Slant top desk question

[Ken Miller]

At what angle is the slant usually at? Does it really matter or are the hinges affected? I was going to use both a piano hinge and those other hinges that go on the sides and only allow the cover to come so far down.

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I don't think it makes any difference with a piano hinge.

One hint (from the 'learned the hard way' files)...if you're going to mortise your hinge(s), do it before you do the final 'trim for fit' of the slant top. Wanting to delay the dreaded task of mortising as long as possible, I simply put the hinges on for 'dry fitting'. After trimming to a perfect 'closed' fit, I realized that mortising the hinges would move the top downward just enough that I couldn't live with it...so my hinges still sit on top of the surface.

KC