Any ideas on how to build a corner desktop?

[scott vroom]

Has anyone built a corner desktop? The pic below is an example....corner desktop with cabs extending down each leg of the "L". I'm stuck on how to turn the corner with hardwood. Any ideas on layout and joinery method?

[Pat Barry]

I would do it by edge gluing boards. Probably 3 sections. If you wanted a contiguous top then you could run the boards parallel with the monitor section front but you would be left with diagonal end grain on both the left and right sections. This is something that might look veyr nice with the right wood selection.

[scott vroom]

Pat, I found this pic that you posted on a similar thread. I like the grain direction on the corner piece, but how would you clamp it up? Would you first glue up a large rectangle then cut it to shape? Seems like a lot of scrap but that might be the easiest way.

[Dave Richards]

You could figure out how long the pieces need to be so that you can create a sort of stepped arrangement. That'll give you clamping areas and reduce the amount of waste.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7349/13890766319_eb95432754.jpg

[johnny means]

This is how I've built corner desks in the past. Never used solid for the tops, just ply or laminate. IMO, the continuous grain look, looks like a hack laminate job.

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[Mike Heidrick]

Nice drawing Dave and Pat.

Also consider just having a straight front and rear rather than mess with the curve. Kind of 1/4 a Octogon. Make it in three pieces and it will be modular and work in many room positions.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e169/BloomingtonMike/desk_zpsb0fafa88.jpg

[Jamie Buxton]

One thing to be cautious about corner desks -- making sure you can open the drawers without moving your chair. If you make the desk compact, the drawers pull open into the airspace occupied by the chair of the person sitting at the desk. Then you have to move your chair every time you open a drawer -- not great. If you make the desk wide enough so that the drawers pass by the chair, the desk gets to be really big. Make a plan-view drawing, and see how the drawers and the chair interfere with each other.

[scott vroom]

This is how I've built corner desks in the past. Never used solid for the tops, just ply or laminate. IMO, the continuous grain look, looks like a hack laminate job.

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Not clear on how plywood solves the problem of wrapping the corner. You still have to deal with a change in grain direction. And laminate? Do you mean laminate veneer glued to a plywood base and trimmed to fit? Don't see how that is possible without seams.

Also not clear on what your last sentence means ("continuous grain look, looks like a hack laminate job"). Huh?

[Tony Parent]

This is how...
Not clear on how plywood solves the problem of wrapping the corner. You still have to deal with a change in grain direction. And laminate? Do you mean laminate veneer glued to a plywood base and trimmed to fit? Don't see how that is possible without seams.

Also not clear on what your last sentence means ("continuous grain look, looks like a hack laminate job"). Huh?

Before making any kind of top, I would consider how you plan on breaking it down to move it. You will have to move it sometime. I've been burned by this too many times to not make it a must have in any design.

Johnny's and others examples show three separate sections. Much easier to move if you have to then one large top.

When Johnny mentioned laminate, I think he was meaning that continuous grain across the entire top looks like laminate, not real wood. (And is therefore a hack...)

(Just my $0.02)

[Al Faulkner]

Feng Shui says that having your back to the door is a bad idea. You automatically give up your privacy and cannot see when someone is entering. May sound goofy but there is merit to it. I was told this by a woman who was an expert at it.

[scott vroom]

Before making any kind of top, I would consider how you plan on breaking it down to move it. You will have to move it sometime. I've been burned by this too many times to not make it a must have in any design.

Johnny's and others examples show three separate sections. Much easier to move if you have to then one large top.

When Johnny mentioned laminate, I think he was meaning that continuous grain across the entire top looks like laminate, not real wood. (And is therefore a hack...)

(Just my $0.02)

Good points raised. I've begun thinking that a modular approach might be best (corner piece independent of "wings"). So if I build modules, what is the best way to pull the tops of the adjacent wings tight with the corner desktop? I'm thinking dowels for alignment, and then some sort of latch on the underside that would bridge the gaps and pull them together tightly. I guess table lock hardware is suited for this, any suggestions on type (there are dozens of different types of table locks)? Something like this:

[Dave Verstraete]

Woodsmith had a set of plans that my son and I used to build a corner desk. I'll check tonite for the plan #

[johnny means]

Not clear on how plywood solves the problem of wrapping the corner. You still have to deal with a change in grain direction. And laminate? Do you mean laminate veneer glued to a plywood base and trimmed to fit? Don't see how that is possible without seams.

Also not clear on what your last sentence means ("continuous grain look, looks like a hack laminate job"). Huh?

I wasn't intending to imply that plywood solvee any issues, just stating that I had not built a desk top like this from solid lumber.

A skilled laminate tech would seam a top like this so that the grain would follow the front edge. A hack would lay a single piece over the entire top, thus creating a single continuous grain direction over the entire surface. Of course, this is a matter of personal preference. IMO, it looks cheap, like something you'd see on a Wal-Mart desk.

[David Eisenhauer]

I have built a corner unit like you describe and built it in three sections, pretty much in the same fashion as a corner kitchen cabinet base unit. I ran my three top underneath frame pieces out to just-shy of the edge of the outer edge of the top piece, the individual adjacent joining top frame pieces parallel to each other (with a slight gap between the long faces) and then joined (sucked together) the adjacent pieces together with those drilled insert connectors that allow you to screw the pieces together after moving the pieces into place. One side of the insert has a screw and the other has the female threads - all usually metric and use an Allen wrench to tighten. I use those same connectors when connecting a long run of bookcases together as well. I include the slight gap so that there is no way the underlying frame (stretchers?) bottom out against each other before the top is sucked in snugly without any gap at all. The unit I built was out of plywood, and yes, you need to plan allowance for the drawers to be pulled out while seated at the cutout. My cutout design was angled as opposed to a curved cutout and allowed 24" for the chair/person clearance. I believe I have some "industry standard" measurements that say you need a minimum of 20" per chair when designing a table, but I went a little wider. This may be the type project to layout a full-sized sketch (on newspaper, etc) or a dummy mockup with scrap before starting the final build as there are a few things to consider. As stated above, the thing does grow into a sizeable unit.

[scott vroom]

Woodsmith had a set of plans that my son and I used to build a corner desk. I'll check tonite for the plan #

Thanks Dave.

[scott vroom]

I have built a corner unit like you describe and built it in three sections, pretty much in the same fashion as a corner kitchen cabinet base unit. I ran my three top underneath frame pieces out to just-shy of the edge of the outer edge of the top piece, the individual adjacent joining top frame pieces parallel to each other (with a slight gap between the long faces) and then joined (sucked together) the adjacent pieces together with those drilled insert connectors that allow you to screw the pieces together after moving the pieces into place. One side of the insert has a screw and the other has the female threads - all usually metric and use an Allen wrench to tighten. I use those same connectors when connecting a long run of bookcases together as well. I include the slight gap so that there is no way the underlying frame (stretchers?) bottom out against each other before the top is sucked in snugly without any gap at all. The unit I built was out of plywood, and yes, you need to plan allowance for the drawers to be pulled out while seated at the cutout. My cutout design was angled as opposed to a curved cutout and allowed 24" for the chair/person clearance. I believe I have some "industry standard" measurements that say you need a minimum of 20" per chair when designing a table, but I went a little wider. This may be the type project to layout a full-sized sketch (on newspaper, etc) or a dummy mockup with scrap before starting the final build as there are a few things to consider. As stated above, the thing does grow into a sizeable unit.

David, any chance you could provide a link or a photo of the "drilled insert connectors"? Sounds like they will allow a very tight joint.

[scott vroom]

Feng Shui says that having your back to the door is a bad idea. You automatically give up your privacy and cannot see when someone is entering. May sound goofy but there is merit to it. I was told this by a woman who was an expert at it.

LOL...only me, the wife, and the dog. Guess I could install a laser intruder alert system in case the dog wanders in to check on me.

[Pat Barry]

This is how I've built corner desks in the past. Never used solid for the tops, just ply or laminate. IMO, the continuous grain look, looks like a hack laminate job.

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So you think it looks better to have seams than to go for seamless? I sit here everyday working at my desk which is three pieces and the seams are very evident, not coplanar, always collecting crap. Its the only way to go for modular office furniture I guess.

[scott vroom]

So you think it looks better to have seams than to go for seamless? I sit here everyday working at my desk which is three pieces and the seams are very evident, not coplanar, always collecting crap. Its the only way to go for modular office furniture I guess.

The co-planarity problem is solved by using dowels for alignment. I'm thinking table locks on the underside to pull the pieces very tightly together. Visible seam, but planar and tight.

[paul cottingham]

LOL...only me, the wife, and the dog. Guess I could install a laser intruder alert system in case the dog wanders in to check on me.
Yeah, but it can still be very disturbing, having your back to the door. I don't cotton to most of that stuff, but I know sitting with my back to a door makes it impossible for me to work efficiently. It's a pretty primal thing.

[Sam Murdoch]

This is how I've built corner desks in the past. Never used solid for the tops, just ply or laminate. IMO, the continuous grain look, looks like a hack laminate job.

288450


Doing this out of solid wood I would use the grain orientation as shown in Johnny's drawing. It is essentially continuous grain which allows the entire top to move as a unit without needing to compensate other than how it is secured to the base.

You might consider 1/2 lapping the joints for future disassembly. The center section overlaying the 2 side pieces. They could be pulled together from underneath with screws going into threaded inserts. These fastenings could be very small as they would only be used to keep the 3 sections in plane. The flanking bases would be doing all the heavy lifting.

Here is a terrible photo of a very nice walnut top that was grain oriented this way. In this case however the joints are secured and aligned with dominos and are solidly glued together.

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[scott vroom]

Yeah, but it can still be very disturbing, having your back to the door. I don't cotton to most of that stuff, but I know sitting with my back to a door makes it impossible for me to work efficiently. It's a pretty primal thing.


Seriously, I do know what you mean. In my setup, the door will be down the left wall of the corner I'm facing, about 5 feet from my chair, so peripheral vision will spot intruders.

[scott vroom]

I wasn't intending to imply that plywood solvee any issues, just stating that I had not built a desk top like this from solid lumber.

A skilled laminate tech would seam a top like this so that the grain would follow the front edge. A hack would lay a single piece over the entire top, thus creating a single continuous grain direction over the entire surface. Of course, this is a matter of personal preference. IMO, it looks cheap, like something you'd see on a Wal-Mart desk.

Johnny, thx for clarifying. Yes, I agree all boards running same direction around corner screams of factory mass produced. I'm likely going with a modular design, with grain parallel to front edge, same as in your drawing.

[David Eisenhauer]

This gizmo.https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTkHwn3oUjfqZPZanhfXn_1nA_8bsmVl baVIFUBS1yRREEWmz-OI guess it is called a "Furniture Connector". I clamp my mating pieces together, then drill a pilot hole through both pieces. Use the pilot hole to drill out to the desired diameter on each piece, hey presto, connected. I started using them years ago when joining the face frames of bookcase runs and wanted something unobtrusive. Don't ask me where I found them, because I had to buy like a hundred of them a few years ago and haven't sourced them in a while.

[johnny means]

So you think it looks better to have seams than to go for seamless? I sit here everyday working at my desk which is three pieces and the seams are very evident, not coplanar, always collecting crap. Its the only way to go for modular office furniture I guess.

Once again, there's hack work then there's good work. I assure you a good technician can create a field assembled seam that looks good and is hardly perceptible to the touch.

[Pat Barry]

Here is an image I found of the idea I was trying to demo with the sketchup
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Not many like this though. The other approach is much more typical.

[Mel Fulks]

I agree with Al to the extent that I see that form as a trendy anomaly that will soon be declared passé . Not so sure about the schway thing, but much better to be facing something other than a corner. It's ok to have an "L" shape desk but I
think a non corner seat with desk out in the floor works better, even in a small room.

[Dan Siedschlag]

I've built a couple of computer tables using 3 sections in an "L". I simply cut some steel rod for use as dowels. I put two on each end of the middle section and simple inserted them without glue. I've never had any issue with the sections pulling apart and it allows them to be broken down should the table ever need to be moved. The tables I built were all oak but it should work with any hardwood. I also built them without the center section coming to a point. That has seemed to work better to deal with out of plumb walls as well as provide a place to run wires.

Dan

[johnny means]

One thing to consider is that the splay form made a lot more sense when monitors where 20" deep. It allowed you to park the monitor in the corner and still have desktop space in front of it. With the advent of flat screens, the splay now just creates a large unreachable area in the corner. An L shape actually yields more usable real estate, while using less floor space.

[Moses Yoder]

I align the top sections with biscuits glued into one side and then use these top latches HERE (http://www.leevalley.com/US/hardware/page.aspx?p=40033&cat=3,43586,43588). These are not the exact ones I used but look very similar. The corner desk is outdated as mentioned. I mean, if that is what you want then have at it, but feel free to get creative.