# Desktop desk build



## Brink (Jun 6, 2017)

another child sized piece of furniture came in. Hopefully last small project for a while.

Believe it or not, I am planning on saving all the wood, and make a new top for it. Originally, the top would hinge upwards using an intricate stamped steel knife hinge. While fiddling with it, I realized it sets up a huge pinch point for little fingers. Spoke to the owner, and agreed to make the top solid, but use the hinges for ornamentation.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 6


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## NeilYeag (Jun 6, 2017)

Should be pretty cool after the master Brink gets to the restore on this! Interesting drawer construction.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## Ralph Muhs (Jun 6, 2017)

Making those legs must have been a challenge


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## Brink (Jun 6, 2017)

Ralph Muhs said:


> Making those legs must have been a challenge



I didn't make those legs, but I don't think they'd be that hard.
Here's a leg I copied a while back

Reactions: Like 3


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## Tony (Jun 6, 2017)

I'm in for the ride, should be a good one! Tony

Reactions: Agree 1


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 6, 2017)

Very cool desk, gotta love the old stuff.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Sprung (Jun 6, 2017)

Brink, your builds are always fun to watch.

But I think Brink is getting a little over confident in himself. He appears to no longer be "MTUAIGA" in his latest projects. Just you wait until they all self-destruct!

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 6, 2017)

Sprung said:


> But I think Brink is getting a little over confident in himself. He appears to no longer be "MTUAIGA" in his latest projects. Just you wait until they all self-destruct!


A new taker for Kevin's position of busting the brinksters chops, lol.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Wildthings (Jun 6, 2017)

Tony said:


> I'm in for the ride, should be a good one! Tony


x2

Reactions: Like 1


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## Brink (Jun 6, 2017)

Sprung said:


> Brink, your builds are always fun to watch.
> 
> But I think Brink is getting a little over confident in himself. He appears to no longer be "MTUAIGA" in his latest projects. Just you wait until they all self-destruct!



I still haven't figured out what MTUAIGA means


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## Brink (Jun 6, 2017)

woodtickgreg said:


> A new taker for Kevin's position of busting the brinksters chops, lol.



PayPal info was sent

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Sprung (Jun 6, 2017)

woodtickgreg said:


> A new taker for Kevin's position of busting the brinksters chops, lol.



I don't think I can fill those shoes!

But I can certainly send the monkey the same number of 0's Kevin was!

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 1


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## Schroedc (Jun 6, 2017)

Hey!! MTUAIGA is my tagline!!!!

Making This Up As I Go Along for those that didn't see the first one.....

I thought those hinges were kinda a Darwin thing to figure out the stupid kids

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## Brink (Jun 6, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Hey!! MTUAIGA is my tagline!!!!
> 
> Making This Up As I Go Along for those that didn't see the first one.....
> 
> I thought those hinges were kinda a Darwin thing to figure out the stupid kids



TTTSNH was mine.

Originally, they were Darwin hinges for stupid kids, 
Now they evolved into Darwin hinges for woodworkers who get the crud sued out of them when stupid kids get hurt

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


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## Brink (Jun 6, 2017)

Sprung said:


> I don't think I can fill those shoes!
> 
> But I can certainly send the monkey the same number of 0's Kevin was!



How freakishly small are your feet?

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Sprung (Jun 6, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Hey!! MTUAIGA is my tagline!!!!



Ahh, shoot, I got it mixed up. 



Brink said:


> How freakishly small are your feet?



That was speaking metaphorically. I wear a 15 wide - basically small canoes. Or arks for the mouse families experiencing the flooding down in @Tclem 's part of the world.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 3


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## Tclem (Jun 6, 2017)

Sprung said:


> Ahh, shoot, I got it mixed up.
> 
> 
> 
> That was speaking metaphorically. I wear a 15 wide - basically small canoes. Or arks for the mouse families experiencing the flooding down in @Tclem 's part of the world.


Need arks for more than the mice. Spent an hour today saving the dogs from their flooded pens. Never seen anything like it. It's crazy

Reactions: Sincere 5


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## CWS (Jun 7, 2017)

God bless you Tony.


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## Brink (Jun 8, 2017)

There are long tie-bolts that hold this all together. They're rusted and I don't want to risk breaking them, so I will do the wood restoration after the steel.

Here's the desk after wire brushing and cleaning the steel. Some rust is left behind, that will react with the rust converter.



 

Rust converter is on.

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 3


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 9, 2017)

Is the rust converter por brand? How about a little info on that, very interesting.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Brink (Jun 9, 2017)

woodtickgreg said:


> Is the rust converter por brand? How about a little info on that, very interesting.



I used this stuff

Reactions: Like 1


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## Brink (Jun 9, 2017)

The steel was pitted and rusty, and frankly, I don't have the time to sand, fill and smooth it. After the rust convert dried, I sprayed it with hammered metal paint.

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 2


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 10, 2017)

Rustoleum is my proffered brand of paint. I didn't know they made a rust converter also. What is the finish like with the hammered paint? Think it would work in a shop environment? Cool stuff.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Brink (Jun 11, 2017)

On to the wood portion.
I was able to open cracks, spritz some water in them, then work some gorilla glue in. 
Shopdog was exhausted this morning.

Reactions: Like 6 | Funny 1


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## Brink (Jun 12, 2017)

There was only about 3" of the original top left. I'm using it as a template for for the inkwell and pencil tray

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 1


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## Brink (Jun 13, 2017)

Carving out the pencil tray

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 3


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## Brink (Jun 13, 2017)

All done, old piece of desktop for comparison

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 2


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## Brink (Jun 13, 2017)

Mortising the top for the Darwin hinges.
You better have a sharp blade for this endgrain white oak

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Way Cool 2


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## Brink (Jun 16, 2017)

All the pieces have been sanded smooth.
As I expected, the new top will need to be aged to match the old wood.

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocky1 (Jun 16, 2017)

How you gonna do that, get the  to sit in it and see if it rubs off?


I ain't even gonna ask where the gray hair come from!

Reactions: Funny 2


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 16, 2017)

rocky1 said:


> How you gonna do that, get the  to sit in it and see if it rubs off?
> 
> 
> I ain't even gonna ask where the gray hair come from!



Silver back hair.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 2


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## Brink (Jun 17, 2017)

First look with some color

Reactions: Way Cool 7


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## NYWoodturner (Jun 17, 2017)

That's a damned good match Brink!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## Lou Currier (Jun 17, 2017)

I hope it isn't built for a fat kid


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## Brink (Jun 17, 2017)

NYWoodturner said:


> That's a damned good match Brink!



Not bad for color blind guy, eh?


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## Brink (Jun 17, 2017)

Lou Currier said:


> I hope it isn't built for a fat kid



Me too

Reactions: Like 1


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 17, 2017)

Beautiful work my friend, very cool.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Brink (Jun 21, 2017)

This one is done!

How small is this? 
From floor to writing surface, 22"

Reactions: EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 8


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## Lou Currier (Jun 21, 2017)

Nice restoration project

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## ripjack13 (Jun 21, 2017)

I need a blue lighter for scale....

Reactions: Funny 2


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## DKMD (Jun 21, 2017)

Too cool! Nice work as always!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## rocky1 (Jun 21, 2017)

Sweet project Brink!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Brink (Jun 21, 2017)

ripjack13 said:


> I need a blue lighter for scale....

Reactions: Funny 7


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 22, 2017)

Beautiful, came out really nice!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tony (Jun 22, 2017)

Awesome build as usual Brink! Tony

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mike Hill (Jun 23, 2017)

I sure like what you did. But in decades of dealing with antiques, I don't think I've seen a desk like this. Are they common in your area? Does the top tilt? I'f assume the far edge (from the sitter) goes down and the near edge goes up. The "before" pic has a coved piece of wood shown. Is that still there and under the new top? The drawer is a handy part of this desk, but it sure looks like it would be infinitely more usable for the seat occupier if it opened to the other side. Were they all built this way?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Brink (Jun 23, 2017)

Mike Hill said:


> I sure like what you did. But in decades of dealing with antiques, I don't think I've seen a desk like this. Are they common in your area? Does the top tilt? I'f assume the far edge (from the sitter) goes down and the near edge goes up. The "before" pic has a coved piece of wood shown. Is that still there and under the new top? The drawer is a handy part of this desk, but it sure looks like it would be infinitely more usable for the seat occupier if it opened to the other side. Were they all built this way?



1) I've never seen one like this, so I'd call it uncommon
2) The original top would have folded upwards. There were too many pinch points for my liking, so I made it solid top. Reused the hinges because they look cool
3) The original coved piece was reused
4) everyone I've seen has the drawer on the right...but this is the only one I've seen


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## rocky1 (Jun 23, 2017)

Drawer on the right would have been to save the drawer from kids crawling over it, getting in or out of the desk, on the left. Safety/durability was likely considered there.

Reactions: Agree 1


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