DESK WITH DRAWERS HOW TO
DESK WITH DRAWERS FULL

I knocked down the glue joints and got rid of any excess glue then started finish sanding. Next I took the top for the DIY desk out of the clamps. I used a good amount of wood glue to get a solid connection then clamped that top within an inch of its life. With all the boards dimensioned to size but left a little long I glue up the top. But if you don’t have these machines don’t fret, you can have wood dimensioned to your specs or buy it already cut to size at a variety of lumber dealers both brick and mortar and online. I started with rough lumber and took it through the milling process to get dimensioned boards for my top glue up. Next I started painting using a semi-gloss white enamel and applying it with a HVLP sprayer. These are cut to size to fit the openings and attached with pocket screws. This establishes the squareness of the front of the box then I worked my way around the rest of the box.Ī desk with drawers obviously needs a place for them to go so I added couple of dividers to establish the openings for the drawers. I attached the panels to the side first then to the top stretcher. I assembled the two panels together first, then attached them to the desk side and back. The cut face is rough afterwards and can be cleaned up with a chisel. This cut can be made with a bandsaw like I used or with a jigsaw or hand saw. I used a 1×2 to layout the notch and marked for the cut. The vertical panel needed a notch for the front stretcher. Next I cut the panels to proper length on the table saw. After the glue dries I cut the long strips flush with my pull saw. It’s held in place to dry with painter’s tape. I cut the strips long and used glue to attach the edge banding. To clean up the edges of the plywood box I cut some solid wood edge banding from a piece of 1×4. I cut the parts for the box that holds the drawers from my sheet of plywood. I attached the front stretcher with pocket screws. The front stretcher of the DIY desk is cut to the same length and is also given pocket holes for assembly. I clamped the back in place and attached it with pocket screws.

DESK WITH DRAWERS FULL

Next I cut the full sized plywood back to length on my table saw then drilled pocket holes on the edges.

Then I tapped the dowels in with a hammer then after the glue has a chance to setup I cut them flush with a pull saw. I needed to hide the pocket holes on inside left panel to prep for painting later, so I glued small sections of wood dowels into the holes. Next I secured the molding in place with glue and pin nails then came back and filled all the nail holes with wood putty. I continue this approach all the way around the panel. To fit the molding I cut a miter on one end of the trim then took it to the panel and marked it for the second cut. I wanted a nice finished look for the desk with drawers so I used cove molding around the inside of the panel. Then I attached them with glue and brad nails. I cut a top and bottom trim piece from a 1×2 to fit between the legs. The outside of the side has a faux frame and panel look. Clamping the parts tightly helps keep them from moving as the screws go in. The panel is attached to the legs using a small bead of glue and 1-¼” pocket screws. This will give a flush surface for the drawer slides later. Next I used two small ¾” scraps to prop up the panel even with the inside edge of the legs. I laid out two legs making sure the tapers were oriented correctly for the outside facing down.

Then I moved on to assembling the side panels. First I cut the plywood to size and then added pocket holes to the edges of the panels with my K4 jig. The sides of the desk have a plywood panel held between a pair of 2×2 legs. I decided to go for a solid side with a faux floating panel look.

DESK WITH DRAWERS HOW TO

When considering how to build a desk you can use a floating or solid side panel. You can see how the tapers will look when assembled. Always think about the second cut before making the first.Īfter clamping down the DIY desk leg and running it through I flipped it over and took a second pass for the other face.įinally I finished up the leg tapers on the other legs using my layout lines for guidance.īack at the workbench I used the reference lines to reorder the legs. If I cut this side first I’d remove the layout line for the second cut. The edge represents the cut line, but keep an eye on which taper you cut first. The taper will be on the inside two faces of each leg. Using layout marks to keep the legs in order, I marked the bottom of the legs for a small taper. First I started by cutting the legs for the DIY desk to size and using my stop block on my miter saw stand which is great for repeatable cuts.

Desk with drawers