Phisherman wrote:

On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 13:42:14 +0000, Andy Dingley
wrote:

It was somewhere outside Barstow when (J T)
wrote:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/arc/194/

What a piece of ugly - thought it was another of those Popular
Woodworking plans 8-)

What is "Shaker" about this design, and for that matter, when did the
Shakers make (let alone invent) lap desks ?

Really? I did not think it was ugly at all. Not sure about the
practicality of the piece in today's world, though. Personally, I
use clipboards when working in the shop or gardens to take notes or
hold paperwork. Anyone know who invented the "lap desk?"

If that's a "lap desk" then the first guy who put his valise, briefcase, or
whatever they called them when he did it in his lap to write on invented
it.

Although I suspect that it was really some Babylonian who stuck a board in
his lap for his clay tablet to sit on.

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)