DIY & Home Improvement

X_Digger

(18,585 posts) Wed Oct 9, 2013, 12:41 AM Oct 2013

Desk top / organizer / thing complete

Last edited Sat Oct 26, 2013, 01:21 PM - Edit history (3)

I started a thread a while back discussing the plans for a bunch of mailbox doors that my wife and I came across. Well, my piggy-bank idea got set aside for now.

Instead, my wife asked me to come up with a top for a sewing machine base that incorporated one or more of them, with some drawers, and a shelf.

Here's what I came up with-

Once I got final approval, I blew up the diagram and color coded it..

Then I got a bunch of wood and cut it up..

And I added all the joinery (nothing fancy, half-laps mostly.)

I worked from the inside out..

Back, sides, and dividers..

Then the top shelf..

And the bottom frame (I built it square, then cut it in three pieces, swapped the ends, and glued it back together)..

Put the drawers together..

And that's where I am now.

I've got some antique brass label holder / drawer pulls on order, and my wife should start painting it in the next couple of days. I'll rout a nice edge on the table top and mount the organizer.

I over-built it, I'm sure, but I never know what my wife might put on it.

eta:

Added the table top.

eta2: All done!

14 replies

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Highlight:

Desk top / organizer / thing complete (Original Post) X_Digger Oct 2013 OP

So, your wife has one of those... Fridays Child Oct 2013 #1

It's been mostly repair until recently. She knew I was good at fixing things.. X_Digger Oct 2013 #4

That is awesome. Wonderful craftsmanship. lamp_shade Oct 2013 #2

Thanks! n/t X_Digger Oct 2013 #6

That is a fabulous project and use of interesting old mailbox doors. northoftheborder Oct 2013 #3

Luckily (or unluckily) these have keys. X_Digger Oct 2013 #5

Message auto-removed Name removed Oct 2013 #7

I really like it! Phentex Oct 2013 #8

I'm a detail / plan / execute / check plan / modify plan / execute / repeat kind of guy. X_Digger Oct 2013 #9

Complete! X_Digger Oct 2013 #10

Very cool! You are quite the craftsman! lastlib Nov 2013 #11

Yup, those are an earlier project. X_Digger Nov 2013 #12

Very well done. lumberjack_jeff Nov 2013 #13

I love it. Steep learning curve, but very very powerful. n/t X_Digger Nov 2013 #14

Fridays Child

(23,998 posts)

1. So, your wife has one of those...

Reply to X_Digger (Original post)

Wed Oct 9, 2013, 01:36 AM

Oct 2013

...husbands who can build cool stuff. Lucky, lucky woman! Nice little project, by the way.

X_Digger

(18,585 posts)

4. It's been mostly repair until recently. She knew I was good at fixing things..

Reply to Fridays Child (Reply #1)

Wed Oct 9, 2013, 11:31 AM

Oct 2013

.. or re-purposing things, but I've only recently started building stuff from scratch (hence my copious note-taking and photo documentation.)

Thanks!

lamp_shade

(15,092 posts)

2. That is awesome. Wonderful craftsmanship.

Reply to X_Digger (Original post)

Wed Oct 9, 2013, 02:56 AM

Oct 2013

X_Digger

(18,585 posts)

6. Thanks! n/t

Reply to lamp_shade (Reply #2)

Wed Oct 9, 2013, 11:43 AM

Oct 2013

northoftheborder

(7,608 posts)

3. That is a fabulous project and use of interesting old mailbox doors.

Reply to X_Digger (Original post)

Wed Oct 9, 2013, 09:43 AM

Oct 2013

My mother (years ago) constructed wooden boxes for some of her collected mail-box doors and gave them to family members. Don't forget the lock combinations! We have the combinations for ours, but mine does not work, and I cannot open it! so be sure the door locks work before closing, or dismantle the lock mechanism.

X_Digger

(18,585 posts)

5. Luckily (or unluckily) these have keys.

Reply to northoftheborder (Reply #3)

Wed Oct 9, 2013, 11:33 AM

Oct 2013

I would have preferred combinations, but these are what we found.

Response to X_Digger (Original post)

Name removed Message auto-removed

Phentex

(16,504 posts)

8. I really like it!

Reply to X_Digger (Original post)

Thu Oct 10, 2013, 10:22 AM

Oct 2013

and I appreciate seeing the steps it takes to make it. Your threads are so interesting. Thanks for sharing!

X_Digger

(18,585 posts)

9. I'm a detail / plan / execute / check plan / modify plan / execute / repeat kind of guy.

Reply to Phentex (Reply #8)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 06:41 PM

Oct 2013

At least when it comes to projects.

X_Digger

(18,585 posts)

10. Complete!

Reply to X_Digger (Original post)

Sun Oct 20, 2013, 10:11 AM

Oct 2013

This weekend my wife tackled the painting. We chose a hard oil based paint.

Here it is, sitting on the base temporarily, after mounting the hardware.

I'll wait for the paint to harden before mounting the organizer to the top and the top to the base permanently. I also need to take some gold paint and highlight the 'singer' logo on the side of the base.

lastlib

(24,916 posts)

11. Very cool! You are quite the craftsman!

Reply to X_Digger (Original post)

Wed Nov 6, 2013, 08:02 PM

Nov 2013

I also really like the bookshelves in the background of the last pic. Did you build those? I would like to know more about them.

X_Digger

(18,585 posts)

12. Yup, those are an earlier project.

Reply to lastlib (Reply #11)

Wed Nov 6, 2013, 08:37 PM

Nov 2013

They're modular- I've carried them through three or four moves, in different configurations. There's four straight ones and a corner unit.

I designed them so that one sheet of plywood makes two units, including shelves. The cost in materials was about $80 for two units. Of course that was back in.. umm.. 1998? 1999?

Here's one I made for a friend as a housewarming gift- he wanted a step-back hutch look.

http://srv.rowelab.com/cabinet/

lumberjack_jeff

(33,224 posts)

13. Very well done.

Reply to X_Digger (Original post)

Sat Nov 9, 2013, 10:41 AM

Nov 2013

Sketchup is a great tool, isn't it?

X_Digger

(18,585 posts)

14. I love it. Steep learning curve, but very very powerful. n/t

Reply to lumberjack_jeff (Reply #13)

Sat Nov 9, 2013, 12:48 PM

Nov 2013

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