# Reception Desk with Curved Front



## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Making the curved portion of a reception desk for an assisted living home. 

Gonna look like this when it's done









I made the curved section using Flexboard and supported it by a ribbed structure.










The desk will have shaker panels. On the curved section I'm going to cheat with the panels. The Flexboard has a smooth masonite type surface that will be the field of the panel. I used 1/4" MDF that I cut out rectangles in which will simulate the stiles and rails. This needed to be glued onto the curved structure. Used about 50 clamps and some cauls.




















Amazingly.... I still had 6 clamps left over :w00t:


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Took it out of the clamps today and did the trimming and sanding. Came out good.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

The curve is close enough to a sealed unit so I have to get the electrical in there before I put it together. Asked the electrician a bunch of questions and got no answer. So I went metal with 12ga.











This Flexboard pc forms the toekick and the inside surface under the curved countertop. 
The receptionist will sit in this area.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Doing some test fitting today. Trying to envision how things will go together in the final product. Lots of interference from various components in the desk and the room. The electrical is an issue because I am trying to save space in the room. I wanted to have hollow walls on the flat panels also, but the extra 3" cause to many problems. Now I have to be creative to get the electrical where I need it.

Probably going to short them on drawer depth on two drawers, one in each cabinet. Need to hide the outlets. It is what it is.

Here's the desk just put together in length.









I drew out the curved countertop. It's a weird one. It is concentric to the inside
but the outside diameter needs to be and offset radius because at the center of the 
panel the counter sticks out 3" and at the desk area it only sticks out 1 3/4"









On the original drawing I think I had it stick out 1" instead of 1 3/4". I didn't want the 
difference to stand out. And in the final cutout it doesn't.

Just a close up. Nothing is sanded yet.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Notes for the curved section. This stuff don't build itself you know.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Did a cardboard mock up so they could see what they are getting and to get it positioned front to back to see if I have to make any modifications to the cabinet near the stairs. After mocking it up and setting it up, I see one or two issues with their design. Main one being they'll need to use a small monitor for the computer and the work area is only in the curved area. I suggested that they take the big metal filing cabinet that they have plans to put under the counter and just put it in the area behind the desk and then you have a 44" area where the person can do their work and when a person comes in needing help can move to that area.

Things are getting set in stone, so they need to make decisions soon.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Had fun trying to make the drawer lock work. Instructions are worthless and pretty much non existent. They must be for an application without side mounted drawer slides. You know, old school single wood slide under the center of the drawer. I made up my own instructions.

Their instructions said it needed an 1/8 deep x 7/8" wide slot. My version needed a 3/8" deep x 1" wide slot. Could have been less wide but it might have caused issues that I don't need. Plus I needed to mortise the entire lock into the panel which was never mentioned, same with the containment piece.

Pedistal Drawer Lock mechanism mounted in cabinet side panel









The key side of the panel. Sticks out to far for my liking. I might make a escutcheon to
make it look like it doesn't stick out so much.









3/8" x 7/16" slot routed in side of drawer to receive locking pin









Drawer in unlocked position









Drawer in locked position


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Getting towards the end of the job. Couple more days. Tomorrow will conclude the finishing as long as things go smooth. Put the final coat on everything today minus the accent coat. The accent coat will be a darker shade in the recessed panel areas of the front of the desk. The drawer fronts and door will be monotone.

Drawer front fitting completed


















Primed and then painted.


















pics while wet


















So tomorrow I'll be masking off the frame and painting the panel areas of the 2 large panels and the curved section. The Sapele' countertops have been stained and will be coated with a satin 2K poly.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Got the panels masked off and painted today. What a pain to mask. I wanted the shoulder to stay the base color. Plus that makes it so I don't have to worry much about paint leaking under the tape if I just did the surface of the frames.










After that I covered the frame with 2" tape. I covered the leg with a pc of cardboard because I certainly wasn't going to cover it with 2" tape. 

Then I scuff sanded the panels hard and blew them off. Did a box coat of the accent paint. 

The paint scared me. Came out looking very light. I did a toekick right before the 1st panel and that had a few minutes on it. I checked it and it was darker. Still, I pulled out the phone and looked up the color and as I thought, the wet paint was very off color. When it dried it was correct.










Waited an hour fifteen and pulled the tape.


















I only got around to putting the sealer on the 3 Sapele counters. 2 coats on the top, one on the bottom so far. No pics yet.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Well the desk went in today. Did most of it without a helper, he had his own jobs to attend to. He came in later to give a hand. Nice to have help.

Got there about 10am, unpacked the tools, dealt with the electrician and the IT guy on how they would need to do their portion. Told both to come back after 2 when it was up so we could really discuss how cables need to be run.

I photoshopped the carpet back in



























Sapele tops. First I bleached them to get the color out and even and then stained.









Was finished up about 4:30


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Looks great Leo, nice job.


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Wow!

That's all I can say.


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## Chamfer (Sep 6, 2014)

Very nice job Leo. Looks great.


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## Masterjer (Nov 6, 2012)

That's beautiful work. I'm always amazed by curved woodworking. A very beautiful piece indeed.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Sign In Podium for the current project


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

My usual helper wasn't available to help me so I asked another to come down with me for the day and he was free. Had a good time, worked hard and got'r done.

Installed the countertops today, to bad they want to change the color of them now.
She said white at the beginning of the project and then changed the color scheme of the
desk. Never said anything about the counters. The she said that it should have matched 
the desk somehow. So I point blank asked her what color she told me to do. She said not 
white. And then I asked what color she told it should be .... no answer. Because she said 
white. So now there's a change order. Got a chip chain of colors to choose from. Hopefully 
they'll just keep the white.










Eventually the back wall above the counters will have 3/8" cork applied.



















Took off the painted trim and and replaced it with Sapele. Bleached it in the shop in lengths.
Then cut it to size and mounted it on the columns after removing the old trim. Sanded the corners
very hard and then stained. After 1/2 hour I applied a shaker can water base satin poly urethane. Scuff sanded
and put a total of 3 coats on. Painting crew needs to put on another coat to finish up their part.



















Then mounted the sign in podium.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Beautiful work Leo, looks great.


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## bulletshell13 (Sep 18, 2015)

great work!


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Leo
Very good work and a great job of documenting your progress with the pictures. This job will be one to get you more jobs.


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## Carvel Loafer (Dec 31, 2011)

Very nice piece of millwork Leo, very admirable.


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## JBushnell (Sep 30, 2015)

Nicely done. Seems like you can never have too many clamps, but you had enough...


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Got the final pics of the desk


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