copyright 2005
This desk is of moderate size and fits nicely into the corner of a room. It is especially designed for use with a battery powered scooter. It is in the Modern style with plywood panel legs. It features a corner table and has two wing tables. One wing table supports the printer and the other supports the keyboard and monitor. The center table supports a CTV scanner.
The Modern Style was developed in the middle of the 20th century. It is plane but strong. It is built to last and provide a real work surface.
All the Materials can be bought at many home improvement stores but if you can't fiend have a few parts locally, they can be mail ordered. The Materials cost about $600.00 with hardwood plywood table tops and hardwood plywood legs.
This desk has been built.
Pictures of this and most of our other projects can be seen in our Picture Gallery .
This design includes twelve detailed sketches that are critical to your successfully building this desk. Here is where to get all the ordering information .
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You can make this desk by:
After you order the sketches, these notes will help you understand them.
The desk is shown in a front view facing the Music Table. This means the Center Table is shown at an angle and only the end of the Printer Table is seen. This desk consists of five pieces: Center Table, Music Table, Printer Table, Keyboard Shelf, and Bookshelf. The center and printer tables have surfaces 30 inches high, while the Music Table and Keyboard Shelf have surfaces 25 inches high.
This sketch shows the top view of all the components. The space required along the wall is about 91 by 75 inches. The two wing tables are 24.5 inches deep.
The sketch shows the Corner Table alone in top and front views. The turned legs are factory made. There is a wooden apron between the legs to brace them. The apron is 2.5 inches wide most of the way around, but is 5.75 inches wide where the Corner Table meets the lower Music Table.
Where the apron meets the legs at 90 degrees, dowels or biscuits are used. Were the apron meet the legs at 45 degrees, screws are used. The legs are also braced with one chair leg brace each. The apron is attached to the top with screw blocks from underneath to keep the top unblemished.
Clear wood molding, .05 by .75 inch, is nailed and glued to the front and left edges of the table top. This protects these exposed edges. The holes are first drilled for the Finishing nails using a cut-off nail for a bit.
This sketch shows the Music Table independently in top and front views. Check to see if this space is big enough for your keyboard.
The two legs are cut off to 24 inches. The legs are attached with corner brackets for table aprons and four dowels or two biscuits. The front apron is cut away to provide leg room. Wood molding, .05 by .75 inch, is nailed and glued to the front and end edges of the table top. This protects these exposed edges.
One end of the table is attached to the center table and keyboard shelf with bolts through wood blocks. This end of the table will need to be fitted to the Center Table.
This sketch shows the top and front views of the Printer Table. It is very like the music table except that the legs are full length and it fits to the top of the Corner Table.
This sketch shows all the wooden pieces below the table top of the Center Table. Detailed instructions for fitting the apron and molding are given in the construction hints below. Drill the bolt holes in these pieces and fit the matching wing table pieces to them.
This sketch shows the top and front views of the Keyboard Shelf. It is best to cut the shelf a little long and then trim it to fit the space. It is a simple pieces of plywood with four pieces of wooden molding attached to it. The bolt holes will be marked and drill in fitting this shelf to the other desk parts. The edge molding is attached to the front edge of the plywood by glue and drilled in Finishing nails.
This sketch shows the boards need to make the Music Table. Note that the legs are cut off and the front apron is cut away to increase leg room.
This sketch shows the boards needed to make the Printer Table. Note that the legs are full factory length. One section of the apron is extra wide to reach down to the keyboard shelf. The front of this pieces is rounded a little to match the shelf width.
This sketch shows the layout for cutting the hardwood plywood sheet to make all the table tops. It is shown upside down because, the plywood should be cut from the underside with the saw blade set to just come out of the material by one tooth width.
A first cut is shown to let you cut the plywood into two pieces to help get it home from the lumber yard. This cut is completely in the waste wood so it does not have to be exact. The cut is however in three sections. It can be made with a circular saw or jig saw. Mark the line out carefully and cut from the bottom side.
This sketch shows the screw blocks that are needed to attach the apron to the tops.
This sketch shows the bookshelf. Check that there is room under it for your music keyboard. The shelf can be made from plywood with molding on the front edges or from edge glued boards. The shelves may be made from the same plywood as the desk top or of painted wood like the apron. Additional hardwood plywood would have to be purchased.
The shelves are shown simply butted against the ends and braced with eight leg chair braces. This is to simplify construction. It would be stronger to make the shelves .75 inches longer and mortise them into the end pieces.
The Modern Corner Desk is shown made with hardwood plywood tops, factory turned hardwood legs, and painted wood aprons.
------- Wood Subtotal: $198.40
Hardware:
------- Hardware Subtotal: $31.90
----- Finish Subtotal: $43.00
This is only an estimate (made in the winter of 2001). The price may vary in your area. Getting a good price on the hardwood plywood is critical to keeping the price down. If you make all the screw blocks and the back aprons from secondary or scrap wood.
This desk was designed so that it could be built by an amateur woodworker with a modest home shop. It is most easily build using of a radial-arm or table saw, and common hand Tools. If you have a biscuit joiner, it may be used in place of hand installed dowels. The dowels can be installed with a simple set of dowel points and a drill. A Drill Mate bit for a 1-1/4 #8 flat head screw is most helpful.
If you purchase all the molding ready-made, you can build this desk with only the following common Tools:
These notes are is not intended to be a detailed step-by-step construction guide but rather a number of points to consider. It is your desk and you can build it to suit your likes.
Look over the desk drawing and decide what you are going to do:
Go over all the computer and audio equipment you wish to support with this desk and determine the size for each piece. You may wish to adjust the length of the Music Table and the height of the bookshelves.
Air Typing is an exercise given on our Web Site to help you determine the height you need for the keyboard shelf, the monitor, and the angle for the monitor. If you wish a higher monitor, you may need to make a simple wooden bridge to support it.
This can be quite colorful. The hardwood top can be light (oak) or dark (stained tropical hardwood). The edge molding can contrast in color with the desk top or match. The aprons are usually painted a dark color, often black but you may choose dark blue, dark green, or brick red. The legs may be painted or varnished.
The book shelf can be made from the same hardwood plywood as the table top (at extra cost) or made from boards and simply painted. It can also be made from fir plywood with edge molding. Wide board planks do not work very well, so you should not use four simple boards.
The three table tops show holes for cables near the back. These can be simple holes or you can mail-order grommets to fit into them. Nearly all computer and music cables will got though a 1.75 inch diameter hole. The holes in the apron behind the Keyboard Tray do not need to be bigger than 1 inch. The holes for grommets vary in size depending on the grommet ordered. Decide what size cable holes you need for your equipment and if you wish to buy grommets. A hole saw for your drill is the best tool for this job.
Sketch #10 shows the layout of the desk tops on the bottom side of a 4 by 8 sheet of plywood. You could start with the First Cut which is in three sections. You can then rip the keyboard tray off one piece and rip the other exactly down the middle for the two wing table tops.
Then cut the Keyboard Tray, the Music Table top, and the Printer Table top an inch or so long. This will allow material for custom fitting. All angles are 45 degrees.
If the plywood edge is left unprotected in ware areas, the outer ply will brake off and look bad. In this design I show strips of .5 inch by .75 inch molding glued and nailed to the ware areas only. No strips are shown on back edges or where one table top meets another. The molding may be either purchased or ripped for one by material.
The molding is installed by cutting the head of a Finishing and using it for a drill bit. Be careful not to press to hard or the end of the drill chuck will leave a mark on the wood. Use glue, line up the strip, drill a hole, drive in the nail, and countersink the nail.
Do not miter the molding joints at 45 degrees. Instead cut the molding a little long, install it and then trim it flush with the plywood edge with a small handsaw. Start at the back of the table top and work forward. You want the exposed end of the last piece of molding to be on the less visible sides or back.
The legs come 29 inches long and 2.25 inches square at the top. Two of them need to be have 5.0 inches cut off the ends. Be very careful to cut the end square.
It also helps to mark the center of end of each leg. Then drill in a Finishing nail hole. Tap in a nail and cut it off with about .50 inch sticking out. This will help you spot the legs on the table top.
Lay the center table top (with two pieces of edge molding installed) upside down on protective material like pads of old newspapers. Draw lines for the outside of the apron 1.75 inches in from the edge using Figure #3 as a guide.
Locate the center point of each leg on the table top and drill a hole for the leg center nail. Be careful not to drill through the table top. Mark the right depth of the nail-bit with masking tape. Stand the legs up and install a chair leg brace to keep them upright.
Cut the pieces of the apron to fit. Install the screw blocks dry (without glue) first. Pieces with 45 degree bevels should first be cut a little long and then trimmed down to fit. The pieces that meet the legs square should get two dowels or one biscuit.
The dowels may be installed using dowel points and a hand drill. First mark a center line on the side of the leg. Mark down 0.75 inch and 1.75 inches from the top of the leg. Drill in two 5/16 inch holes one inch deep, being careful to drill straight into the leg. Mark a center line on the end of the matching apron part. Place the dowel points into the holes. Position all the pieces and push the apron part against the points. Use an awl to make a drill starting hole on the center line right next to the mark left by the dowel points. Drill in two 5/16 inch holes one inch deep, being careful to drill straight into the end of the board.
The front piece has three holes for cables from the keyboard and mouse. You should check out your equipment for the placement of these holes. There is also a cable hole shown at the back of the table. This hole is optional as you can simply route the cable over the cut off corner. The bolt holes, in three pieces, will be used as a pattern for drill the matching pieces on other tables.
Only when you are satisfied with the entire assembly should you take it apart and reassemble it with glue.
The Printer Table assembly is very like the corner table except you need to trim the top to fit the Corner Table. Line the back edges up straight and use the upside-down Corner Table to mark the Printer Table top. Trim the end of the top and add the three pieces of molding.
Cut shallow saw clefts in four places inside the apron pieces for the Corner Bracket for Table Aprons. Uses scrap pieces to work out the details by building a complete test corner. Chisel a flat place on the inside corner of each leg and drill it for the hanger bolt.
Trim and fit the apron pieces as before, first dry then with glue.
The Music Table assembly goes just like the Printer Table.
Cut the Keyboard Shelf plywood about .5 inch long. Install the front molding, the back bolt block, and one end bolt block. Save installing the other end bolt block until you are doing the final fitting.
Place all three tables upside down, their tops protected and the end of the Music Table supported with wooden blocks or books. Line up each wing table and clamp the bolt blocks together. Drill through the second bolt block and install bolts.
Trial fit the Keyboard Shelf. Trim it to fit and install the second bolt block. Drill the bolt blocks.
Disconnect the four pieces and reassemble them right side up.
Either cut plywood for the bookshelves and end pieces and install edge molding, or cut boards 4 to 6 inches wide and edge glue them using biscuits or one inch dowels.
If you have a power tool to mortise the side pieces for the shelves, cut the shelves a little long and make the mortises. Assembly the shelves with glue, Finishing nails, and chair leg braces.
I see this desk as having a dark work surface with light edge mouldings, light colored legs, dark painted apron, and a matching dark painted bookshelf.
You may finish your desk any way you like. I recommend: oil stain, a spit coat of shellac, and two coats of satin finish polyurethane on the hardwood, and dark oil-based enamel paint for the apron.
Fill and seal all the exposed plywood edges by working plastic wood material into the edge with a putty knife. Use plenty of pressure. Also fill any nails set holes and the counter-sink screw holes.
Work with the stain color that you have chosen. Practice on a piece of scrap wood (plywood, molding, and leg). Do not start on the panels until you are satisfied. Do not hesitate to write off an $8 can of stain and go purchase another of a different color.
The edge molding and the legs are not going to stain the exact color as the top. This can be used for an attractive effect.
A spit coat made of one part 3-pound shellac to five parts shellac thinner makes a good wood sealer. It will help the varnish stick to the desk top and prevent blistering later on.
For this desk I like two or three coats of a oil-based satin finish polyurethane for the top. I would also paint of this varnish over the enameled apron to make a uniform look
All that is left is to reassemble the desk, and install the computer.
Install felt feet under the bookshelf and metal feet on the legs. Move the desk into its final location and bolt together the four parts.
Detailed cabling instructions and plans for a remote power switch are given in our Web page under Freebies. Make up several cable tie mounts and be ready with mounting screws and tie wraps. The remote power switch is optional but is really helps the desk user.
Determine which rear leg will be closest to the wall outlet. Screw the remote switch box and surge suppressor to the inside of this leg and under the top. Route the switch cable up to the your user's preferred location.
Dress the cables neatly and tie then in place using tie wraps. Do not pull the tie wraps too tightly, the cable should be able to slide back-and-forth a little. Trim off all the tie wrap ends. Black tie wraps look best and last longest.
Thanks again for using a Woodware Designs computer furniture plans. We very much want to know how you are getting along with your project and would be happy to answer any questions by email.
If you send us a picture of your finished desk, we would be happy to put it on our web page. We need pictures of desk with real people standing beside them.
Don't forget to order the sketches .