I have to finish putting on the breadboard ends on the lid. I drilled 1/4 inch holes and elongated the third hole. I only applied glue to the first two tenons, not the third. I slipped on the end, clamped it and pounded in the pegs in the holes. After they dried I flush cut the pegs.
The lid support lopers need to have stops on them when they are pulled out. I drilled a 3/4 inch hole about 1/2 inch deep and put an oak dowel in the hole. I did not glue it in, I want to be able to remove it after the desk is assembled if necessary.
I want to make sure that it extends the right distance and is firm to support the lid.
Now I need to install the hinges on for the lid. I marked out the position of the hinges with a marking knife. Then set in the lines using a wide chisel. After that I used my routing plane to remove the material. I do the lid and the desk at the same time with the routing plane.
Once I get the mortises deep enough I install the hinges. Slotted screws get chewed up, so I will replace them when I finalize the desk.
Desk lid closes nicely. I am done with this step.
I need to make the bottom molding. It is 1 1/8 high by 13/16 thick. I have a large ogee router bit that works well to make the molding. I make a 1 1/8 inch thick piece of cherry stock wide enough to make several pieces. I run the end through the router bit and then rip off the molding on the table saw. I repeat the process until I have enough for the base of the desk.
Now that I have enough molding, I miter the front piece and glue and nail it to the front of the desk.
I miter a piece for the side of the desk and only apply glue to 6 inches in the front and then put in nails to hold it in place. This should allow for movement of the case sides without cracking.
Making the stock for the curved bracket feet. To hollow out the cove I use the table saw to cut an ellipse where the cove needs to be. I make several light passes raising the blade a little each time. This will get it close and then I will finish it with hollows and rounds.
I am using a plane to round over the outer curve. I will use a scraper to smooth over the flats later.
Using my round wooden planes to finish off the cove I started on the table saw.
I use a scraper to finish the shape of the cove and remove the plane marks.
I made a custom scraper for the outside curve from a putty knife as I have done before. This cleans up the facets on the curve.
Now that I have the stock for the curved bracket feet, I trace the pattern on to the stock. The front two feet cut outs will be facing each other so that the grain runs continuously across the miter.
I used my chop saw to cut the 45 degree face miters on the front feet. You can see the pattern traced on the two sides. The rear feet will have a piece dovetailed in the back.
I cut out the pattern on the band saw.
I glue the front feet together with tape that stretches. This holds them together tight. I have preglued the end grain on the miter and let it dry. Then applied the glue again and taped them together.
For the rear feet I make dummy feet for the back and dovetail them to the inside of the rear foot with a half blind dovetail.
I add glue blocks to the inside of the front feet for additional strength. There will be more glue blocks on the inside when I glue them to the bottom of the desk.
This is how they will look when glued to the bottom of the desk.
Now that the case is glued up I needed to glue in the quarter columns. It is fairly simple but I need to make sure that they are a good fit with no gaps.
The capital has already been glued with the case. The column and the base need to be glued in. I use the bucket of hot water to warm the hide glue.
Next I start to work on the lid supports or lopers. I used soft maple for the runners and cherry for the ends. This is cross grain construction so there should be a mechanical joint between the two pieces.
There is more cherry than I need on the front here, I'll cut it off later.
I am putting a dovetail on the runner using a router bit.
I use the same bit to put a socket in the cherry end. The just slide together.
I put a 3/16 inch round over on the edges.
A little hide glue to hold them together.
Fitted to the openings. Later I will show how I fit the stops to the lid.
This is the last piece of 14 inch wide cherry that I have left from part of a log that I bought from Irion Lumber. The entire desk has been made from this same lot of cherry wood. I have several pieces of 13 inch but I need 14 for the lid. It has a bit of twist in the board but I have done my best to get it flat.
I need to put breadboard ends on the desk lid. They are 3 1/4 inches wide and are shown above.
I will put 1 1/4 inch tenons on the end of the lid to hold on the breadboard ends.
I use my radial arm saw with a 3/4 dado set to hog out the bulk of the material for the 5/16 inch tenons. The weights on the board are to keep it flat and hold it in place
Tenons are slightly thicker and have to be cut out, each tenon will be 2 1/2 inches.
Cut out the waste between the tenons with a turning saw
Drilled the mortises on the breadboard end with my hollow chisel mortiser. 5/16 x 1 1/4 inches. The 5/16 inch 1/4 inch channel I made with a dado set on the table saw.
I used a block plane to pare the tenons to 5/16 inch
Checking the thickness
You can see the mortises in the ends. They should fit but should be snug.
Looks like a good fit.
Now I have to put a rabbet around three sides of the desk lid and then put a 1/4 inch round over all the way around four sides. The rabbet is 7/16 deep by 7/16 wide.
The rabbet has to be stopped on the bottom edge so I can carve out the corner and leave a small wedge looking piece to hide the open corner.
Here is the corner marked out with the rabbet stopped.
I used a fine saw to cut along the lines to keep the chop out with a chisel to a minimum
Here is the lid in place resting on the lid supports (lopers). Looks like it is going to work.
I still have to round over the edges, drill holes for the pegs and glue on the breadboard ends.
That will be in the next post.
