Blog

Deskbuilding: Part Two

I’m back in Norman, after a couple of weeks in Poplar Bluff and another week in Springfield. Although I did a lot of technology-related things (like upgrade the laptop and desktop to Windows 8, buy a MS Surface, prepare the new server, and move all the file-storage functions of Hammer to Amazon S3), little composing was done. Well, little legitimate composing was done. I did show off the XBOX instrument that I’m working on, and received some good feedback (but we’ll talk about that later). But the real purpose of this post is to talk about furniture. In following the tradition started last year, I decided to use the time in Missouri to build furniture with Dad.

I thought about an entertainment center for the living room, or perhaps a bookcase (since we don’t have enough of them around the treehouse), but since I spend most of my time here in the office, I thought an addition to the office furniture might be nice. And since I already had a desk, what about something to add to it? Something like drawers. I haven’t had drawers in my desk since I left Drury. That’s right. All of my graduate career has been achieved without drawers.

The problem with adding drawers to my writing desk is twofold. First of all, it was built to be modular, which means it has to fold. Second, it was built. Past tense. There’s no modifying it now, especially if I’m still wanting it to be modular (which I am). So, the drawer unit (and the accompanying computer tower unit) have to be self-contained, so they can be easily moved. Also, let’s put them on wheels, so they’re also easy to move. And if they’re easy to move, let’s build them so that someday when I have the space, I can move them somewhere else, put a top on them, and have a second desk.

So it started out with the same hard rock maple that the frame for the main desk used. Only, a lot less of it. Here’s the drawer frames.

WP_000005

Unlike the 2011 desk, the drawer/computer units are really just big boxes made of luan mahogany.

 WP_000006

The drawers themselves are really kind of the same, just smaller boxes that are attached to drawer guides connected to the larger box.

 WP_000010

And then of course comes sanding and staining and sealing. Luckily we found a jar of (hopefully) the stain we used last year on the desk. Something close enough, at least.

WP_000015

And then the drawer fronts and door were pretty easy, just cut to size from a sheet of pine. I decided to leave the edges of the drawers unroutered, to keep with the straight lines of the desk itself.

WP_000016

So then, add 500 miles and a flight of stairs, and here’s what they look like paired with the desk. Woohoo! Drawers!

2013-01-05 17.48.14

Decorative element
Kyle Vanderburg