Lap Desk In A Weekend

[Trevor Walsh]

I should update that, shouldn't I. I'm really regretting my hinge choice, but that's life. I'll see about updating that when I get home.

[Tony Shea]

Great examples of lap desks from all three of you. I love the fact that you really pushed yourself outside of your comfort zone as far as you pace goes Chris. This is something I really need to work on as I may be the most anal WW in existence. This is a great project to start working that issue out.

My only problem with lap desks with drawers is that I think they need a little help holding them closed. Especially when a drawer is inside holding some of your high end pens and writing supplies. At least if the drawer is on the outside one can always carry the desk with your hand holding the drawer shut. I think a good design consideration is some sort of drawer lock, although i'm not a big fan of locks in general. If I have to use lock on something I try to make my keyhole nice enough where I do not need to install the escutcheon. Just a thought is all.

[Sam Murdoch]

Very nice Chris. Complimenting you on your craftsmanship is becoming second nature to me . The guy from Perth is pretty good too!.
My wife has a very old lap desk (from an 19th century sea captain relative) that she has been asking me to recondition for years. You guys are inspiring me or perhaps embarrassing me to do honor to the task. In the meanwhile to you I say - very nicely done.

[Chris Griggs]

Thank you Sam, but you are too kind. I agree that dude in Perth makes some nice stuff...though he really needs to get himself some nicer tools if he really wants to progress.

Now get going on getting your wife's up and running.

[Joe A Faulkner]

Great post Chris. Two years ago, I took my boys to the "Feast of the Hunter's Moon", which is a local re-enactment gathering of 18th century French, English regiments along with Native Americans and period trades and craftsmen. My youngest son saw a shaker lap desk there that one of the vendors had on display, and it has been on his potential 4-H woodworking project list since. Your post and the link to the plans will be tremendously helpful as he takes a run at a similar build. He is only 13 and hasn't much in the way of shop stamina, so what took you a weekend will likely take him a few months. None the less your post will be instructional, inspirational and extremely useful. Nice job on the project. It looks great.

[Joe A Faulkner]

Micah and I spent an hour in the shop this afternoon picking through lumber and he broke some of the stock down. Chris, I'm finding the plan a little ambiguous when it comes to describing how the shelf is mounted. It appears as if the plan calls for the end grain of the shelf to be exposed on the right side. This is how I am interpreting the right side view of the plan, and I think I can detect that from the photo of your build, but the pine end grain isn't that easy to detect in the photos. Can you confirm that the end grain of the shelf is exposed on the right-hand side of the cabinet?

[Chris Griggs]

Hi Joe,

Wow. Its been a while since I've looked at or thought about this project. Glad you got started on it. Its a really fun little project. Though mine at this point gets used for little more then storing bills.

Anyway, no. The grain of the shelf runs front to back so you have long side grain exposed on the end with the drawer. When you slide the shelf in you only glue it at the far groove on the left. That way is can expand and contract in and out of the exposed side.

Good luck with the project, and thanks for the kind words.

[Robert McNaull]

Chris, glad to know you are still around the forum since I haven't seen you post in quite a while.

Bob

[Joe A Faulkner]

Hi Joe,

Wow. Its been a while since I've looked at or thought about this project. Glad you got started on it. Its a really fun little project. Though mine at this point gets used for little more then storing bills.

Anyway, no. The grain of the shelf runs front to back so you have long side grain exposed on the end with the drawer. When you slide the shelf in you only glue it at the far groove on the left. That way is can expand and contract in and out of the exposed side.

Good luck with the project, and thanks for the kind words.

Thanks Chris. I don't know why I didn't think of that. The plan makes reference to the grain being oriented to allow for movement. Makes perfect sense now that you have explained it for me.

[Joe A Faulkner]

Micah got a little pressed for time, and elected to simplify on the drawer, build. Other deviations from plans: 1) cherry lumber for that extra "bling" and a rabbit was cut into the right-hand side to receive the inner shelf rather than have it float between the side and the drawer. He left room, hopefully enough for expansion inside the dado on the left side. He hand-cut the dovetails and the dado's, but power-tools were used to cross-cut, rip, re-saw, plane and sand.

Again this post was great inspiration for the project.

[Christopher Charles]

Joe, that looks great-what a fabulous 4H project! Tell Micah I'm impressed.

Chris, good to hear from you--somehow I missed this project and good to see you're still on the forum. Hope to hear more from you soon.

Best,
Chris