Desk, for my daughter

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Hi -

I've been asked to build a desk for my daughter (age 9) for her room, to get her off the kitchen table doing her homework. LOML wants me to have something to show for all the tools I've bought

I'm thinking 60" wide, enough for a 15" wide pedestal/base on each end with drawers in each, and enough room in the middle for a chair and possible another small drawer or two. Nothing fancy, but I'd like it to be sturdy.

For the pedestals, I'm thinking of a basic carcass of frame/panel for the sides, frames for the drawer 'shelves' in between, connected via biscuits. Both pedestals the same - or maybe keeping one as open shelves for books.

For the surface, I'm thinking 3/4" ply with matching wood trim frame around it. I'd like at least a drawer in the middle, so I'm thinking either a "keyboard drawer" mount, or actually filling the space with an "apron" with one or two small (short) shelves.

I also plan on a hutch for up top - but for now, I'm focusing on the desk.

Questions....
- I don't like really tall (deep) drawers, because they'll just become filled with junk. any suggestions on how tall to make the drawers but keep them really usable? at around 30" surface height and taking away the top and and bottom molding/trim on the pedstals, 3 8" tall drawers would fit.
- For the middle drawers - anyone used a "keyboard drawer" hardware, almost like a computer desk? or would an "apron" be a cleaner look?
- for the surface - 3/4" ply with full wood edges (biscuit joined) I would think would be pretty sturdy. Any suggestions?

I want to make it modular so the pedestals and top/surface can be disassembled from each other and moved.

any comments or suggestions are welcome.

[Jim Becker]

It's critical to determine "now" if the desk will ever be used for computer use as that impacts both the height and other design elements, depending on the type of computer involved. If a keyboard will be involved, than a keyboard drawer/tray is a good way to go unless you want to do a dropped cut-out for a keyboard and mouse. Both of which really should be at a lower height than a typical traditional desk setup to help avoid physical problems with your daughter's wrists over time.

[Mike Watts]

I just made a pedistal desk for my son and made it modular. I just have not had time to post the pictures yet but what I did was make the drawers full depth but put kerfs in it with removable dividers so they would be more usable. I also bolted the pedistals to the vanity panel so it can be taken apart for moving. I screwed the slides directly to the pedistals for the middle drawer so I could remove it and replace it with a keyboard type later.

[Ray Schafer]

Here is the desk that I am going to start on this weekend.


The plan is here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/home...g/1273256.html

I am going to adapt is slightly, because I want it to be a corner desk. I think that it is a good basic desk plan. Thought you might be interested in seeing it.

Ray

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

thanks for the link. I saw these plans when I was doing research. I think I'm going to skip the 'edgebanding' part and instead use frame/panel construction. Just curious - are you going to paint yours? or stain it?

[Jamie Buxton]

When I build furniture for adults, I often adjust the design according to the size of the user. I'd guess that even a tall 9-year-old is not going to be fit well by a desk which is 30" tall. I'd look for a way to make the desk top height adjustable. For instance, you could modularize the pedestals with horizontal parting lines, so that for a while she has three drawers, and later she gets four drawers. Or for another approach, you could make the pedestals go full height, and the desk top hangs between them. While she's small, the desk top is low, and there's a step up to the pedestal tops. When she gets bigger, the desk top is the same height as the pedestal tops.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

that's good feedback. I know my desk here at work is 30", but I should see how well she 'sits' at a desk. The kids do have a computer desk they use, so I'll have to see how well it fits her. She *is* tall for her age, but a tall 9 year old is still shorter than most people I work with

[Ray Schafer]

I am going to paint it white to match her other furniture.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Good luck with the construction - I hope you post pics when you're done.

[Tony Bilello]

standard 30" high desk and let her grow into it and just buy an adjustable office chair instead of messin with the height of the desk.

[Ray Schafer]

Here is my progress on the desk. I am using the Dowelmax to build it. I have everything completed except for gluing and the top. It is the desk pictured earlier in this thread EXCEPT I am building it as a corner desk. I hope to finish construction tomorrow and start painting it sometime during the coming week.

[Ray Schafer]

Here is a pedestal -- dry fitted with the dowels.