Here is a project I have presented in the "Play by Play" for a while. As I am approaching the final leg I thought I would move over to the project completion section.

You can see the desk and bookcase and get the idea of what's going on.

The finish is shellac. I have introduced some sandarac in my solution to enhance the shine a bit. After doing some reading on the period where I can date this thing, I feel pretty certain that there was not any "french polishing" going on. So.. I thought I would try applying the finish with a brush and cloth and following up with some pumice rubbing and then buff it out. It was a learning curve but I found some new things along the way.

The drawers in the desk gallery are curly maple. The large drawers on the desk are crotch walnut veneer I cut to match in some way and show some balance. The desk lid and the bookcase panels are solid pieces. Lots of searching and waiting.

My first Penn. desk/bookcase was a bonnet top bookcase with a desk very similar to the one in the photos. This one is a flat top bookcase that stands approximately 84-85" tall. This one was less trouble.

Questions are welcome if you think this might be something you might like to build.

dan

Dan,

I've followed your play by play and appreciate the efforts you have made to keep us "Posted" on your project. The desk and bookcase are beautiful. You did an awesome job.

Yes it is appropriate that you posted this in our "Showcase" forum. Now, get it DONE and post a picture of the bookcase sitting on the desk (if that's the plan).

Bruce

Here you go: one on top of the other. This one is done. On to the kentucky rifles in the corner. Will post a couple of rifles at some point. Not much interest in desks?? Maybe walnut isn't the wood of interest?

I am in the middle of experimenting with adding resins to my shellac mix. I am very pleased with sandarac and copal. These resins soften the finish a little I am told but I don't feel it while rubbing out the surface. I have read older records of the use of copal as a "glaze" to add to the sheen. I tried some straight copal dissolved in alcohol as a glaze over polished shellac - hot stuff guys. More to come.

later
dan

Dan,

WOW. What a grand piece of furniture. Thank you for showing the completed piece to us. Will it remain in your home, or was it built for a client?

Bruce

Dan,

Outstanding piece. I know what goes into a desk as I am still nowhere close after starting in January on one myself....

Gorgeous work, thanks for showing the pics. Cal

Dan,
Will you have a pod cast or be offering a DVD or....old school plans
Because I really want to build... but I can not yet design

Blade Ruiner
I don't have a plan of my own nor a DVD. This has been a project I have worked on in my spare time. I started out with the intention of making this piece for someone. Midway thru the build, the receiver decided an arch-top bookcase was what he really wanted. Oh joy. Another story.

If you want to build something along these lines, find copies of FWW 154-6. In these editions you will find a nice plan/breakdown of the process of building this type of desk/bookcase. Lonnie Bird uses a very clever way of making the seatboard for the gallery and then he takes this jig and makes another jig to make the serpentine drawers in a way that they will align nicely with the seatboard and dividers. Certainly worth the price of admission for this useful tool.

If you are serious about getting something going, please feel free to contact me and I will give you some good tips. I have taken lots of photos(not the highest quality) to make things easily understood. This can help with the head scratching. I can advise you on the order of a build which can really help with keeping you from "painting yourself into a corner" with some of the assembly.

Till then
dan

My gosh that is a beautiful desk. I am no where near where yall are in this. I have only been making patio benches and not very well at that. Man, I just cant get over how beautiful that desk is. Any hidden compartments? I hope thats not a rude question. Iffin it is, please accept my apologies now.

Bravo!

I guess you are in Texas? I spent time in Texas at Sheppard AFB training students in the flying pipe line from Europe. Fun.

You asked about "hidden compartments" in the piece. This one has several in the desk which are fairly easy to figure out in the gallery section. I put another 3 hidden sections in the back of the bookcase. My little adventure.

The first project desk I built had a bunch of hidden stuff and the person that commissioned the piece liked the hidden stuff more than the details I hoped he would fall head over heels droolin'. Go figure. Don't know what it is about that but customers love secrets.

On all of my pieces I build, I write a case history of the construction process and the finish details on the back of the piece. Additionally, I take hide glue and attach a copy of the local news where I am living on the bottom of a drawer and shellac it down. Someday when a person takes the drawer out and sees it they will wonder???

Its fun to find stuff I guess. I'll be pressin' roses when they find it so who knows?

later
dan

Nice desk, anyone still having this type of Walnut desks?