CharlesWilson
Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2007
- Messages
- 458
This project is based upon a writing desk originally designed by Thomas Jefferson, on which he is reputed to have written the Declaration of Independence. There is an article written for Fine Woodworking that covers it in reasonable detail:
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ProjectsAndDesign/ProjectsAndDesignPDF.aspx?id=2667 (requires membership to view)
I started constructing it from walnut that remained after finishing my Media Cabinet. I decided to use solid wood, and arrange the grain so that it wouldn?t suffer damage from seasonal humidity changes. (In 50 years or so, we will see if I succeeded or not.) The following pictures show my original effort.
This unit does not yet have a drawer pull installed. The drawer face is on the right. Notice that its grain direction is vertical.
This is looking at the unit from the back, with the drawer open.
When the front board is opened, the writing surface is revealed. I made a pencil tray insert for the drawer (with a hidden recess underneath for concealing diamonds and other treasures). I made this object as a gift for a friend, so I don?t have pictures of it with the protective writing surface and drawer pull.
This project is entitled The Evolution of a Writing Desk because there is now a second generation design intended to address some weaknesses of the initial design. This item is intended to be traveled with, and the drawer should have some sort of latching mechanism. I wasn?t completely satisfied with having a crease in the covering used as a writing surface. And, though walnut is beautiful, I wondered how the desk would look in other woods.
Generation one went from outside to inside, with the case being constructed first, followed by the drawer being constructed to fit inside the opening. Generation two began with the drawer being constructed first. I had decided to make six units, two of each species (oak, cherry and walnut).
Drawer front bottom and back were joined with box joints with grain going from front to back of drawer. Drawer sides were sliding dovetails, again with grain going from front to back. The box joints and sliding dovetails were glued. Wood thickness was a little less than 3/8 inch.
The drawer sides were also dovetailed at the ends, but not glued to front and back pieces. An drawer face was glued onto the front of the drawer.
Above is a dry fit of the drawer. Below are the components of the 6 drawers.
The case into which the drawer slips had all of its grain lengthwise, and the sides fit inside rabbets in the top and bottom pieces.
The grain of the closed end of the case is horizontal, and it floats in dados between the two sides of the case. A small rabbet is made into the top of the open end of the case to stop the travel of the drawer into the case.
The writing surfaces were cut to uniform size, as were the spacers, below.
And, with a little hocus pocus, everything comes together. (Keep your eyes on those ovals at the top of the front board below.)
Those little ovals are dominos which are used to locate the front board. They are necessary because of the extra pair of hinges. I have been experimenting with different writing surfaces, and will eventually find the right material. The notches in the board on top are used for Velcro strips that keep the writing surface from inadvertently opening.
Here is an oak model with the Velcro installed.
And now, for the drawer latching mechanism. A slightly modified domino on the side of the drawer, with a notch cut on the lip of the bottom will provide the latching action. The spring is just a length of wood screwed into the side.
The circular button, made with a plug cutter, pushes the end of the domino back into the slot to allow the drawer to open.
A keyhole router bit is used to make the channel for the plunger. That yellow portion of the photo is a bit of spring steel (from a measuring tape!) screwed into the wood strip that has the button glued to it.
There are only five of the Generation Two desks shown here because my daughter had absconded with one before I could get them all into a picture.
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ProjectsAndDesign/ProjectsAndDesignPDF.aspx?id=2667 (requires membership to view)
I started constructing it from walnut that remained after finishing my Media Cabinet. I decided to use solid wood, and arrange the grain so that it wouldn?t suffer damage from seasonal humidity changes. (In 50 years or so, we will see if I succeeded or not.) The following pictures show my original effort.
This unit does not yet have a drawer pull installed. The drawer face is on the right. Notice that its grain direction is vertical.
This is looking at the unit from the back, with the drawer open.
When the front board is opened, the writing surface is revealed. I made a pencil tray insert for the drawer (with a hidden recess underneath for concealing diamonds and other treasures). I made this object as a gift for a friend, so I don?t have pictures of it with the protective writing surface and drawer pull.
This project is entitled The Evolution of a Writing Desk because there is now a second generation design intended to address some weaknesses of the initial design. This item is intended to be traveled with, and the drawer should have some sort of latching mechanism. I wasn?t completely satisfied with having a crease in the covering used as a writing surface. And, though walnut is beautiful, I wondered how the desk would look in other woods.
Generation one went from outside to inside, with the case being constructed first, followed by the drawer being constructed to fit inside the opening. Generation two began with the drawer being constructed first. I had decided to make six units, two of each species (oak, cherry and walnut).
Drawer front bottom and back were joined with box joints with grain going from front to back of drawer. Drawer sides were sliding dovetails, again with grain going from front to back. The box joints and sliding dovetails were glued. Wood thickness was a little less than 3/8 inch.
The drawer sides were also dovetailed at the ends, but not glued to front and back pieces. An drawer face was glued onto the front of the drawer.
Above is a dry fit of the drawer. Below are the components of the 6 drawers.
The case into which the drawer slips had all of its grain lengthwise, and the sides fit inside rabbets in the top and bottom pieces.
The grain of the closed end of the case is horizontal, and it floats in dados between the two sides of the case. A small rabbet is made into the top of the open end of the case to stop the travel of the drawer into the case.
The writing surfaces were cut to uniform size, as were the spacers, below.
And, with a little hocus pocus, everything comes together. (Keep your eyes on those ovals at the top of the front board below.)
Those little ovals are dominos which are used to locate the front board. They are necessary because of the extra pair of hinges. I have been experimenting with different writing surfaces, and will eventually find the right material. The notches in the board on top are used for Velcro strips that keep the writing surface from inadvertently opening.
Here is an oak model with the Velcro installed.
And now, for the drawer latching mechanism. A slightly modified domino on the side of the drawer, with a notch cut on the lip of the bottom will provide the latching action. The spring is just a length of wood screwed into the side.
The circular button, made with a plug cutter, pushes the end of the domino back into the slot to allow the drawer to open.
A keyhole router bit is used to make the channel for the plunger. That yellow portion of the photo is a bit of spring steel (from a measuring tape!) screwed into the wood strip that has the button glued to it.
There are only five of the Generation Two desks shown here because my daughter had absconded with one before I could get them all into a picture.
