# Making a Mission Style Desk for My Wife



## gregL (Feb 1, 2009)

Today I started the first steps of making a mission desk for my wife as a present. I recently bought 75 bd. ft of quarter sawn white oak and hopefully this will put some of it to good use. I have a mortise pal jig and this should be a good test of how well it works.

This afternoon I cut the legs. They are 2" x 2" and I started a few of the mortises with the MortisePal. It is quite easy to use and I find it to be quite accurate. I am using a Whiteside carbide upspiral bit and it cuts clean and easily.
I hope to do more work on it next weekend. I am anxious to spend much more time on it but I am also in the process of renovating our bathroom.


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## PTownSubbie (Mar 6, 2009)

Greg, Keep us informed on your progress. I like mission style, it is fairly straight forward to make.

You have any plans that you are working from?

Fred


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## gregL (Feb 1, 2009)

PTownSubbie said:


> Greg, Keep us informed on your progress. I like mission style, it is fairly straight forward to make.
> 
> You have any plans that you are working from?
> 
> Fred


 Hello Fred,
I look forward to having time to work on this desk. It does seem to be a fairly simple style. I plan to post pictures after each weekend, in fact I am going to shop for a digital camera that I can keep in my workshop so I won't have to constantly ask my wife for the camera we currently have.
I have been working with wood for over 40 years and have never built anything from a set of plans, just general dimensions. I like the challenge of figuring everything out instead of duplicating pre-determined dimensions and pre-determined parts.
Thanks,
GregL


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## gregL (Feb 1, 2009)

Making some progress. I still need to make the top and the 2 drawers but it is slowly getting there.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Looking great. That mortise jig looks like it is working for you. Keep posting and let us know how the final product turns out. Your wife is gonna love it. Tons of brownie points are built into that desk. :yes:
Ken


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## Mike Gager (Jan 11, 2009)

nice job! what did you use to join the lower section to the back and sides?


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## ScottyB (Mar 1, 2009)

*Thank you*

Looking at your pictures I was enlightened. I think I'll pick up some chalk for marking pieces so I don't screw up my glue ups again. Seems like a great way to mark without doing so permanently.

Thanks again.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Very nice Greg.:thumbsup:
Keep us posted on the progress. Anxious to see the finish pics.
Mike Hawkins


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## gregL (Feb 1, 2009)

Mike Gager said:


> nice job! what did you use to join the lower section to the back and sides?


 The lower shelf was put in rather differently because it originally was not designed to have a lower shelf. After I built 90% of the desk my wife asked if I could add a shelf near the bottom and make it with the slats to match the rest of the desk.
I ended up adding oak cletes to the side and back to hold up the shelf since I felt it was too late to mortise & tenon them in place on an assembled desk.


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## gregL (Feb 1, 2009)

ScottyB said:


> Looking at your pictures I was enlightened. I think I'll pick up some chalk for marking pieces so I don't screw up my glue ups again. Seems like a great way to mark without doing so permanently.
> 
> Thanks again.


 Scotty,
I've been using blackboard chalk for over 40 years to mark pieces. It is something my Dad taught me long ago. It works great, never stains but sometimes you must re-mark the pieces since it does come off rather easily. I get it at Office Depot and am glad it is still available in this day of dry-erase markers.


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## Texas Sawduster (Apr 27, 2009)

Nice work.
I also like the top to your workbench.
Where did you get the sheet?


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## gregL (Feb 1, 2009)

Texas Sawduster said:


> Nice work.
> I also like the top to your workbench.
> Where did you get the sheet?


I bought the sheet at a supply house in New Orleans that specializes in all types of sheet plastics. It is 1/4" uhmw. Nothing will stick to it...no glue, stain varnish or anything I have used as of yet. I hold it down with countersunk screws and so far I am very satisfied with it as a worktable top. It is easy to slide a heavy project around on it while working.
I have several other worktables in my shop but they all have wood tops. The uhmw is a little too costly to cover all of them with it.


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## gregL (Feb 1, 2009)

Finally finished and in use after about 7 weeks. I spent many nights in my shop working on the desk until late in the night ...1 - 2 am to get it finished since I can't stand to have a project drag out too long... 
I also had to also remodel our bathroom, build and paint a fence, replace 9 doors and take a 8 day trip to New England to visit relatives. 
I used mission oak gel stain and 8 coats of hand rubbed minwax.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

That looks great. I bet your wife is happy with that. Who wouldn't be?
Ken


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## red (Sep 30, 2008)

The desk is beautiful. You should be proud of it. Nice job.

Red


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## berandor (Jun 7, 2009)

beautiful work on that. 

how sturdy is the rubbed in finish? is that a wax? I am very tired of poly and would like to try something new.

also what is that mortise jig? does it have a corresponding tenoning setup?


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## toddj99 (Jan 1, 2008)

berandor said:


> beautiful work on that.
> 
> how sturdy is the rubbed in finish? is that a wax? I am very tired of poly and would like to try something new.
> 
> also what is that mortise jig? does it have a corresponding tenoning setup?


It's called a Mortise Pal. Never used myself but would be interested in trying one someday. A little pricey though. No tenoning setup that I am aware of.

http://www.mortisepal.com/index.html


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## Jason W (Dec 18, 2008)

Great job on the desk!:thumbsup:

Love the finish and the design.


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## gregL (Feb 1, 2009)

berandor said:


> beautiful work on that.
> 
> how sturdy is the rubbed in finish? is that a wax? I am very tired of poly and would like to try something new.
> 
> also what is that mortise jig? does it have a corresponding tenoning setup?


 The mortise jig works quite well. It is called a Mortise pal and is used with a router and a spiral upcut bit. I have a benchtop mortiser also and wanted to try the mortise pal to do a comparison. The mortise pal is a bit faster than a mortising machine but does not cut square corrrners. 
There is no corresponding tenon setup. I cut the tenons on my table saw and then used a rasp to round the edges.
I just wanted to try a different approach to cutting mortises and get a new woodworking toy in the process...I guess I could be described as "tool nut" and seem to collect alot of different tools. It only cost $175 and I feel it was well worth the cost.
Greg


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## Jason W (Dec 18, 2008)

Get the Festool Domino and you'll be in Heaven!:thumbsup:


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## gregL (Feb 1, 2009)

Jason W said:


> Get the Festool Domino and you'll be in Heaven!:thumbsup:


I've need to look at the Festool domino and check it out. I just bought the Festool sander and vacuum a couple of weeks ago and I am very impressed with their quality. I'm sure the Domino is every bit as good.
How long have you had the Domino?


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

That is a great looking desk. Nicely done.

Gerry


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## mwhafner (Jan 16, 2009)

> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Jason W*
> _Get the Festool Domino and you'll be in Heaven!:thumbsup:_
> 
> ...


Not Jason W, but I have had mine for about 20 months. It certainly lives up to the hype.


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## Jason W (Dec 18, 2008)

I've had mine for about 8 months now. I use it for many different applications. Great tool! Cabinet doors and raised panels are a snap.


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## Tim Pursell (Jul 22, 2009)

Great looking desk!


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## nblumert (Oct 15, 2008)

Desk looks great! You did a very nice job, i'm sure the wife loves it.


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