Moving on quickly from the Character Oak Chest of Drawers completed in the first half of August, the next piece I had been asked to make was this lovely desk in oak.
First task was to make the octagonal legs. I laminated oak to make the leg stock which improves stability and also means that thinner boards of oak can be used. To make the octagons the edges were routed using a large 45 degree chamfer bit – with the key being to ensure that the depth of cut was precisely the right amount to give 8 faces that were all the same size. Next up was the grooved detail at the bottom of the legs which was performed using a small veining bit on the router – with the key this time ensuring that the spacing was repeatable for all of the 96 cuts (8 x 3 x 4).
A normal orientation of square legs means that joints are at 90 degrees, but a key feature of this design was that the legs were set at 45 degrees in each corner. This complicates the construction by making the main skirting attachment joints at 45 degrees, and the internal framework for the cabinetry to house the drawers also needs to attach at 45 degrees. The drawer fronts then, too, also need to have angled faces to close against the angled sides of the legs. So, lots of extra work for what seemed like a simple design decision to rotate the legs from a normal orientation.
The top of the desk was due to be leather (and not fitted by me) and so it was necessary to leave a recess across the entire top surface into which the leather would be fitted. The client wished for there to be a 25 mm oak border on all sides of the leather and this was achieved by routing down into the leg tops to give a consistent depth all around.
The drawers were made from solid oak and were given wooden runners to complement the overall design. The final finish was due to be “weathered ash” and was going to be completed by the client. Approximate dimensions were 1400 x 800 x 800 mm, with a requirement for an 800 mm gap between the drawers to fit the customer’s chair.
A nice interesting build for me with a good bit of thought going into the construction – most of which is hidden underneath.
