The second picture shows the drawer open and the keyboard tray extended after the front cover is pulled down. A magnetic latch holds it in a closed position.

Next build: believe it or not, a pellet stove box to hold stove pellets, made to look like a couch end table. Hmm.

I put this out here, baring all for two reasons. I’m still relatively new to woodcraft. Don’t let the ‘Craftsman on the Lake’ fool ya. I just like cool names. I was one of those people who liked CB handles during the heyday of their popularity years ago; remember that time? Anyway the two reason are:

1. I’m still flying by the seat of my pants here. Trying to learn from the net, books and you guys. So, I know how to appreciate it when I get some good information that reveals how some of this stuff is done. For the next time I use these skills in another construction, I invite your take on things. Maybe how you’d do it. It may be a better way or just another way or preference. No problem. All good ideas and comments are welcome and will be read and filed in that void between my ears for future reference.

2. Because I have to work to search to discover the best way to accomplish my goals I document them here so that when another newbie puts saw to wood they might feel better about cutting it with the possibility of success. These steps may seem rudimentary to some but believe me, some were a mystery to me at one point and many more still are. End recap

All framed up
Here is the desk on the floor framed up. I managed to get most of the front made today with the keyboard tray and drawer made.

Keyboard Tray
The keyboard tray is installed. I thinned the tray to about 1/2”. The slides are flat bottom slides meant for drawers that are limited in room. Home Depot’s bin for keyboard tray slides was empty so I chose these. I think I might like them better. The idea is to have a solid front without visible drawer or tray. I’ll be filling the front of the tray area with an oak strip the same width as the rest of the front. I’m going to try and find some small self closing hinges that can be hidden. HD didn’t have any but my local hardware store is like the attic of hardware stores. I’ll bet they have a little bin someplace with a set. I’ll check tomorrow.

Small Drawer
This is the small drawer, made and inserted but not mounted on the track yet. It’s designed to flush close like the flip down that will be on front of the keyboard tray.

Sigh…
I have to confess I was going to do my first handmade dovetails but this drawer has sides directly mounted to the front and the sides sit slightly below the top edge of the front with the front bottom edge hanging down. After looking at this I got cold feet. I did some lap joints. My dovetails which I have practiced on scrap will have to wait for a box or more traditional drawer sometime in the future.

Top Glue-up
Yesterday I glued up the top. Today I managed at the end of my shop time to make the mitered sides and get the longest ones glued on. Thank the maker for my Bosch sliding compound miter saw. When properly aligned it cuts perfect fitting angles like this.
Question for anyone reading this far: Should I glue the top on or is it better to use some types of clips to allow for expansion? I’d sure like to glue it but don’t want to do it wrong.

I put this out here, baring all for two reasons. I’m still relatively new to woodcraft. Don’t let the ‘Craftsman on the Lake’ fool ya. I just like cool names. I was one of those people who liked CB handles during the heyday of their popularity years ago; remember that time? Anyway the two reason are:

1. I’m still flying by the seat of my pants here. Trying to learn from the net, books and you guys. So, I know how to appreciate it when I get some good information that reveals how some of this stuff is done. For the next time I use these skills in another construction, I invite your take on things. Maybe how you’d do it. It may be a better way or just another way or preference. No problem. All good ideas and comments are welcome and will be read and filed in that void between my ears for future reference.

2. Because I have to work to search to discover the best way to accomplish my goals I document them here so that when another newbie puts saw to wood they might feel better about cutting it with the possibility of success. These steps may seem rudimentary to some but believe me, some were a mystery to me at one point and many more still are. End recap

glue-up of the sides

Here is a glue-up of the sides in the clamps. Everything seemed to fit well.

When the sides were dry I glued them to the back upper and lower braces.

I cut some blocks on a 45 and glued and screwed them to the back and sides. Even though the top will act as a good brace when glued on I like the added strength.

The next installment might take a bit of time as I’m going to do the front along with the mechanisms for the keyboard and regular drawer. Thanks for looking and any comments you might have made.

I put this out here, baring all for two reasons. I’m still relatively new to woodcraft. Don’t let the ‘Craftsman on the Lake’ fool ya. I just like cool names. I was one of those people who liked CB handles during the heyday of their popularity years ago; remember that time? Anyway the two reason are:

1. I’m still flying by the seat of my pants here. Trying to learn from the net, books and you guys. So, I know how to appreciate it when I get some good information that reveals how some of this stuff is done. For the next time I use these skills in another construction, I invite your take on things. Maybe how you’d do it. It may be a better way or just another way or preference. No problem. All good ideas and comments are welcome and will be read and filed in that void between my ears for future reference.

2. Because I have to work to search to discover the best way to accomplish my goals I document them here so that when another newbie puts saw to wood they might feel better about cutting it with the possibility of success. These steps may seem rudimentary to some but believe me, some were a mystery to me at one point and many more still are. End recap

My first tapered legs
I’ve made a desk and bed with straight legs. This time I wanted to add a touch of elegance with legs that are tapered on the inside dimensions of the desk. I decided to build a jig similar to ones that I had seen a few places online. The jig is a table saw sled with a movable fence that can be slanted to provide a slanted cutting angle. Two arms lock and hold the movable fence in position. A center arm locks the leg down so it doesn’t move during the cut. I don’t have knobs on the jig because I’d be buy knobs all the time. So I use bolds and tighten with a ratchet wrench.
Google or search LJ’s for ‘taperigng jig” and you’ll find lots of different designs.
Here's a good link to a video for a simpler and still efficient jig

Here you can just see the steel pin that is in each arm and movable fence.

The leg in this picture has been cut about 1/4 inch narrower at the bottom of the leg end. The top edge of the leg came inside of the sled 4” from the top So the leg top is straight for the first 4”.

Using my mortise jig, I produced mortises on the legs

...and mortises on the side panels and side braces. this is a side panel with 1/4”x2”x1/2” deep mortise.

The dryfit of the sides. Cutting the bottom stile board to coincide with the leg taper was a little bit of a challenge, but I got it pretty tight. Looking at it this way, I’m thinking that the sides look a little heavy in the design area. Possibly narrower stiles and swelter design panel might be better. Oh well.

Part three should be a glue-up

I put this out here, baring all for two reasons. I’m still relatively new to woodcraft. Don’t let the ‘Craftsman on the Lake’ fool ya. I just like cool names. I was one of those people who liked CB handles during the heyday of their popularity years ago; remember that time? Anyway the two reason are:

1. I’m still flying by the seat of my pants here. Trying to learn from the net, books and you guys. So, I know how to appreciate it when I get some good information that reveals how some of this stuff is done. For the next time I use these skills in another construction, I invite your take on things. Maybe how you’d do it. It may be a better way or just another way or preference. No problem. All good ideas and comments are welcome and will be read and filed in that void between my ears for future reference.

2. Because I have to work to search to discover the best way to accomplish my goals I document them here so that when another newbie puts saw to wood they might feel better about cutting it with the possibility of success. These steps may seem rudimentary to some but believe me. A few months ago even the first step below was a revelation and prompted me to refurbish a jointer I had and get a planer.

I take a lot of pictures as that’s the best way for me to explain things.

Truing the Lumber

After purchasing lumber (red oak) at my newly found lumber supplier I proceded to cut it to rough length, put it through the jointer, cut it to width, and plane it. I’ve discovered that straight, flat wood is essential to a project. It’s like starting a house. If the foundation isn’t level the rest of the build is an exersize in futility. Joints just won’t fit properly.

Here's a link to the Wood Whisperer on how to prepare lumber
It’s a great video on how to true up your lumber with power equipment or without. He goes through three methods.

Side Panels

I wanted a panel that reflects her becoming an RN so I searched the net for RN symbols. I chose this one, put it in a drawing program, enlarged it, printed it out and glued it on a panel with 3m spray adhesive. The oak that I put it on was planed down to 1/2 inch in thickness. I started with an old scroll saw that didn’t have much control. Hence the uneven cuts. I picked up a new one halfway through the cut after the old one broke (you may remember reading about thumper?) The cutting became smoother but I’ll need to do some recutting and filing to even things out. I cut both panels together by placing two screws to connect them in a place that would be cut off later.

I keep old worn out belts from my 6 inch belt sander. The strips can be 48” long so you can get a lot of strips from one belt. I usually work with 1/2” to 1/8” strips. The nature of the belt is that they rip in perfectly straight strips when you tear them. They are heavy cloth backed so even a thin strip will sand a lot before it breaks. I use it like buffing a shoe at a shoeshine stand. Sometimes it feels like giant dental floss!

Here’s the nearly finished panel. I cut it in this goblet shape. I made a folded paper pattern with ruler, french curve and compass, much like when we made hearts when kids on valentine’s day, opened it up and used it as a pattern for this shape. I’m not completely happy with the roughness of this pattern. I’m going to keep working on it as I build the desk. I just can’t do it all at once in one sitting. it’s gets monotonous after awhile.

Stay tuned for Pas Duex coming soon!

I’ve made a few things, a bed, my first raised panel cabinet, and so on with the help of the net, and a select bunch of extremely patient people here. My wood came from the local Home Depot or Lowes. This week I got three orders at once, a furniture quality box for keeping wood pellets for a pellet stove. A small computer desk, and a modern styled wall bookcase for lamps. The first two will be poly’d red oak the third is to be painted so I opted for poplar.

Good wood is expensive. Searching the net I found a couple of lumber suppliers within 40 miles of my place. The first had limited supply and was a really loose operation. The second was a huge warehouse of neatly stacked, and every type of wood I could think of. Planed, unplaned, 1/2” to 16/4. I stood there and looked up 20 feet at the racks of boards sticking out. The place let me pick over stuff and left me alone till I was done. The best thing is that the wood is nearly 1/2 the cost of the big box stores. Most of you know this already.

So, this little message is for those people like me, a relative newbie who discover things over time, slowly.

If you’re just starting out using real wood to make stuff, search the net for a wood supplier. Keep half your money and bring a hanky to catch the drool.

This is nothing spectacular. I was tired of walking across the room to my wall rack for clamps. I don’t have enough room for a mobile clamp rack. One day I saw a dozen clamps on the shelf beneath my bench after I had removed them from a glue job. I though, why not keep an assortment of clamps here at the bench and let the others stay on the wall. Most of the time I only need a few clamps at a time anyway. The result was a simple square shaft from one end of the bench to the other as a test to see if I wanted to spend the time making a permanent fix. I love it. It doesn’t interfere with any of the bench functionality. So, I guess I might invest in a more permanent solution to this idea. Maybe a pipe or wood but better braced to take the weight.

Not rocket science but it must be at least model rocket science because I didn’t think of it the first time!

Thanks for lookin’
Daniel.

Added note: You can use glass for a long time before it dulls. I sometimes use one piece on an entire project. It’s harder than metal scrapers. But it doesn’t matter as long as you’ve got plenty of free glass and a hammer!

The page is here

As you can see it’s made of oak and has three raised panels. I got the idea from Chris Davis, a LJ. He posted a really nice bed with raised panels and it caught my eye. The bed is full size so what you see here is about 52” across.

Here is a close up of a few of the rail and stile joints. It’s the second time I’ve done this and it still seems to be coming out ok.

Another closeup

I’ll be connecting all the panels and rails to the bedposts with loose tenon joints. I used loose tenons for the first time in my last project and I like them. This is my jig to cut them. This Bosch router has turned out to be a great tool.

And here are the mortises .

Addendum: Here’s the finished bed. It’s also in my project section.

And the plaque at the foot.