Well….I got back into the desk project. The most difficult part so far was getting the geometry right for the lid/writing surface. The hinge placement is critical. The dimension of the lid depends on the hinge placement. The whole thing is a Catch 22 situation but that is what mockups are for. The lid is 14” high from a single board of Honduras Mahogany with bread board ends cut from the same board and tongue and grooved to the lid.
Believe it or not, this is the first time I used a router to mortise the hinges. The hinges are from Horton Brass and made specifically for this application. I also ordered a desk lid lock from Horton Brass and will have to mortise it into the lid.
I have begun to dovetail the poplar drawer boxes. As you can see, I’ve started with the through dovetails (cut by hand) joining the sides to the backs, saving the difficult half-blind dovetails joining the sides to the fronts for last. Actually once I get the drawers dovetailed, I’ll pretty much have the fabrication done.
-- Don, Pittsburgh
7 comments so far
Mark Shymanski
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1555 posts in 605 days
posted 443 days ago
Interesting. Nice work, the dovetails look pretty good. Nice resolution to the lid/hinge question.
-- ...it's rennovation time!!!
acanthuscarver
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156 posts in 605 days
posted 442 days ago
Don,
Nice job so far. The handcut dovetails look great! Orion and everyone at Horton Brasses is great to deal with, aren’t they? Keep posting the progress on the desk. The fun begins when you start working on the interior. Good luck.
-- Chuck Bender, period furniture maker, www.acanthus.com
Don Newton
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528 posts in 511 days
posted 442 days ago
Chuck…you had to bring up the interior didn’t you! Hadn’t thought much about it…till now! The reason I picked this project was the many steps. I could complete the desk body with drawers and enjoy it, outfit the portion under the lid and enjoy it, maybe build an upper section and watch my wife enjoy it.
-- Don, Pittsburgh
roman
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1106 posts in 786 days
posted 442 days ago
An ambitous project indeed, having done one already
Fantastic so far
-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/
Beginningwoodworker
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4123 posts in 566 days
posted 442 days ago
Thats some nice progress, Don.
-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker
Rob Bois
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10 posts in 287 days
posted 287 days ago
Don, great stuff. I am in the process of building a wine cabinet with a slant-front top (also out of Honduran mahogany). I am just now starting the design for the slant-front top, and am stuck on the hardware. I will have to check out Horton Brasses for some potential solutions. Lee Valley doesn’t seem to have anything specific to a slant-front application. And based on your experience, I think I need to have the hinge mechanisms all figured out before I proceed! Thanks, and keep up the great work.
-- blog.newtonwoodworking.com
Don Newton
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528 posts in 511 days
posted 287 days ago
Hi Rob,
It sounds like you are proceeding in the right direction. Horton Brasses makes a hinge for the drop lid, and they are a quality company all the way. Do a mock-up of the lid so there are no surprizes. Good luck!!!
-- Don, Pittsburgh