New desk build - Thought and questions.
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Loren Littlejohn
Lover of all boobage.
Agreed. Dowels look nice.
Although, instead of of thinner veneer strips my dad decided thicker stips of wood was the way to go. Looks sharp against the plywood.
Plywood is a cunt though, you pretty much can't sand it at all due to how thin the "pretty" is
. There are some fuck ups per say on my desk due to this. No biggie, my dad had just never used it before (this desk would have been a bitch and considerable more expensive to make out solid wood)
All done:
Damn, I wish new all this stuff before I started! That thicker veneer edge looks great. It's a bit hard for me to do now without throwing out the dementions.
Loren Littlejohn
Lover of all boobage.
Were you able to order it that narrow, or are you talking you had to cut the width as well? That actually sounds a like an awesome idea.
My dad wouldn't have done what he did if he didn't have that lying around not being used.
The finished desk has racks in it as well now, just didn't have the rack rails when I took that pic. Wanted to show it empty.
My dad wouldn't have done what he did if he didn't have that lying around not being used.
The finished desk has racks in it as well now, just didn't have the rack rails when I took that pic. Wanted to show it empty.
Yep I just bought something like this- http://compare.ebay.com/like/350243...ff8a1df&itemid=350243735313&ff4=263602_309572
You just need to get the proper size to match up with the wood thickness. Mine ended up being a slight difference due to 3/4 inch ply not actually being 3/4 inch, but a few seconds of sanding solves that.
You just need to get the proper size to match up with the wood thickness. Mine ended up being a slight difference due to 3/4 inch ply not actually being 3/4 inch, but a few seconds of sanding solves that.
Ah but that's the joy of wood working- learning as you go.
What you have looks 1 million times better than what I've seen from some folks. I would just not worry about making it perfect.
The next time you build something, you now have the knowledge you need to try other methods.
Besides, having screws accessible like yours does, you can actually take it apart if need be. My desk is a PAIN in the ass being all one huge top piece. Moving it takes an act of god.
Thanks Wolfe and thanks everyone for your comments. I was getting a little frustrated but now I'm back on track. You're right, it doesn't need to be perfect. All things considering I'd probably only change two things, one - use glue and plug construction so no screw heads and two - make some room for a thick beading edge like on the one Loz posted.
Having said all that I picked up a plug cutter and I've started plugging the screw heads. I really like the way they look. They don't completely blend in but they look good and add interest. The centre desk section has screws that a hidden underneath so I can dissemble the whole thing into three sections for transporting.
Other than that there are a few chips and gouges, nothing too bad. I'm still thinking about filling them. Maybe I'll do some experimenting with mixing sawdust into filler.
Having said all that I picked up a plug cutter and I've started plugging the screw heads. I really like the way they look. They don't completely blend in but they look good and add interest. The centre desk section has screws that a hidden underneath so I can dissemble the whole thing into three sections for transporting.
Other than that there are a few chips and gouges, nothing too bad. I'm still thinking about filling them. Maybe I'll do some experimenting with mixing sawdust into filler.
That's what I would do. Just don't use too 'hard' of a glue, or it becomes a pain in the ass to sand. Something like school glue works best. It will look a little off at first, but once the finish covers it they will blend right in. Oh and don't go overboard on the glue either, or else the stain won't be able to soak in. 4 to 1 (sawdust to glue ratio) is a good number to shoot for on the mix.
jipchen
ForesterStudio
I already answered in the post-your-gear thread, but I'll say it again: The desk looks awesome 
Real nice work imho, keep posting pictures of the progress!
Real nice work imho, keep posting pictures of the progress!
Loren Littlejohn
Lover of all boobage.
This was actually something that was planned for. The racks enclosures are not attached to the desk (although I plan to attach them when I move), niether is the bridge (just sits on the desk surface).
Makes moving it really easy.
I already answered in the post-your-gear thread, but I'll say it again: The desk looks awesome
Thanks for this. It's really weird because I was thinking of painting it black and just leaving the desktop a clear coat then you posted this a few minutes later.
I've been really busy and haven't touched it for two weeks! I want ot get it done this weekend. There's still a lot of work to be done on it in terms of finish but as time drags on I'm looking for easier options just so I can get it done. At this rate the whole thing will just get painted black (or not at all).
Or do what I did- use dye, not paint. I used India ink for mine. Keeps the grain showing on the plywood veneer, and is very easy to apply(and cheap). You do need to use a lot of polyurethane clear coats though, or else the dye will always 'bleed off'. I think I did 3 coats of clear on mine.
I did the staining and varnishing on the weekend. Varnishing is a complete pain. Looks pretty good but I'm thinking of rubbing the finish back with 0000 grade steel wool to give it a satin look. I rubbed it back between coats, looks pretty cool rubbed back, hides the imperfections. I prefer the gloss finish but it's to hard to get it with out brush marks and ripples. It's not bad, I can't decide. I will post some update pics soon.
Hey Duders. Finished the desk a few weeks ago. I've cleaned out all the junk, even painted the walls. I started using the desk today. It's excellent. I'm really stoked with it.
Here's a few pics I took before I started hooking everything up.
Nice big cable management.
Lighting makes everything look better.
Here's a few pics I took before I started hooking everything up.
Nice big cable management.
Lighting makes everything look better.
JeffTD
Senhor Testiculo
That looks absolutely killer, can't wait to see pictures of it all loaded with gear. Looks like you're in the middle of some treatment building, as well - should be an awesome new working enviornment!
Hey Jeff. Thanks man. Yeah, I got rid of all the auralex foam. Didn't cost me anything so I gave it away. Easy come easy go. Insulation arrives on Monday.
It feels good in there already which is great because the old room was a bit toxic. I never really got anything done in there, I was too busy working an renovating my house for about the last year. Every time I went in there it seemed like all I did was fight with pro tools. I'm feeling good about it, it's like a new beginning.
I've decided to forget everything I know and start again. Not that I knew anything anyway but in the beginning things were simpler. Hit record, play your ass off, do it again. That's what I want to get back to. Keep it as simple as possible. Now I'm ranting.
It feels good in there already which is great because the old room was a bit toxic. I never really got anything done in there, I was too busy working an renovating my house for about the last year. Every time I went in there it seemed like all I did was fight with pro tools. I'm feeling good about it, it's like a new beginning.
I've decided to forget everything I know and start again. Not that I knew anything anyway but in the beginning things were simpler. Hit record, play your ass off, do it again. That's what I want to get back to. Keep it as simple as possible. Now I'm ranting.
jipchen
ForesterStudio
sprack
Thread Killer
That desk looks killer. You did an awesome job. I love the stain.
Are you going to leave the insides unfinished? A suggestion. I paint the inside of my racks behind the rails bright white. That way when I'm back there with a flashlight everything is as visible as possible. Got tired of not being able to see black cables on a black background.
Are you going to leave the insides unfinished? A suggestion. I paint the inside of my racks behind the rails bright white. That way when I'm back there with a flashlight everything is as visible as possible. Got tired of not being able to see black cables on a black background.
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