How Would You Install?

[Mark Blatter]

I did a study recently and part way into it the owner asked me to make a small change. He had an 'L' shaped desk and wanted an angle piece put in at the corner, so he had a more comfortable place to work from. I agreed to it without much thinking, but later had to really think about how to do it. The photo shows the final outcome, but wanted to see how others would have attached it.

The desk top finished at 1.25" thick cherry.

Please offer thoughts on how you would have do it. Keep in mind I am a one man shop, and the two other desk pieces were not light. One was 110" long, the other 57". Both were 25" deep.

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[Andrew Hughes]

I would attached it with dominoes.
I also would originated the grain to flow with the counter top on the right.

Good Luck

[johnny means]

I would use some mending plates on the bottom. That way it would be easily reversible. My first choice would have been to make the entire corner as a separate peice.

[Doug Garson]

I would use splines which stop about 1" from the front edge. If you want to make it removable don't use glue use pocket screws to attach.

[John TenEyck]

How did you join the two main portions of the desktop? I'd be concerned about seasonal movement of that joint for both the long term integrity of it and it's impact on the triangle, no matter which way the grain is run with that. Optimally, I think I would join the two main sections with a breadboard type joint and then run the grain of the triangle in the same direction as the section on the right. I'd glue the triangle only to the right section of the desktop and continue with the breadboard type joint where it meets the left section. The molded edge would have to be done like a cope/stick joint in order for it to slide as needed over the left section.

Not such a simple task when dealing with solid wood.

John

[Mark Blatter]

Here are some answers.

I used Dominos to connect the two sections together, using the loose fitting setting and did not glue them up. Both sections also are supported by cabinets on the ends you cannot see. The long section also has a heavy duty 'L' bracket under it to provide additional support. It is bolted to the wall studs.

I did the triangle piece with the grain the way it shows as I thought it looked better that way. I did Dominos into one side that were tight, and the other side loose. I did them perpendicular to the main sections, which means I had to get inventive. I used shorter dominos on the loose side, and set springs inside the holes first, then the dominos. By spring loading them, I was able to get them to pop out once I had the piece in place. It worked like a charm. I also put in three pocket screws on each side to make sure it was level and set in place. I then added a large piece of 3/4' Baltic Birch ply under the joints. Perhaps doing all of that was over kill, but I can easily envision someone standing on that spot to reach an upper part of the shelves. I believe I could stand on it and it would not sag.

Time will tell if wood movement is an issue. I warned the homeowner about it when he switched from cherry ply desk tops to solid wood.

Thanks for all your thoughts.

[Charles P. Wright]

The carpenters where I used to work just used mending plates when I asked for something similar to be done to my desk. Simple and quick. I would probably do the same. As pointed out above, it is easily reversible that way as well.

[Roger Feeley]

I'm sitting at a desk I made years ago. When we built our house, I couldn't get the top up the spiral staircase so I cut it in half. I did the mending plate thing one better. I used 1"x1"x1/8" angle iron. I routed a shallow recess for one part and screwed that to the wood. I routed a deeper groove for the perpendicular part so the angle iron didn't project down and kill my knees. I made the groove a fairly tight fit to insure that it wouldn't deflect.

[Erik Loza]

Personally, I would go the mending plate-route. I know that I often brace myself against the edge of my desk while getting up and maybe worry about the dominos taking all that force. Just thinking out loud. Please let us know how it goes.

Erik

[Phil Mueller]

Personally, I think I would have tried to talk the client into a 90* corner keyboard tray system rather than an additional desk top piece.

[Mark Blatter]

My concern with any install is the 'unknown' or 'stupid' factor. In this case, I could envision a 250 lb guy standing on the corner to reach the book shelves above and crashing to the ground. Then I get a ring at my door from a process serving and am staring at a multi-million lawsuit. That is why I went with a bit of overkill. a piece of 3/4" BB, plus the pocket screws, plus four dominos.

The pocket screws pulled it tight, the piece of BB gave it lots of strength, and the Dominos were added security against the 'here hold my beer' action.

Thanks all for comments and suggestions.