Bleached Alder desk for my teenage daughter

[Edwin Santos]

The desk top and all three drawer fronts were veneered over Baltic Birch substrate. Drawers are 1/2" prefinished BB with reinforced miters mounted with Blum Tandem undermount slides. Most of the joinery was dowels, a lot of them. Hopefully this desk helps her earn some good grades in high school, and who knows, maybe she'll take it with her when she goes off to college one day. Overall dimensions are 56" long x 22" deep x 29" high.

In designing it I was going for something a bit feminine but with a modern twist. The bricklaid cladding on the sides continues around the back. Now I need to get cracking on one for her sister.


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[Von Bickley]

Beautiful piece of furniture... I know she will like it.

[Frederick Skelly]

First, welcome back Edwin - seems like we haven't seen you in a while!

The desk is very attractive. The drawer faces, the shape of the legs and the brickwork all look great! The light color also contributes to the "feminine" look - I initially took it as sort of french provincial finish. The overall design is really nice!

Fred

[johnny means]

The word "ethereal" instantly came to my mind. Very nice work.

[Andrew Hughes]

It’s really beautiful. A very nice design

[Clark Hussey]

As has been said, beautiful piece!

[Ron Citerone]

Classy piece there, I’m sure she will cherish it! Very practical for a printer, laptop and a place for papers.

[Bill Carey]

well done Edwin - I really like the gentle sweep of the legs. Very elegant.

[Mark Rainey]

unique and elegant

[Jim Becker]

That is really a delightful piece! I think you reached your design goal for sure.

[John Gornall]

Your design is superb - the aspect ratios of drawers and the overall desk give it great balance. The overhang of the top gives it a lightness. Yet the desk seems bigger than it is. Well done.

Perhaps a few comment on bleaching the alder please.

[John Gornall]

The leg shape is perfect- just right and such subtle curves - tapered at the top then flaring at the bottom

[Edwin Santos]

Classy piece there, I’m sure she will cherish it! Very practical for a printer, laptop and a place for papers.

I was thinking the same thing Ron, but of course when I set it in her room, her first comment was that it would make a perfect make-up table. Look at all the room for a mirror and brush holders she exclaimed.
I told her there is no degree in make-up at Stanford or any of the fine universities we dream she will attend one day. You should be thinking about writing essays and Calculus I told her.
And she groaned.

However I'm not one to talk. When I was her age, my father felt the need to tell me there was no such thing as a college degree in dirt bikes either. A story I've kept secret along with my fake ID.

[Brian Tymchak]

Beautiful work Edwin! Congrats. I know the word "elegant" has been used a few times already, but I'm going to say it anyway. The brick cladding is a very unique feature.

...Hmm.. 2nd outstanding piece using bleached stock in short order. Think I'm missing a trend..

[John TenEyck]

Alder? Seriously? I never knew it could look so, yes, elegant. Beautifully done Edwin.

John

[Phil Mueller]

Really well done, Edwin. Great design. Very nice detail work inside and out. Thanks for posting.

[David Utterback]

Nicely executed vision. Another masterpiece. Thanks for sharing!

[michael langman]

You have a wonderful imagination in design Edwin. And made a superb desk to boot. Your daughter will appreciate the desk for all time.

[Edwin Santos]

Many thanks for the comments!
I'll report back in a few weeks with the desk I am obligated to make for my other (pre-teen) daughter.
I'm going to refine it, not only to hopefully improve on what I did here, but also seeking to reflect her quite different personality.

I'll post a few comments in the Finishing sub-forum regarding my experiences and learning-in-progress with wood bleaching.

Edwin

[Jim Matthews]

I'll report back in a few weeks with the desk I am obligated to make for my other (pre-teen) daughter.
I'm going to refine it, not only to hopefully improve on what I did here, but also seeking to reflect her quite different personality.

Edwin

Please post details on your drawer construction.

[Andrew More]

I think you and your father are wrong about the degrees. Every Mech E I went to school with was a serious gear head, in some cases extending to dirt bikes. You can also get an associates in beauty care for working in a salon, if that's what your daughter is into.

Curious about a couple of points. First, which if any, doweling jig did you use? As other have stated you did an incredible job, so it must work well for you.

Second, I really love the leather draw bottom, how was that done?

Thanks in advance for any replies you have time for, hoping to get about half as good someday.

[glenn bradley]

Wonderful design and execution Edwin.

[Edwin Santos]

Curious about a couple of points. First, which if any, doweling jig did you use? As other have stated you did an incredible job, so it must work well for you.

Second, I really love the leather draw bottom, how was that done?



Andrew,
I use the Jessem Doweling Jig for any dowel joinery that is occurring reasonably close to an edge. If the joint is out in no man's land or if it is in a complex surface, I make up a shop made jig for the purpose, usually with a hook on the end of it to register to some common point. Coincidentally, the current issue of Fine Woodworking has an article on dowel joinery that illustrates the exact same shop made jig method I use.

But the Jessem is excellent IMO, and if used properly, you can do an unlimited length of dowel joints and have them line up perfectly, even multiple rows and staggered. This project used about 80 dowels.

The leather drawer bottom is not really leather, but some kind of faux leather I found in a Hobby Lobby store where I went originally looking for felt. I bought a full yard for about $6 which was more than I needed. I cut a piece of 1/8" baltic birch the exact size of the drawer, sprayed it with 3M spray adhesive and glued on the fabric.

Someone asked about drawer construction, which in this project was maybe a bit utilitarian. Mitered 1/2" baltic birch reinforced with biscuits. Blum Tandem slides require precise sizing. My method is to cut all drawer parts to exact size and the cut only the miter on a table saw sled.
Thanks again for the positive feedback,

[Joe A Faulkner]

What an elegant piece of fine furniture. Well done.

[Mike Allen1010]

Great design, very well executed! perfectly feminine- like a ballet dancer on pointed toes. What is the side construction- looks unique.

Thanks for posting!

[andrew whicker]

You killed it! It looks great. I especially love the legs. I also can't believe that is alder...

Did you resaw the alder yourself or buy the veneer?

[Scott Linge]

Elegant and practical, nice work Edwin!!