Tops and drawers yet to come, but they are in imminent danger of looking like desks.

Assembly.jpg

This is a plan view of one leg, to show the joinery. The frame was thickened by glueing on another piece so that long grain is presented to the leg, rather than end grain. Then triple biscuit joints were made.
Joinery.jpg

For this type of joint the magic number seems to be 44. If the frame is thickened to 44 mm, then there is 8 mm of wood between the biscuits and 8 mm of wood between the outside biscuits and the edge of the wood.

**ajw** · 30th November 2015, 06:52 AM

Originally Posted by John Samuel

And here is the first pedestal glued up in its clamp farm.

Clamp Farm.jpg

I wonder what the collective noun for clamps really is?? A Farm of Clamps sounds good to me.

I wonder if it's possible to have too many clamps. I doubt it.

cheers,

ajw

**John Samuel** · 30th November 2015, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by ajw

I wonder if it's possible to have too many clamps. I doubt it.

cheers,

ajw

You're right ... not possible.

Every year I pick up a few more, usually at the wood show.

**John Samuel** · 5th December 2015, 02:10 PM

Construction finished, except for routing of tops and drawer fronts. I'll use the same raised panel bit that was used to make their chests of drawers, and it is in being sharpened.

Two pics of one desk, one from the side and one from the front.

Side view.jpg Front view.jpg

**John Samuel** · 10th December 2015, 09:23 AM

Tops and drawer fronts routed; back rail included to stop pencils etc from rolling off the back of the desk; assembly of all three desks complete except for drawer stops.

Ready lacquer.jpg

To keep the costs down, drawers were made of MDF with a false front of cedar.

**Christos** · 11th December 2015, 03:48 PM

Just caught up with this thread. Lovely.

**John Samuel** · 13th December 2015, 10:03 AM

Here is the bookshelf made for the fourth grandurchin. It is an exact copy of one made for his brother a year or so ago.

Bookshelf.jpg

Only need to apply lacquer and they are all finished, but he rain has stopped me from spraying.

**fletty** · 13th December 2015, 10:58 AM

Lovely elegant designs and fine workmanship John but I have one question.
How on earth will Santa get 3 desks AND a bookshelf into the sleigh..........

?

fletty

**ian** · 13th December 2015, 04:09 PM

easy

1. Santa is a Time Lord -- explains how he can get to all the good children in a single night

2. The sleigh is really Santa's Tardis

**fletty** · 13th December 2015, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by ian

easy

2. The sleigh is really Santa's Tardis

Santa WHO?

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