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by
Jerry Weber
photos: Roger Yip
illustration: Len Churchill |
DESKTOP HELPER |
| Give
the gift of organization: the ultimate desk accessory |
If predictions
of a paperless society had come true, desks everywhere would
now be clean and clutter-free. But in the real world, most people
keep piles of documents on their desks, sticky notes on their
computer monitors and pens and pencils everywhere, strewn among
the mess. Give your favourite home-office worker or corporate
warrior a chance to look their best with this handsome oak organizer.
It has the space for standard envelope sizes and letterhead,
file folders, notebooks and writing instruments, so it’s
functional in a modern office. Who knows, it may earn the recipient
a raise.
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| Rich-hued
solid oak and brass accents give this project a
look fit for an executive, but it's handy for anyone
in need of an organizing tool |
|
I
used quartersawn oak, one of my favourite premium woods, for
this project. It actually cost almost $65, but you could build
it for less using another wood species. Since most main parts
of the project are arranged with the grain travelling in the
same direction, the best choice for joints are 1/4"-deep
by 1/2"-wide rabbets and dados. The back panel is the only
part that needs special attention: it will expand and contract
with seasonal changes in humidity. I created a sliding dovetail
to allow it to move, and I have some tricks for success with
this little-used joint.
The desktop organizer has parts
with finished thicknesses ranging from 1/2" to 7/8".
You can mill wood yourself from rough lumber—with so many
workshoppers buying thickness planers these days, even if you
don’t have one of your own, you may be able to borrow
one for this project. I like to mill project parts 1/8"
thicker than specified, then layout and cut before planing to
final dimensions. This is especially important with quartersawn
white oak because you need to plane the wood in the same direction
as the wood grain for smooth, chip-free results. Planing in
stages also offers advantages for making tight-fitting dados.
Reserve your best boards for the
top, gables and drawer fronts; use secondary wood for the back
panel and internal parts. Joint the edges of your stock, glue-up
the panels you’ll need and then leave the wood in clamps
overnight.
Tight dado joints are especially
important on this project because mistakes would be quite obvious.
I have a trick that makes it easy to get good results. Start
by making a test cut in scrap wood using the dado blade or router
set-up of your choice. Be sure to use the same species you’re
using for your project, and make the cuts at least six inches
long. Next, plane down some scraps in small increments until
they fit just right into the dado. You’re aiming for a
final thickness that lets the wood plug into the groove with
a hard push. When your machine settings are right, plane edge-glued
project parts to the critical final thicknesses you set up,
and they’ll mate perfectly with your dados.
Next, cut your panels to their
final dimensions. A shop-built cross-cut sled for your tablesaw
is useful for handling panels like these, and worth building
if you don’t have one already. Double-check that these
cuts are exactly 90º, then trim the remaining edges and
sides to final dimensions with a rip fence.
Now it’s time to cut dados.
While you cut, put some scrap wood behind your project parts.
This supports the wood grain where the spinning cutter or blade
exits, preventing tearout, which would mar your finished edges.
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| YOU
WILL NEED |
| PART |
SIZE
(T x D x L) |
QTY. |
| Back |
1/2"
x 13 1/2" x 18" |
1 |
| Top |
1/2"
x 10 1/2" x 17" |
1 |
| Bottom |
3/4"
x 11 1/4" x 16" |
1 |
| Gables |
1/2"
x 10 1/4" x 16" |
2 |
| Shelf
floor |
1/2"
x 10" x 13 1/2" |
1 |
| Drawer
gables |
1/2"
x 10" x 7" |
2 |
| Drawer
divider |
1/2"
x 10" x 6 1/2" |
1 |
| Drawer
fronts |
7/8"
x 2 15/16" x 6" |
2 |
| Drawer
sides |
1/2"
x 2 7/8" x 9 1/2" |
4 |
| Drawer
backs |
1/2"
x 2 1/2" x 5 1/2" |
2 |
| Drawer
bottoms
* |
1/4"
x 5 1/2" x 9 1/2" |
2 |
| *
oak-venered ply |
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PART 1 | PART 2 |
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