Kids are not known for their neat
work habits–neither are many adults, for that matter.
But at least with kids, there's always hope that they
can learn something better. Certainly the right desk can
help. Our design provides sufficient work surface and
storage space. The desktop is large enough to
accommodate a computer, and it still has room for
software, papers and books. The pedestal provides a
drawer for smaller loose items, and two deep shelves can
hold a small printer and other supplies. The storage
shelf has lots of space for CDs, tapes and collectibles.
The desk is built from birch plywood with poplar
edge-banding, and the parts are held together with
joining plates, nails, screws and glue. Any beginner can
build it. Its construction is so rugged, it's just about
impossible to damage it, and it disassembles to make it
easier to move–a handy feature when transporting it from
your shop to the
bedroom.
1--To cut the
plywood desk parts to size, use a circular saw guided by
a straightedge clamped to the panel's
face.
Making Pedestal Parts
Rip and crosscut the plywood pieces to size. Guide
the circular saw using a straightedge clamped to the
panel (Photo 1). Note that a 40-tooth thin-kerf,
crosscut blade was used for these cuts. Next, use a
clothes iron to apply birch veneer edge tape to the
plywood pieces (Photo 2). Let the veneer cool to
room temperature before trimming it to length and width
using a sharp chisel (Photo 3). If the veneer
tears out as it is trimmed, cut from the opposite
direction.
2--Use an iron
to apply heat to the birch veneer tape. The banding has
heat-sensitive adhesive on its back.
3--Use a chisel
to trim the birch veneer tape to width. Cut from the
opposite direction if the tape tears
out.
Next, mark the locations of the joining plate slots
in the pedestal parts. The joining plates hold the parts
in position, and screws are used to pull the parts
together. The screwheads are hidden under the applied
grids.
4--To cut
joining plate slots on the panel's face, clamp the panel
upright, and slide the plate joiner on the work
surface.
Cut the joining plate slots in the pedestal parts
using the plate joiner. For the slots at the top and
bottom of the pedestal sides, clamp a tall fence to the
workbench. Then clamp a pedestal side to the fence, and
cut the slots with the plate joiner held against the
workbench (Photo 4). To cut the slots in the
center of a panel, clamp a straightedge across the panel
to guide the plate joiner (Photo 5). To cut the
slots in the shelf ends and cleats, hold the workpiece
to the bench, and use the top as the registration
surface (Photo
6).
5--To cut plate
slots in the panel's center, clamp a fence across the
panel to guide the vertically positioned plate
joiner.
6--To cut plate
slots in the end of plywood parts, hold the workpiece
down and slide the plate joiner on the
bench.
Bore and countersink pilot holes through the pedestal
sides for joining the sides, shelves and cleats. Install
joining plates in the side panels, and check the pieces'
fit before the assembly sequence (Photo 7).
7--Bore and
countersink the pilot holes in the pedestal sides, and
test fit the parts before the final
assembly.
Desk Construction
Now assemble the pedestal sides, shelves and cleats
without using glue in the plate joints. Bore pilot holes
into the ends of the shelves and cleats. Then drive the
screws to fasten the sides to these parts (Photo
8). Rip and crosscut the poplar toe kick to size,
and cut the joining plate slots in its top edge. Spread
glue in the slots and on the plates. Clamp it in place
until the glue sets.
Rip and crosscut all the grid parts and mark the
parts for joining plates. Use two plates at each joint
on the open grid. When cutting slots in the endgrain of
the poplar pieces, clamp the workpiece to the bench.
8--Clamp the
pedestal parts together, bore pilot holes into the
shelves and cleats, and drive the
screws.
To assemble either grid, first spread glue on the
joining plates and in the plate slots. Glue and clamp
together the crosspieces in the center of the grid
(Photo 9). When the glue is dry, glue and clamp the
horizontal pieces to the top and bottom of the cross,
and then glue and clamp the two vertical pieces to the
assembly.
9--Begin the
assembly of the open grid by gluing and clamping
together the center horizontal and vertical
pieces.
10--Cut the
stopped rabbet in the open grid using a router. Then cut
the end of the rabbet square using a
chisel.
Cut the cleat notch on the top of the pedestal grid
and the open grid. Then cut the 3/4-in.-deep rabbet on
the open grid stile using a router and straight bit.
After it is cut, square its ends with a chisel (Photo
10).
Place the pedestal on its side, and position one of
the pedestal grids on it. Clamp the grid to the
pedestal, and nail it in place without using glue. Nail
the grid to the toe kick (Photo 11).
11--Clamp the
grid to the desk pedestal. Nail the grid to the pedestal
sides with 3d nails and the toe kick with 6d
nails.
Cut out the pedestal back and nail it in place. Next,
apply birch veneer edge tape to the exposed edges of the
front and back cleats that join the pedestal and open
grid. Cut joining plate slots in the vertical back cleat
and in the edge of the rear cleat. Install joining
plates with glue and clamp these cleats together. This
cleat assembly is installed when the pedestal and open
grid are joined.
Rip and crosscut the poplar edges for the desktop.
Glue and clamp them to the top, and fasten them with 6d
finish nails so they are flush with the top, but
overhang the bottom by 1/8 in.
Building The Storage Shelf
Use a router and straight bit to cut the notch in the
back of the desktop (Photo 12). Square the ends
of the cut with a chisel. Next, bore the grommet hole in
the top.
12--Use a router
to cut the notch in the top of the desk. The first cut
forms a rabbet, and the second cut completes the
notch.
Apply birch veneer tape to the top edges of the
storage shelf sides, and use the router with an edge
guide to cut the stopped rabbet on the sides. Then
square the rabbet using a chisel (Photo 13).
13--Cut a
stopped rabbet in each side of the storage shelf. Then
use a chisel to cut the end of the rabbet
square.
14--Begin the
shelf assembly by joining the top and partitions with
joining plates and glue. Also nail the pieces
together.
p>Cut the
joining plate slots for the storage shelf. Begin the
storage shelf assembly by spreading glue in the slots
and on the plates for the joints between the partitions
and the top. Join these parts, and drive 6d finish nails
to fasten the joints (Photo 14). Clamp these
joints until the glue sets.
Glue and clamp the short shelves to the inner sides.
Then glue and clamp those sides to the bottom of the
middle shelf (Photo 15). Glue and clamp the top and
shelf assembly, then drive finish nails through the
shelf into the inner side (Photo 16).
15--Join the
short shelves and inner sides. Then use glue, plates and
clamps to join these parts to the middle
shelf.
16--While
holding the parts in position with clamps, drive a nail
through the shelf and into the top of the inner
side.
Glue and nail the poplar facing in place. Next, cut
the joining plate slots in the desktop to locate the
storage shelf. Install the plates with glue, then place
the storage shelf on the desktop. Screw the desktop to
the storage shelf (Photo 17).
17--Fasten the
storage shelf to the desktop by driving screws through
the desktop and into the shelf
sides.
Make the poplar drawer pieces, clamp the parts
together, and use glue and 6d finish nails to fasten
them (Photo 18). Install the drawer bottom.
Install the drawer tracks on the pedestal sides and
the drawer sides. Then test fit the drawer in the
pedestal. Cut the drawer face to size, and screw it to
the drawer box. Then install the drawer pull.
Use screws, but not glue, to fasten the cleats
between the open grid and the pedestal.
18--Spread glue
on the endgrain joints of the drawer box parts, and
clamp them together. Also fasten them with finish
nails.
Place the desktop shelf assembly over the base. Then
bore and countersink pilot holes through the cleats and
into the bottom of the desktop. Screw the desktop and
storage shelf to the base (Photo 19).
To finish the desk, set all finish nails, and fill
the holes. Sand all the surfaces using 180-grit
sandpaper and ease the edges. Apply a coat of latex
primer. Lightly sand the primer, then apply two coats of
latex semigloss paint.
19--Drive screws
through the cleats into the bottom of the desk top to
fasten the top and bottom
subassemblies.
MATERIALS LIST–DESK
Key
No.
Size and description (use)
A
2
3/4 x 25 x 28 7/8" plywood
(side)
B
2
3/4 x 15 x 28 7/8" plywood
(shelf)
C
3
3/4 x 5 x 15" plywood
(cleat)
D
1
3/4 x 2 3/4 x 16 1/2" poplar (toe
kick)
E
4
3/4 x 3 1/2 x 9 3/4" poplar
(short rail)
F
2
3/4 x 3 1/2 x 20 3/4" poplar
(mullion)
G
4
3/4 x 3 1/2 x 23" poplar
(rail)
H
4
3/4 x 3 1/2 x 27 3/4" poplar
(stile)
I
2
11/2 x 3 1/2 x 9 3/4" poplar
(short rail)
J
1
11/2 x 3 1/2 x 20 3/4" poplar
(mullion)
K
2
11/2 x 3 1/2 x 23" poplar
(rail)
L
2
11/2 x 3 1/2 x 27 3/4" poplar
(stile)
M
1
1/4 x 16 1/2 x 25" plywood
(back)
N
1
3/4 x 5 x 28 1/2"plywood
(cleat)
O1
1
3/4 x 8 x 28 1/2" plywood (back
cleat)
O2
1
3/4 x 3 x 27" plywood
(cleat)
P
1
3/4 x 30 x 46 1/2" plywood
(desktop)
Q1
1
3/4 x 7/8 x 48" poplar
(edging)
Q2
2
3/4 x 7/8 x 30" poplar
(edging)
R
4
3/4 x 8 x 9" plywood
(partition)
S
1
3/4 x 8 1/4 x 45" plywood
(top)
T
1
3/4 x 8 x 45" plywood
(shelf)
U
2
3/4 x 6 x 8" plywood
(shelf)
V
2
3/4 x 8 x 20 3/4" plywood
(side)
W
2
3/4 x 8 1/4 x 31 1/4" plywood
(side)
X1
4
3/4 x 7/8 x 5 7/8" poplar
(facing)
X2
2
3/4 x 7/8 x 8 7/8" poplar
(facing)
X3
2
3/4 x 7/8 x 30 7/16" poplar
(facing)
X4
2
3/4 x 7/8 x 31 5/16" poplar
(facing)
X5
1
3/4 x 7/8 x 31 3/8" poplar
(facing)
X6
1
3/4 x 7/8 x 44 7/8" poplar
(facing)
Y
1
1/4 x 31 3/4 x 46" plywood
(back)
Z
2
3/4 x 4 x 18" poplar (drawer
side)
AA
1
3/4 x 4 x 12 1/2" poplar (drawer
front)
BB
1
3/4 x 3 1/2 x 12 1/2" poplar
(drawer back)
CC
1
1/4 x 13 x 17 1/2" plywood
(drawer)
DD
1
3/4 x 5 1/4 x 14 3/4" poplar
(drawer face)
EE*
1
18" drawer tracks (Accuride No.
3037-18")
FF**
1
1 1/4"-dia. knob (Hafele No.
13893100)
Misc: No. 20
joining plates; 2" No. 8 fh woodscrews; 1 1/4" No. 8 fh
woodscrews; 3/4" No. 6 rh woodscrews; 6d and 3d finish
nails; 1" wire brads; birch veneer (Rockler No. 10801);
grommet (Rockler No. 14598); glue; sandpaper; latex
primer and enamel. Notes: All plywood birch
veneer dimensions include veneer tape where
applicable. *Available from Rockler Woodwork and
Hardware, 4365 Willow Dr., Medina, MN 55340 (stock No.
32821) **Hafele America Co., 3901 Cheyenne Dr., P.O.
Box 4000, Archdale, NC 27263
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