Like jewelry on a super model

Drawer pulls are a final touch that can make or break the design. I've sketched a few and tried some older samples, yet the shapely design of this one seems right. It matches some of the curves of the desk details and offers a contrast in walnut. The top rail detail is done and the desk is taking on its final look.

Onto the next details

Now that the drawers are done, I will design and build the pulls and the top rail detail, drawn in the original concept, see the October 24 post. Grain patterns match in the drawer fronts and side panels, all originally laid out from the rough lumber boards.

Drawer joints

The drawer sides are angled to fit the tapered drawer banks, with pins that add strength to the joints at the corners. I've installed solid wood drawer bottoms, grooved into the sides, the bottoms have allowance for seasonal movement and the grain matches in the interiors of all the drawers, a delight to find when you open one up.

Drawer work

Drawers require some steps to ensure a good fit and strong joints. First I cut the parts from quarter sawn mahogany and fit the parts to their prospective place in the drawer bank, top left drawer, left side fits in the left upper bank hole and so on. Then I cut the joints & glue the boxes together, angled blocks match the desk bank taper.

Side piece

Some discussion about the design of the side piece. This client uses a lap top so ergonomic considerations for typing are important. After some discussion about desk top height; 29 1/2" is ideal for writing but can change for different size people, a pull out tray height; lap top and keyboard surface is ideal at 26"-28" form the floor, anticipated work habits; the client wants to be able to write, type and layout reference materials at the same time. We did not want to compromise the desk height and proportions, and adding a keyboard tray seemed like a compromise so I redesigned the side piece to accommodate the lap top, on an angled surface, and the printer under in the open bank, and added length for ample leg room.

Take a first look

Now that I have the drawer banks together, I can flip my top over onto it and take a look at the piece, the grain is going to be nice, I like the scale of the angled banks with the medium thickness top. The top is ready for sanding, edge treatment and a raised detail on the back rail.

Glue drawer banks

Since drawers will be pulled in and out of these angled drawer banks, I need a system inside to guide them. Measuring from the dry fit, I can size the pieces and hopefully they will glue straight and true, angled blocks keep clamp pressure aligned.

Gluing sides

The legs shapes have been cut so panels and parts can become sides pieces. This parts of the glue up is risky, all the time put into the parts and joinery are at risk if something is cut incorrectly or if a glue up goes bad. I use a hammer on the clamps to encourage a tight joint.

Resawing & joints

Time to start cutting some wood, by resawing The mahogany boards I get the yield I need and a consistant grain pattern and color for the whole piece, something that has to be planned at this stage. Parts are cut for the frames and legs, when cutting angled pieces I like to use a full size drawing and mark right from the drawing to get the angles correct.