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The 'Wishbone Desk'

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The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Woodbloke » 17 Jul 2017, 12:32

This is my interpretation of Wegner's famous 'Wishbone Desk' which I'm making in some pretty spectacular English, air dried Brown Oak. It's been secondary conditioning in the 'shop now for about two years so is ready to use. One of the best bits was used to make the four matched, quarter sawn 2mm thick veneers for the top.

Image

Also shown in the pic is a stack of 3mm Euro oak veneers for the underside of the desk top.

The design will be heavily sculpted and is 'of the moment' :eusa-pray: but you can see the distinctive 'V' of the wishbone and the single drawer front on the lhs. Although the dimensions appear 'heavy', this leaves a considerable allowance for shaping and sculpting later on.

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The end view of the desk is shown below, both drawings done to a scale of 1:2

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The end frame was drawn out on a scale of 1:1 on a gash bit of ply, which makes it much easer to make the components for each of the frames.

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The two blocks for the internal curves on the legs have already been glued in place and levelled with the leg.

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Yesterday I sorted out the acute angle for the front rail block. The top section of the frame can be seen in place; this has to be cut to length and shot in precisely to fit the gap between the two legs. The bottom stretcher rail has been laid across the centre but not yet fitted.

Jointing on the frame will be with twin 10mm dominos for each end and this will leave enough room later on for shaping. The centre stretcher will be domino'd as well once the top joints have been pulled up tight - Rob
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby MattS » 17 Jul 2017, 21:48

Can't wait to see this one, since you mentioned in another thread. I love the desk, and that oak looks lovely.
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Andyp » 23 Jul 2017, 12:09

and there is me thinking you were running out of room in your house for all the furniture you now have the time to make. Are you planning an extension too :)

I am sure this one will be worth watching too.
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby chataigner » 24 Jul 2017, 07:23

Looks interesting, look forward to seeing the job progress. What will you use as substrate for the veneered top ?
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Woodbloke » 25 Jul 2017, 19:30

chataigner wrote:Looks interesting, look forward to seeing the job progress. What will you use as substrate for the veneered top ?

Going to be using some 18mm ply so the eventual thickness after sanding should be around 24mm - Rob
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Woodbloke » 25 Jul 2017, 19:47

A couple more bits n'pieces on this little job. First and foremost the lower cross rail on the end frames is domino'd in at the rear, but there's no way I could use a dom for the front leg (because of it's raked angle) so I went for twin 8mm dowels, each about 60mm long.

Dowelmax jig shown here tipped at the correct angle with a wedge for the two holes on the front leg:

Image

Second and foremost, I always have nightmares about how the shaping will eventually turn out, so today I constructed the top section of one of the end frames, using some very old gash pine.

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It's been domino'd and glued on the original baseboard so it's exactly the same as the 'real' thing. I've yet to trim off all the rubbish and do the shaping, after which a small section of a top will be domino'd in place. Then I'll have a much better idea of the eventual outcome and I'll probably do the same thing on the central wishbone feature - Rob
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Pinch » 27 Jul 2017, 08:14

Looking forward to seeing this - very nice Rob. 8-)
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Woodbloke » 04 Aug 2017, 18:09

A little update on this one. When I'm unsure about something nowadays, instead of charging headlong into the issue and creating further bandsaw fodder, I tend to model bits of the job in gash pine on a 1:1 scale to see if it will work. This is the interface between the top and the end frame which I think looks fine:

Image

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I've also modelled the crucial central 'wishbone' joint, which I discovered needed some 'birdsmouth' joints to prevent break out:

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Finally, I wanted to see what the rough assembly of the frame was going to look like:

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The two top rails have been dovetailed into the end frames and of course the wishbone frame hasn't yet been made. The joint between the wishbone stretcher frame and the lower end frame rails will be twin, exposed and wedged m/t's and hopefully :eusa-pray: will be a distinctive feature of the desk...the mortices are just about visible - Rob
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Tusses » 04 Aug 2017, 18:17

good prep work rob :-)

I do things like that .. just to see .. and end up living with them for years because it worked out fine ! :lol: c
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby fiveeyes » 05 Aug 2017, 00:56

The close-up photo of that joint...needs to have a filet, same as the the other two. Hope that is clear, as I cannot draw on your photos. JMHO
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Woodbloke » 05 Aug 2017, 17:50

fiveeyes wrote:The close-up photo of that joint...needs to have a filet, same as the the other two. Hope that is clear, as I cannot draw on your photos. JMHO

Nope, it doesn't. No break out due to short grain.

Image

This is an image of the original Wenger 'wishbone' joint where the 'birdsmouth' jointing can clearly be seen. There's none in the 'V'. It looks like the original was also doweled, whereas mine is domino'd with longer slot in the horizontal rail to allow a sliding location against the mitres. - Rob
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Malc2098 » 05 Aug 2017, 18:30

The trial was in Wishbone Pine.

Will the finished article be Wishbone Ash?! ;)
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Woodbloke » 05 Aug 2017, 20:01

Malc2098 wrote:The trial was in Wishbone Pine.

Will the finished article be Wishbone Ash?! ;)

Nope, Brown Oak as in the original - Rob
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Malc2098 » 05 Aug 2017, 20:37

Woodbloke wrote:
Malc2098 wrote:The trial was in Wishbone Pine.

Will the finished article be Wishbone Ash?! ;)

Nope, Brown Oak as in the original - Rob


:eusa-clap:
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby RogerM » 05 Aug 2017, 20:50

Looking good Rob. How did you shape the wishbone mock-up? Looks like a round over set on the router table?
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby MattS » 05 Aug 2017, 21:06

I was also going to ask if the shaping was router or by hand?

Also, struggling to understand reference to birds mouth? Could you explain for a beginner?
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Woodbloke » 05 Aug 2017, 21:31

RogerM wrote:Looking good Rob. How did you shape the wishbone mock-up? Looks like a round over set on the router table?

The mock up was done using rasps from WH, but on the final thing recently made I used a roundover bit hand held in the OF1400 router. Shaping needs to be finished off by hand with sandpaper through the grits.

Image

MattS wrote:I was also going to ask if the shaping was router or by hand?

Also, struggling to understand reference to birds mouth? Could you explain for a beginner?


The 'birdsmouth' refers to the jointing at the lower part of the wishbone on either side of the 'V'...have a look at the original Wegner joint and above. This is done to prevent breakout when shaping with rasps etc - Rob
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Woodbloke » 19 Aug 2017, 16:56

Some more stuff has been done on this one. First and foremost, the top has been veneered; 3mm quarter sawn Brown Oak on the topside and 4mm thick Euro on the underside, so total thickness is 25mm.

Image

Having made the wishbone rail, I decided to offer everything up to see if it fitted and to make sure I hadn't made too many measurement goofs (it has been known :D )

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Having trimmed the top to the right size, it was lipped with a generous 20mm of Brown Oak and placed onto the frame:

Image

There's clearly some distortion in the pics as the rear legs are vertical and the front ones are sloped, but you can see the general idea. The next thing to do is to sort out the drawer which will hang underneath on the lhs. This pic shows the original on a Wenger wishbone desk

Image

...and you can see that there's no drawer carcase; the thick drawer sides are held in place by couple of large, clunky 'L' shaped steel brackets that locate in slots in the drawer side, which to me looks hideous :cry:

I made a mock up pine model and decided to make it appear thinner by mitring the entire planted on drawer front. The mitre in the drawer box carcase looks so...the corners were 'difficult' :evil: :

Image

...and when the drawer front is fitted the effect is thus:

Image

...which I'm quite happy with - Rob
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Andyp » 19 Aug 2017, 17:29

Is the desk's user left handed Rob?
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Woodbloke » 19 Aug 2017, 17:39

Andyp wrote:Is the desk's user left handed Rob?

Nope, but it's where the desk will eventually fit in the room. A lhs hung drawer is the most convenient location - Rob
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Andyp » 19 Aug 2017, 18:51

Fair enough Rob.
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Pinch » 20 Aug 2017, 09:22

The wishbone joint looks very tricky and very beautiful. 8-)

The veneered top is stunning - absolutely love it. 8-)

Your workshop Rob is to die for matey! :D
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby 9fingers » 20 Aug 2017, 12:54

Rob,

Where did the QS brown oak come from please?

Locally to us? I'm try to decide wheter it is worth a trip up to crispins to buy some contructional veneer or get a board similar to yours, tune up my bandsaw and cut them myself.

Cheers

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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby Woodbloke » 20 Aug 2017, 18:59

9fingers wrote:Rob,

Where did the QS brown oak come from please?

Locally to us? I'm try to decide wheter it is worth a trip up to crispins to buy some contructional veneer or get a board similar to yours, tune up my bandsaw and cut them myself.

Cheers

Bob

I happened to spot it at Yandles a couple of years ago, but it's not one of their regular timbers that they keep in stock. I guess they were offered a log which they converted and sold at the show. I don't know where you can buy it from though, perhaps a trawl through t'interweb thingie? - Rob
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Re: The 'Wishbone Desk'

Postby 9fingers » 20 Aug 2017, 19:53

Woodbloke wrote:
9fingers wrote:Rob,

Where did the QS brown oak come from please?

Locally to us? I'm try to decide wheter it is worth a trip up to crispins to buy some contructional veneer or get a board similar to yours, tune up my bandsaw and cut them myself.

Cheers

Bob

I happened to spot it at Yandles a couple of years ago, but it's not one of their regular timbers that they keep in stock. I guess they were offered a log which they converted and sold at the show. I don't know where you can buy it from though, perhaps a trawl through t'interweb thingie? - Rob


Thanks Rob,

I see Vasterns are listing some (Wooton Bassett and Calne) so not too far away. I'll ask them what they actually have. I was going to use QS oak but having seen your table top I quite fancy some brown oak.

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