Pro Woodworking Tips.com-Custom Desk

Custom Desk - page four

The first photo shows the sub base with the drawer slides installed. The base is screwed to the bottom side of the mahogany top. The second shot shows the frame work installed on the sub base, with the drawer framing in place. Notice in photo three, there are brass screw inserts installed in eight locations. These will be used to adjust the height of the granite, which will compensate for an uneven bottom side of the granite.(the bottom is not polished, so it has irregularities in thickness). These bolts will be able to be adjusted at any time, as they are accessible thru capped holes in the bottom of the desk, and control the height of the four corners of each piece of granite.

The granite was ordered as soon as the mahogany top was completed. We made exact templates for each piece, using 1/4" thick M.D.F. The granite company got it perfect on the first attempt. They fit so tightly, we had to drill holes in the sub base to let the air escape. Otherwise the granite wouldn't sit flat. We used suction cups to install and remove them as needed.

Also being completed at this time was the stainless steel for the legs. These were turned on a C.N.C Lathe. The legs would be held to the desk using 3/8" all thread. Holes were drilled into the top to the exact size of the caps we had turned. The hole was deep enough to allow for a nut and washer to be installed. The first and largest piece of stainless was milled on the top inside to also hide a nut and lock washer. This allowed us to insert the all thread thru the desk top, and tighten it very securely. The bottom of this piece was threaded to allow it to also be screwed onto the all thread. Next, came a turned, tapered leg, made out of poplar, with a 1/2" hole thru it's length. This was slid over the all thread, and then the bottom piece of stainless, which was also threaded, was screwed on. The lower section of the was recessed and threaded to allow an adjustable foot to be screwed in. It could be screwed in enough to be completely hidden if the floor proved to be flat. Just the nylon foot would sit on the carpet.

The way we made the legs was to glue up pieces of poplar to build up the desired thickness. The two core pieces had a 1/2" wide by 1/4" deep dado cut into it at the center. When glued up, it gave us a 1/2" square hole to slide the all thread thru. A glued up leg provides a more stable blank to turn. It is unlikely to warp, done in this fashion. Turning them on the wood lathe was done carefully to ensure a proper fit where the leg would meet the steel.

Just to give you an idea of costs, we paid $ 860.00 for the stainless parts, which were turned from solid tubes of stainless. The granite for this desk was approximately $ 600.00