Portable Writing Desk

I was inspired to make this portable writing desk after watching Marc (the wood whisperer) interviews the guys at Fine Wood Working magazine. They did a tour of the facility, and one of the items on display was a writing desk. Now the one I made is not like that one, but it was the idea that caught my attention. I had been thinking of what to build for the Not Just Any Box winter challenge, and this fit the bill for me. It’s not just a box. It is a writing desk. :)

The box measures 12” x 10.75” x 3”, and is made from walnut and maple. I did the rough work on my table saw, and miter saw, but I did all the rabbits and dadoes, by hand. I did this for 2 reasons. 1. Some of the angles are a little odd, and it was just easier to do it by hand. 2. I don’t own a lot of tools, so I had no other choice.

I planed, and joined the wood using my Stanley #5, milled the rabbits and dadoes, using a razor saw, and used a Japanese pull saw to rip the incline. I then used chisels, scrapers and block plane for the finishing, and cleanup.

The box’s (erm portable writing desk’s) finish is a tung oil finish (oil varnish blend). Not my favorite, but as I don’t know what abuse this will see, I wanted to use something a little more durable than my normal oil and wax finish. I dyed the maple lightly to help the grain pop, and left the walnut alone, as it had really nice color variation.

All the panels are solid wood. I book matched them using my table saw, and the Japanese pull saw to finish the rip. I had to make multiple passes on the table saw, making progressively deeper cuts. I was wishing for a band saw with each pass…

Here are some additional pictures of the box. It really turned out nice, and the wife has already claimed it for her own. It will be interesting to see how she uses this project, now that it is done.

-- David, Charlotte NC