The desk and work station are from the same design family, and the basics of frame construction has been the same. Below are two end assemblies for the work station, and one for the desk with the legs now doweled and glued together.
Here, the spiral fluted dowels have been glued in place, and the oval, angled holes are drilled for a pocket screw to eventually attach the leg frame to the top.The front and back skirt boards are given an arched lower edge, and I have made several patterns of various lengths over the years. For these desks, I found my drawer chest front pattern and decided it would be perfect. The first step is to lay the pattern over and trace a pen line on the skirt piece. Then they are cut to rough shape with the bandsaw.After the rough cut, the pattern is clamped over the skirt, or in this case, the lower part of the side frame. The router with a bearing guided bit trims them very predictably to the pattern.. By routing, and then moving the clamps, it eventually allows the whole curve to be shaped into the beautiful faired arch.Next is the prep work of drilling the top pocket screw holes, making a cut out for the drawer, sanding and rounding the edge of the skirt to make it comfortable to the touch. The dowels of the skirt boards are added, glued and clamped to the legs.The desk is assembled first, and it is always a relief to get through this assembly stage successfully, as much work has gone into the individual parts.Then the work station is assembled and the drawer box cabinet added inside it..To keep the end consistent with maple slats and walnut bases, I flattened the inside of the pre- assembled end, and routed a small ledge all the way around the insides of the slats and bases.The four white oak panels were added to fill the spaces, and are held in place by the plywood covers. Small gaps are left in between the parts, as some seasonal movement will inevitably occur.From the outside. it is adapted to fit the family, and still enclose the drawers like they meant to be there. One step leads to another, and the light grows visible at the end of the tunnel.
Building Redemption 