Not sure Im worthy... but

[Brandon Rader]

Well, I found this place through some google searches while trying to find some ideas on projects. After looking at some of the stuff you guys make, Im not sure I can compete here.

You guys all have some absolutely amazing pieces of work.

So far, I have built a couple of projects. I made a small computer stand for my wifes scrapbook area, and then some special deep bookshelves to hold her big scrapbooks, and I just finished a pair of matching nightstands for our bedroom.

I will take some pics in the morning and show them. So far I am most proud of the nightstands. I think they look the best of everything. But then, this is me trying to get back into this as an adult, when the last thing I build was in high school wood shop 11 years ago.

Anyway, to the point. My next project is I want to build a desk. I have drawn up some plans, but I had some questions about supporting an L-shaped desk and I was hoping you guys would know. The L will be made of two pieces joined together. I don't plan on doing it at an angle, I planned on just a straight edge, I want to use my router table (despite its small size) to cut a 1/4" groove into one piece and a tab on the other to seat it. A majority of the top is to be of 3/4" plywood with hardwood finishing the ends.

My question involves support and strength. At both tips of the L there will be large support structures underneath, a large post in the corner of the L that attaches to the supports under the tips.

Now, if I said that right, and you understood it. Is that going to support the table top? Do you need more info to make that call? Im concerned about putting a pair of monitors (i run a dual monitor setup, my other hobby is computers, and i know more about them than I do wood) on top of the desk and it not having enough support. I don't want to wake up one morning and find my flat screens on the floor.

I am a terrible artist, or I would scan and show you my drawings, otherwise, is there a program you guys use to make your plans. I have seen some very nice computer rendered plans on here.

Any help you guys can offer would be great. When the wife gets up in the morning I will take some pictures of the end tables and bookshelves to show you guys some of my work.

Thanks in advance for the help, and thanks for such a great resource of a site.

[Chuck Saunders]

Welcome Brandon,
If you can post, you can compete. If your table is mounted to the wall you will have no problem at all, probably don't even need the post on the inside corner. If the table is free standing, you could still be fine if the outside corner had a good wide leg, say 2 12" wide pieces of plywood joined at a right angle. This would resist the racking that would be trying to loosen up the table. You might want to cleat the joint of the tops from underneath as the tongue and groove joint would benefit from the extra support. And remember, flat panels are getting cheaper every day.
Chuck

[Ben Davis]

Welcome to the Creek Brandon! Do you have any SketchUp drawings? That would be of great help.

-Ben

[Rick Fisher]

Welcome to the Creek.

[David Keller NC]

Brandon - If you need the two legs of the "L" to be separate pieces so they can be moved easily, there's lots of better solutions than ripping a groove and a tongue. In particular, the elcheapo solution is to use figure-8 steel brackets designed to join table tops to aprons - you'd screw these on underneath the two tops, and it would be very, very sturdy.

There are other more elegant solutions for knock-down furniture. If you've a sub to FWW, I'd look up "knock-down hardware" - they did an article on this very subject a while back. And if you're serious about WW and are a beginner, I can think of no better way to spend $14.95 for a year's worth of access to their website - there's 20 years worth of accumulated articles on everything from 18th century furniture to shop jigs.

[Lee Schierer]

Welcome to the Creek. Pull up a rock and your pants, take off your socks and put your feet in the water. Glad to have you here.

With regard to the quality of projects, we all started where you are.

[Brandon Rader]

A couple of rough days at work, havent had time to come back here.

Well, anyways, here is my most recent project the end tables. and the previous one, the bookshelves.

http://www.aqmilitis.com/uploads/leftend.jpg http://www.aqmilitis.com/uploads/rightend.jpg



http://www.aqmilitis.com/uploads/bookcases.jpg

[Brandon Rader]

despite my poor photography abilities, I assure you, the end tables are identical in height.

They look funny like that.

[Brandon Rader]

Thanks for the tips I will have to look into this.

Im going to need to redraw my sketches so they can be understood, and I will post them up here.

[Craig Johnson]

nicely done Brandon.

[Bob Genovesi]

Brandon,

Welcome to the Creek and thanks for displaying some of your work, very nice!

[Jon Grider]

Handsome tables.....and my wife loves the Robins egg blue color on your walls. She had that color in the dining room of our former house.

[John Bailey]

Hi Brandon,

Welcome to the Creek. Nice work on those pieces. I've been here a long time and you did better work on those than I've done.

Now get started on something else and show us those.

John

[Brandon Rader]

Thanks for the kind words guys. Like I said, so far those end tables are about the best work that I have done. My wife loves them.

@Jon, its actually Behr Faded denim is the color. We love it, we have it in our bedroom (pictured) and on an accent wall in the living room combined with a similarly toned green (color name I cant remember). We had this house built for us, and we did the colored paint ourselves. Took a while to finish all the rooms, but it looks great now.

My office is a dark (think Green Bay Packers) Green, and Im leaving in a few minutes to go get some lumber to start the desk. Going to stain the desk a nice cherry.

thanks again for the help guys.

[Dave Verstraete]

Welcome Brandon

There are a lot of us novices lurking around here. The bookcases and end tables look great. Go make some dust and post more pictures.

[Jim Kountz]

Welcome Brandon, first of all dont worry about competing here its not a contest! There is alot of helpful friendly folks here who all share the same passion, wood. Your work looks great and it appears you are well on your way. Learning is half the fun! You will never find anyone here putting your work down or saying its not good enough. You will find lots of support and great advice!

Jim