Jeff’s Writing Desk

I feel especially proud of this piece. This is a writing desk, made out of solid oak. I used a brown gel stain and varnish to finish. The reason I am proud of the desk is because I have CP, and woodworking is a hobby that I have taken up a few years ago. Only recently in my life have I found the gumption to try to make furniture for someone else. This I find, especially daunting when I know the piece will be a central item of furniture in someone else’s home. Yikes! But the woodworking world is comprised of some very patient and generous people. And you, Marc, are on that list. You are an excellent teacher and take the time to explain what many others may consider to be the seemingly mundane. However, for someone new to the craft and eager to learn, those lessons are invaluable.

The desk is approximately 5 feet wide, 30” tall, and 26″ deep. The top is comprised of 5/4 oak and the balance is 3/4 oak. The drawers are half blind dovetails, and are supported by mechanical slide: The $7 pairs at Home Depot work perfectly fine. Aprons are joined by mortise and tenons. Finally, for those amateurs out there like me, I want you to know, that I had to finish the top 4 times (!!!) before I got it right. The drawer slides took forever to adjust so that there is a smooth in and out action, and I was absolutely shaking-nervous when I installed the center drawer pull, as I knew that the 2 holes needed to be spot-on and level. But I have learned the most from my mistakes, and I have only grown by trying something new. If I can do it with CP, so can anyone with patience, imagination and sometimes just a good beer.