On deck...

Winter is here, which means the motorbikes have been winterized and garaged, and there is once again time for some woodworking. However, in order to do that, I have to move the motorbikes out of the garage every time I go to work. Small price to pay for having all the toys, though.

A few months back, my friend Jared picked up a LOT of rough sawn 4/4 walnut for $1.50 / bf. I love walnut. I purchased a small amount from him, as I didn’t know what I was going to use it for; how much I would actually need; and where to store it.

I did know one thing, and that is that I sorely needed a desk in my house. My wife hates seeing a computer mess in the open, and I agree with her. I finally have a laptop now instead of a desktop system, and although it can go anywhere, as as professional software developer, I need a place where I can sit down and work that is a true workspace – not just a coffee table or dining table.

This project needs to be something that will fit in with our decor and not become a mess of tangled wires and clutter; minimalist is key. I’ve had something in mind and finally fired up SketchUp and got to work. Here is the result:

Once I finish up my router table insert for my table saw, I plan on using my new lock mitre bit to construct the desk, which I think will make for easier assembly than simply mitering all the edges and using biscuits.

The big holdup for me was the legs. I’m not a metal fabricator, and pricing around, it was going to be expensive. IKEA to the rescue! Total cost of legs $80, and couldn’t be any more perfect if I wanted it to be.

-- www.jasonrichardtaylor.com