Still working on my new desk: http://www.delorie.com/wood/desk/

Today's question is about supporting the center section of the top.
The primary support will be along the seam, held together with draw
bolts (although there's an arch across the widest part to help reduce
sagging). I want something along the seam that will align the
sections vertically as well as support the center section. My
original idea was just biscuits, but now I'm thinking floating tenons
would be better. Comments? Ideas? Suggestions?

"DJ Delorie" wrote in message
...

Still working on my new desk: http://www.delorie.com/wood/desk/

Today's question is about supporting the center section of the top.
The primary support will be along the seam, held together with draw
bolts (although there's an arch across the widest part to help reduce
sagging). I want something along the seam that will align the
sections vertically as well as support the center section. My
original idea was just biscuits, but now I'm thinking floating tenons
would be better. Comments? Ideas? Suggestions?


My personal preference is to use dowels. - which I guess, is really a form
of floating tenon.

diggerop

DJ Delorie wrote:
Still working on my new desk: http://www.delorie.com/wood/desk/

Today's question is about supporting the center section of the top.
The primary support will be along the seam, held together with draw
bolts (although there's an arch across the widest part to help reduce
sagging). I want something along the seam that will align the
sections vertically as well as support the center section. My
original idea was just biscuits, but now I'm thinking floating tenons
would be better. Comments? Ideas? Suggestions?

I'd probably go w/ a groove/spline (essentially the tenon except
probably 3/4's the length of the edges. And, I'd add a ledge underneath
(as an add-on moulding, most likely) so it'll take somebody getting up
there to hang a picture in the corner, etc.

--

dpb writes:
And, I'd add a ledge underneath (as an add-on moulding, most likely)
so it'll take somebody getting up there to hang a picture in the
corner, etc.

The design includes a back leg and arched brace, hopefully that will
be enough. The top is 1" thick solid hardwood (one's oak, the other
desks are maple).

How about: Biscuits or dowels with no glue. 1" angle iron along the
seams. If you ever need to move it, it can be easily disassembled.

Sonny

I wasn't going to glue it anyway, hence the draw bolts.

Angle iron?

DJ Delorie wrote:
dpb writes:
And, I'd add a ledge underneath (as an add-on moulding, most likely)
so it'll take somebody getting up there to hang a picture in the
corner, etc.

The design includes a back leg and arched brace, hopefully that will
be enough. The top is 1" thick solid hardwood (one's oak, the other
desks are maple).

Just need to have enough beef in the support to handle the
unexpected--somebody, sometime _will_ look at that hunk of oak and say
"I don't need no steenkin' ladder to change this-there blulb in
that-there light!" or somesuch...

--

dpb wrote:
DJ Delorie wrote:
dpb writes:
And, I'd add a ledge underneath (as an add-on moulding, most likely)
so it'll take somebody getting up there to hang a picture in the
corner, etc.

The design includes a back leg and arched brace, hopefully that will
be enough. The top is 1" thick solid hardwood (one's oak, the other
desks are maple).

Just need to have enough beef in the support to handle the
unexpected--somebody, sometime _will_ look at that hunk of oak and say
"I don't need no steenkin' ladder to change this-there blulb in
that-there light!" or somesuch...

The question to ask is "would I screw my wife on this?". If not then it's
not strong enough.

My first thought is your going to get quite a bit of expansion and
contraction with that wide of a hardwood top and I would want to have a web
frame under the center section as well as the sides that provides support
and a way to connect that allows the top move; otherwise you risk it
cracking on you. You have the back side covered but appears nothing to tie
to in the front. Either a divider in the front or a complete top web frame
would be the direction I would head in.. I would also incorporate some
cross members into the web frame for attaching the keyboard tray.

"DJ Delorie" wrote in message
...

Still working on my new desk: http://www.delorie.com/wood/desk/

Today's question is about supporting the center section of the top.
The primary support will be along the seam, held together with draw
bolts (although there's an arch across the widest part to help reduce
sagging). I want something along the seam that will align the
sections vertically as well as support the center section. My
original idea was just biscuits, but now I'm thinking floating tenons
would be better. Comments? Ideas? Suggestions?

"DJ Delorie" wrote in message
...

Still working on my new desk: http://www.delorie.com/wood/desk/

Today's question is about supporting the center section of the top.
The primary support will be along the seam, held together with draw
bolts (although there's an arch across the widest part to help reduce
sagging). I want something along the seam that will align the
sections vertically as well as support the center section. My
original idea was just biscuits, but now I'm thinking floating tenons
would be better. Comments? Ideas? Suggestions?

DJ,

I built some "L" shaped craft benches a couple of years back that I
aligned the two sections using two #20 biscuits on each seam. No glue,
assembled them dry so when / if they have to take things apart, they
can. I used two 1/2" diameter draw bolts on each seam to hold things
together. These benches have taken a beating and the seams haven't
budged.

Other ideas will certainly work but "simple" usually works better than
some "over-engineered" ideas.

Bob S.

On 10 Nov 2009 14:38:37 -0500, DJ Delorie wrote:

sections vertically as well as support the center section. My
original idea was just biscuits, but now I'm thinking floating tenons
would be better. Comments? Ideas? Suggestions?

How about some angle iron, maybe 3/4" in size? It could start a few
inches back so it's not noticeable.

DJ Delorie wrote:
Still working on my new desk: http://www.delorie.com/wood/desk/

Today's question is about supporting the center section of the top.
The primary support will be along the seam, held together with draw
bolts (although there's an arch across the widest part to help reduce
sagging). I want something along the seam that will align the
sections vertically as well as support the center section. My
original idea was just biscuits, but now I'm thinking floating tenons
would be better. Comments? Ideas? Suggestions?

Probably too low tech for you but I'd just add a board under the side
modules that extends, say, 3/4" past the top. The corner module would then
sit on those and be held to the side modules with the draw bolts (which
might need a smidge of updown wobble). Alternatively, a couple of
threaded inserts along the underside of each side of the center module,
bolts through the added boards into them; taper the center module edges
slightly downward for easy bolt insertion and a "just grew there" look when
snugged up.

That would add a new problem in as much as ends of the boards would be
visible. Two solutions...

1. Make them maybe only 2/3 - 3/4 as long as the side modules are wide. Not
totally invisible but unless someone is crawling around on the floor they
wouldn't be seen.

2. Put a keyboard tray or drawer under the center module. This would get my
vote.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Hey DJ.. To me the most important consideration is expansion and
contraction of that hardwood top. The center section will expand and
contract across the grain towards the chair and as it does so the mitered
joints between the top sections will expand and contract a bit also... much
like any other mitered joint if it is not securely connected to the
adjoining part in some manner. If you simple use a lap joint and do not
fasten the pieces together, I'm pretty sure the seam will open with change
in humidity and season. To me, it seems necessary to securely connect the
top pieces together so this won't happen. Draw bolts with biscuits for
alignment as you suggested sounds to me like a very good way to accomplish
that. Basically you then have one tabletop and not three pieces. Since its
solid wood you can't just screw base cabinets to the top and not allow it to
expand and contract naturally or you risk the stress causing the top to
crack. So you need to build a framework, like a web frame, into the top of
the cabinets, and possibly but not necessarily, between the cabinets, that
will support the top and allow you to connect the two in a way that won't
prevent the top from expansion and contraction. There's a variety of ways
to fasten the top... wooden buttons, metal fasteners, so on. The top
basically floats on the cabinets. I think if you keep these considerations
in mind you can figure this out for yourself..


"DJ Delorie" wrote in message
...

Still working on my new desk: http://www.delorie.com/wood/desk/

Today's question is about supporting the center section of the top.
The primary support will be along the seam, held together with draw
bolts (although there's an arch across the widest part to help reduce
sagging). I want something along the seam that will align the
sections vertically as well as support the center section. My
original idea was just biscuits, but now I'm thinking floating tenons
would be better. Comments? Ideas? Suggestions?