Popular Post Ronn W Posted August 5, 2021 Popular Post Report Share Posted August 5, 2021 I should have done a journal on this one but I get involved and forget. Anyway, this is my latest project. The detail work to at least as much time as the desk itself. I know that a couple of us have made shameless plugs for Marc Adadsm school of Woodworking and this deak is another. The design of the desk, joinery techniques, stringing and oval inlay, strining and finishing (sort of) were all the result of the school. The carving is a result of Mary May's online school. I think is all starting to come together. Desk is walnut 9Oh, my God - the price of walnut up here). Desk is 24" x 48" x 30" high. Joinery includes dovetail at each end of the front top rail to the legs, doulbe mortise and tenons for the face frame joints and dominoes for the side and back rails to the legs and between the pieces that make up the top. I use power tools to hog out the dovetails and mortises and pair to the scrib elines with chisels. The sides and back are frame and panel use 1/4" walnut veneer plywood (actually turned out to be just over 3/16) Tray for keyboard in place of center drawer. Not really a federal style feature but that's what was required. Legs were grroved to look like columns with base and cap of 1/4" half rounds in 1/8" grooves. Bottoms of 1 5/8" square legs are tapered 4 sides to 3/4" square. Cockbeading on drawers was new for me. top and bottm cock bead on each drawer cover the entire top ( or bottom) face edge while the side cock beading is much narrower so as not to cover up the dovetails. Carvings are a simple bracket design. Thank you Mary May. Top and vertical edges are mortised and tenoned to the frame to add stiffness. String and oval and bell flowers are mad of holly. The oval is 12 pieces of holly veneer cut out of a rectangle shape, sand shaded and then re-assembled and glued to 1/8" bacltic birch. Then I cut the final oval shape and applied the Holly border. Next I used double stick tape to hole it in place while I scribed around the oval. Finally routed it out and glued it in place String in the top for decoration. Stringin is 1/32" wide. I used a dremel tool with edge guide or circle cutting jig to make 1/32" wide x 1/16" deep grooves. Finish is Satin ARS over 2 coats of shellac. The body of the desk has 2 coats rag applied and the top has 5 coats applied with sponge brush and a lot of sanding in between coats to get the surface grain filled enough to be a decent writing surface That's about it. Thanks for reading. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradpotts Posted August 5, 2021 Report Share Posted August 5, 2021 Wow! That is really Beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted August 5, 2021 Report Share Posted August 5, 2021 Ronn you have outdone yourself on this one...simply amazing!! Thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted August 5, 2021 Report Share Posted August 5, 2021 i agree with Paul, you have outdone yourself Ronn, simply beautiful work all around. i know we talked about this project when you were here and especially how you lay out those oval shapes and i have to say you nailed it sir !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted August 5, 2021 Report Share Posted August 5, 2021 I don’t know where to start but will just quote others and say you did a beautiful job Ronn! Impeccable craftsmanship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted August 5, 2021 Report Share Posted August 5, 2021 That is simply outstanding Ronn. Some real masterful work on your part, well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlyoak Posted August 5, 2021 Report Share Posted August 5, 2021 Did you sign and date it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted August 6, 2021 Report Share Posted August 6, 2021 I like that you stretch yourself, but you do beautiful work as well. Ya done good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted August 6, 2021 Report Share Posted August 6, 2021 I especially love the unique geometric design of the stringing on the top. And that all that labor of love was lavished on a little girl, too young to have a clue what 'Federal style' means! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted August 6, 2021 Report Share Posted August 6, 2021 Ron this desk is beautiful. I love the style and the details that you have added. I love the look of holly string inlay in walnut, it's so pleasing to the eye. I see this in a museum some day in the distant future. How did you make the bead detail on the legs? Is that carved out of the blank or is it something that is mitered and glued on. Either option seems awfully difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmac Posted August 6, 2021 Report Share Posted August 6, 2021 Love this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted August 6, 2021 Report Share Posted August 6, 2021 Beautiful! Sure a journal would have been nice but, the finished product will help me get over it . Very nice work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted August 7, 2021 Report Share Posted August 7, 2021 Wow! What a lot of work (and skill), and the outcome is just super! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronn W Posted August 8, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 On 8/5/2021 at 6:53 PM, curlyoak said: Did you sign and date it? Absolutely. On 8/6/2021 at 7:36 AM, Chestnut said: How did you make the bead detail on the legs? Is that carved out of the blank or is it something that is mitered and glued on. Either option seems awfully difficult. I cut a 1/8" deep grove x 1/4" wide all around each leg with the table saw. I milled a board to 1/4" thick to fit in the grove, rounded off the edge with a 1/4" round router bit and ripped it off the board to be 1/4" + 1/8" = 3/8" wide. Then just cut the four peices to go around each leg - used a shooting board for the miters. Held each piece in place with tape while the glue dried. Thank you all for the kind words. I am thinking about trying to make a floor lamp to sit beside reading chair but, so far, have not come up with a design the I like (No lathe in the shop). Anyone have any design sketches or ideas for me? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 Ronn, do you want the lamp to match the styling of the desk? Or go free-form? You might borrow design cues from the legs you made for the desk, like the grooves and beading. Also, you can make a plywood box jig to mill round spindles with your tablesaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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