# What would you do



## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Starting to build a desk to convert our spare bedroom to also function as a home office. Design is straightforward.


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Bought the wood...wormy maple... check


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Don't have a jointer so face jointed using a sled and my planer...check


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Left a surprise for my wife in the garbage....check


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Edge jointed the table too using my ts55....check


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Glue up and clamping....check


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Looking good!!!!


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

....and took it out to find....one of the corners is bowing up 😂. It's either that the wood moved since being dressed or I did not get it totally flat although I was pretty diligent. In any case, 2 options from here. 1 is I could rip the top in 1/2 and re face joint the 2 pieces and reglue. Currently it's 7/8 which I wanted but I also didn't want it curvy. 2 is to leave as is and when I attach the top to the cabinet with screws from underneath (also ensuring to allow for wood movement) this will pull down the corner flat. 

Will this work? Cabinet sides will also be the 7/8 wormy maple.


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Decided to build the cabinets and see if the top can be 'convinced ' to be nice. It's long enough that it will bend down with some pressure but not too much for the top or the screws. Picture attached, you can see the back edge curling up. 

Is there any long term side effects of forcing a table top the way I'm planning on doing?


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## gmcooter (Jan 22, 2015)

Looking good. Was your lumber air dried or kiln dried?


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Good question...not sure. I got it from a hardwood dealer usually they are pretty good at ensuring it's between 8 and 12 max. I assume kiln is better or at least quicker?


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

It looks good. I would expect that you will be able to pull the corner down.

If it is not too far along, I would suggest a design change. Personally I would like both of the ends of the desk to look like drawers even though one is a cabinet with a door(s).

Like this, if you look close you can see the right side is 2 drawers and the left side is a door.


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Yeah, I agree fully. I've been struggling with that. My wife likes the convenience of drawers but a door needs to happen on one side at least. I like what you did on yours...but the doors are going to be simple solid with a bead moulding around the edges...it won't look right...not enough details to look believable like yours. I gotta figure it out. Thanks for the help though and the confirmation of being able to pull the top down. I'll post more pics soon.


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## sawduststeve (Jan 11, 2009)

What a guy once told me is that he took boards and cut them into thirds, took the middle board and end for ended it. He told me that if you have any warpage in the board it will work against itself and remain straight. I have tried this and it always seems to work fairly well. In your case you may be able to rip that part off and end for end it and reglue. Although that may mess up your grain pattern. 
Good Luck!


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Back on the desk after the upholstered bed build. Got a little work done...made some brackets to screw the top down and glued them on tonight. Do I need to also screw them in or will the glue joint be fine? They will come under some force as one corner of the top did warp up on me after glue up so it will have to be pulled down by the screws.


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Quick question...I'm making 1/2 blind drawers but I can't figure out how to install the bottoms with the dado cutting through the dovetail and showing on the sides of the drawer front? Any helpful advice?


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

It should read WITHOUT the dado showing...


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Use a router and make a stopped dado


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Right....that's what I though. Just Need a slot cutter bit 😕


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Thanks btw😊


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

was2ndlast said:


> Right....that's what I though. Just Need a slot cutter bit 😕


Ermm... Why? A straight bit will work fine, better actually. No need to get the fancy stuff


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

I actually also don't have a 1/4 straight bit (I don't think...). 😃

I did find a tip btw that doesn't need a stopped dado. Using table saw, cut the dado all the way across but making sure it lines up to where the tails cover the edge of the drawer front! Sometimes will make your drawer shallower than you need but sometimes may work good.


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## rabies (Apr 3, 2015)

may i ask, how much did that maple purchase cost you?


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

$2.75 a board foot.


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Construction finished. A little bit of tweaking still required on my moulding mitres (#&!*). Sanded right now to 180...going to raise the grain and knock it down with 220. 

Thanks to feedback here regarding one side having doors and the other drawers would not look right decided to have door fronts on both and put drawers behind one side (other side is for the computer). 

First time using my pc dt jig...a little sloppy. Glued the dt joints which I'm not sure is right but needed to to clean up the slack. 😨

Onto finishing......


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Oops...forgot this pic


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

And you can see my top bowed after glue up 😠...front right corner


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## Nick Sandmann (Oct 24, 2014)

Is that just one solid board(glued together, but basically 1 board) for the top?

I've never built a desk like this, but I would think you would have wanted to put some kind of apron underneath there to help support it. I'm not sure if you could incorporate that into the design easily at this point in the build, but it might be worth removing the top, seeing if you can get it flat, and adding some sort of substructure to support the span between the two bases.


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