Stickley Leather-top Desk...uses simple joinery and modern materials, like this white oak veneer plywood, to create an authentic Arts & Crafts appearance. Taper Jig Set-up Setting

• Step by Step constructioninstruction.

• A complete bill of materials.

• Exploded view and elevationdrawings.

• How-to photos with instructivecaptions.

• Tips to help you complete theproject and become a betterwoodworker.

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WJ016

“America’s leading woodworking authority”™

Stickley Leather-top Desk

Published in Woodworker’s Journal “From Shop to Home: EssentialProjects, Tips and Techniques for Today’s Home Woodworker”

WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL ©2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

94 Essential Projects, Tips and Techniques

A Stickley-inspired Leather-top DeskWithout sacrificing any of the charm orstructural integrity of our Stickley-inspireddesign, modern methods and materials bringthis white oak desk within the reach of almostany woodworker’s skills.


Sometimes, building abeautiful, practical

piece of furniture canremind you of of all thereasons you started wood-working in the first place.Such was the case for BradBecker, the original builderof this Stickley-inspiredoak desk. His sentimentsrang true for other readersas well, making this proj-ect one of the more popu-lar Arts & Crafts pieceswe’ve published in thepast ten years or so.

The desk is a series ofsimple frame and panelsubassemblies joined withmodern biscuits, hiddenscrews and glue. Braddesigned the desk withbasic joinery so that any-one with a little experi-ence, a good router and atable saw will have no problem building it.

Starting with the BackThe back of the desk is made up of two rails,

two stiles and three panels (pieces 1 through 4).Cut these and all the other parts to the dimen-sions shown in the Material List on page 97. Withany project, measuring and test fitting each partas you make it is wise. The cabinet shop proverb— measure twice, cut once — holds true for all

woodworking. Chuck a 1⁄4" bit in your table-mounted router, set the fence, and mill 1⁄2" deepgrooves in both edges of both stiles, plus theappropriate edges of the top and bottom rails.(All dimensions are on the Elevations andExploded Drawings on the next two pages.) Thegroove cuts should be made in several passes,raising the bit about 1⁄8" each time to avoidtearout and excessive wear on the router.

These stiles and rails have 1⁄4" wide tenons cen-tered on their ends. Form them using a fine cross-cut blade in the table saw coupled with the saw’smiter gauge and nibble away the waste in suc-cessive cuts.

The tenons ateach end ofthe bot-

Figure 1: Tapering the outsidefaces of the legs adds an elementof style to their blocky,rectangular shapes.

This projectuses simplejoinery andmodernmaterials, likethis white oakveneer plywood, tocreate anauthentic Arts &Crafts appearance.

Taper Jig Set-upSetting a taper jig to the correct angle is asnap if you use your table saw miter gaugeand a square. Slide the miter gauge into atable saw slot and set the gauge to theangle you want for the taper jig. Now slidethe saw fence and taper jig over to themiter gauge and use the square to positionthe jig at the angle you need.

Miter Gauge

Square

Taper Jig

Fence

Leather -top Desk 95


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11/4"13/8"

111/4"

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133/4"

23/4"

23/4"

23/4"111/4"1/2"

7"

16"

121/4"

143/4"

5"

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81/2"

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1/2"

1/2"

111/4"

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11/8" 1/2"

1"

3/4"

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121/4"

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81/2"

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1/2"

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11/8" 1/2"

1"

3/4"

1/4"

1/4"

1/2"

12"

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21/4"

23/16"

23/4"

1/2"5/8"

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5/8"2"

3/8"1/2"

1/4"

1/4"

1/2"

Desk Elevation(Side View)

Desk Elevation(Front View)

DeskElevation(Top View)

Leg JoineryDetail

(Top View)

Desk Elevation(Back View)

NOTE: The tabletopfasteners are located on the top of each leg.

The legs aretapered onthe outsidefaces only.

Make sure thequartersawn

grain faces front and

back.

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19Faux Tenon (Side View) (End View)

Biscuit and Frame

Joinery Detail(Top View)

Leg Faux Tenon (Side View) (End View)

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13/8"

133/4"

23/4"

23/4"

23/4"111/4"1/2"

7"

16"

121/4"

143/4"

5"

5"

3"

16"

81/2"

141/2"

1/2"

1/2"

111/4"

11/4"

11/8" 1/2"

1"

3/4"

1/4"

1/4"

1/2"

12"

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21/4"

23/16"

23/4"

1/2"5/8"

17/8"

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3/8"1/2"

1/4"

1/4"

1/2"

Thebottom-

mounteddrawer

slides areattached to

cleatsglued tothe backpanel of

the desk.



MATERIAL LIST

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11/4"

1/2"

11/4"13/8"

111/4"

21/4"

13/8"

133/4"

23/4"

23/4"

23/4"111/4"1/2"

7"

16"

121/4"

143/4"

5"

5"

3"

16"

81/2"

141/2"

1/2"

1/2"

111/4"

11/4"

11/8" 1/2"

1"

3/4"

1/4"

1/4"

1/2"

12"

6"

21/4"

23/16"

23/4"

1/2"5/8"

17/8"

5/8"2"

3/8"1/2"

1/4"

1/4"

1/2"

The desktop outer panels (pieces 14) are solid hardwood. Attach themto the desktop center panel (piece 15) with just a few drops of glue.This allows them to expand and contract from the center of the desk.

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T x W x L1 Back Frame Rails (2) 3⁄4" x 23⁄4" x 491⁄4"

2 Back Frame Stiles (2) 3⁄4" x 23⁄4" x 8"

3 Back Frame Center Panel (1) 1⁄4" x 21" x 8"

4 Back Frame Side Panels (2) 1⁄4" x 123⁄8" x 8"

5 Interior Frame Stiles (4) 11⁄4" x 23⁄4" x 121⁄2"

6 Interior Frame Rails (4) 11⁄4" x 23⁄4" x 171⁄2"

7 Interior Frame Panels (2) 1⁄4" x 171⁄2" x 8"

8 Legs (4) 23⁄4" x 23⁄4" x 281⁄2"

9 Exterior Frame Rails (4) 3⁄4" x 23⁄4" x 181⁄8"

10 Exterior Frame Panels (2) 1⁄4" x 181⁄8" x 91⁄2"

11 Desktop Sides (2) 11⁄2" x 2" x 23"

12 Desktop Front & Back (2) 11⁄2" x 2" x 561⁄2"

13 Large Screws (12) #10 x 3"

14 Desktop Outer Panels (2) 11⁄2" x 12" x 24"

15 Desktop Center Panel (1) 3/4" x 24" x 301⁄2"

16 Top Faux Tenons (4) 1⁄2" x 11⁄8" x 5⁄8"

17 Drawer Dividers (4) 11⁄4" x 23⁄4" x 12"

18 Tabletop Fasteners (4) Steel

19 Tabletop Fastener Screws (8) Steel

20 Tabletop Screws (12) #8 x 2"

21 Leg Space Shelf (1) 11⁄4" x 9" x 213⁄4"

22 Drawer Cleats (2) 1⁄4" x 3" x 7"

23 Leather (1) 25" x 31"

24 Leather Backer (1) 3⁄4" x 291⁄2" x 23"

T x W x L



tom rail are notched 1⁄4" from the bottom. Thesecuts can be made on a bandsaw or with a sharpbacksaw. With that done, you’re ready to dry fitthe frame together and check your joinery. Whenyou’re pleased with the fit, apply glue to the stileand rail joints (but not the plywood panels, asthey need to float freely). Make sure the sub-assembly is flat and square as you clamp it up.

After the glue cures, use a router and straight-edge to plow a vertical 1⁄4" deep groove on theinside face of the stiles. These grooves are 11⁄4"wide and will be used to join the interior framesto the back.

Building the Interior FramesThe interior frame subassemblies house the

drawers and surround the desk owner’s legs.Begin machining them at the router table byplowing a 1⁄2" deep groove in each stile (pieces 5)and rail (pieces 6) at the locations shown on theElevation Drawings. Then move to the table sawto mill tenons on the ends of each rail. These arerelatively simple cuts as no shoulder is required.

Glue and clamp the two subassemblies together,again letting the panels (pieces 7) float freely inthe frames.

Machining the LegsUse either solid or glued-up stock to make

blanks for the legs (pieces 8). Either way, have thequartersawn grain showing on the front and backfaces of each. After cutting the legs to size, tapertheir two outside faces, as shown in Figure 1. Use

Figure 2:Assemble thedesktop frameand cut a rabbetin its bottomedge with abearing-guidedbit. Square thecorners with asharp chisel.


Joining Boards Without a JointerBy coupling a straight edge with end clampsand a pattern-cutting router bit, you can eas-ily join boards. Mountthe bit in yourrouter table. Adjustthe bit so the heightequals the thickness ofthe board plus the bear-ing thickness, thenclamp the edge guide alongthe edge you want to cut. Passthe board along the router bitwith the bearing running alongthe edge guide. You can also usethis guide/pattern bit combinationfor other operations, such as trimmingdown doors to fit.

WOODWORKER’S GLOSSARYWOODWORKER’S GLOSSARYArts & Crafts:A design style originated in the mid-1800s byWilliam Morris to offset the elaborate detail-ing of the Victorian styles. Its purpose was toshow a simple handcrafted artist’s approachto furniture design. The popular Mission furniture is a variation of this style.



a tapering jig and great care to slice the angles offthe legs (see Desk Elevation Front and Side Viewsfor taper dimensions).

Move back to the router table to mill the 1⁄2"deep stopped grooves in each leg to accommo-date the sides and back. Stopping the grooves inthe right spot is simply a matter of matching uppencil marks on the leg and the router tablefence. Wrap up the legs by using a routerequipped with a 1⁄4" straight bit to create thesmall mortises for the legs’ decorative fauxtenons (see the sidebar on this page).

Building the Exterior FramesCut and mill the four rails for the exterior

frames (pieces 9), using the same techniques asyou did for the interior frame rails; just noticethat the lengths are different. Notch the tenonson the two bottom rails (see the ElevationDrawings) to create 1⁄4" shoulders.

Test the tenons’ fit in the legs, then cut thepanels (pieces 10) to size. Glue and clamp therails to the legs while slipping the panels in placewithout glue.

Building the TopBegin making the top by creating a simple,

butt-jointed frame with the front, back and sides(pieces 11 and 12). Start by cutting the parts tosize, then chop the small, shallow mortises forthe faux tenons and screws on the long framepieces. Predrill each piece to properly accept thescrews (pieces 13), then assemble the frame with-out glue. Turn the frame upside down and, usinga bearing-guided rabbeting bit, mill a rabbetaround the inside edge (see Figure 2). Square thecorners with a sharp chisel after you’re donerouting the rabbeted edge.

Select solid hardwood stock with beautifulgrain and figure for the two outer desktop panels(pieces 14). Form rabbets on the edges of each

panel. (Note thaton three sides,this rabbet ismilled on the topface while on thefourth side it ismilled on thebottom face.) Cutthe center panel(piece 15) from3⁄4" plywood and,after predrillingscrew holes,attach it to theframe withscrews only. Testfit the two outerpanels to thecenter panel andframe. When allthe parts fittogether well, remove the screws and reassemblethe top with glue and screws. Apply a coupledrops of glue to the joint between the centerpanel and the inverted rabbet on the outer pan-els. This will ensure both panels will expand andcontract out from the center of the desk. Finally,glue the top faux tenons (pieces 16) in place.

Assembling the DeskSand the subassemblies down through the grits to

220, and test fit all your joints (see Figure 3). Thenlay out and mill the eight biscuit slots for the drawerdividers (pieces 17). Glue and clamp the two interiorframes in their dadoes in the back, then glue thesubassembly into the stopped grooves in the legs(don’t glue the panels in place during this process).Before this glue begins to set, install the drawerdividers with glue and biscuits. Make sure every-thing is square as you tighten the clamps. Once theglue dries, use a Forstner bit to create round mor-

Figure 3: Beforefinal assembly,test fit thejoints betweenpre-madesubassemblies,such as theback sub-assembly andthe legs.

There are two different size fauxtenons on this desk. The topframe set have larger tailsand cover a set ofscrews. The leg set aremachined with tinytenoned tails to glueinto 1⁄4" mortises. They’reeasy to make and ensure aclean attractive look.

Machine the faux tenons inthree steps: Chamfer the endsand edges of your stock on asander, relieve the tenontails on your table saw,and slice them freewith a bandsaw andmiter gauge.

Be sure to make each size faux tenonin sets. Use a registration blockclamped to your miter gauge to ensureuniformity.


tises in the tops of the legs (see Leg Joinery Detail,page 96), then secure the tabletop fasteners(pieces 18) to the legs with screws (pieces 19).

To join the top and bottom subassemblies, startby placing the desktop on the lower desk assem-bly. From the underside, mark where the interiorframes touch the desktop’s center panel. Removethe top and drill pilot holes for screwing throughthe top into the interior fames, countersinking theholes from the upper face. Center the top on thedesk body, then drive your screws (pieces 20)down through the center panel into yourpredrilled pilot holes in the interior frame’s toprails (pieces 6). Finish securing the frame in placeby driving screws (pieces 19) up through thetabletop fasteners into predrilled pilot holes in itsbottom face, then attach the leg space shelf (piece21) with screws (pieces 13). Take a moment toglue the drawer cleats (pieces 22) to the plywood


Finisher’s Scorecard:Choosing the best finish for your project doesn’t have to be difficult if you know the basic characteristicsof these eight common finishes. Incidentally, chatoyance refers to the ability of the finish to enhancedepth and figure, “popping” the grain.

o Wax – thin; apply by rag; easy to repair; poor chatoyance; sheds water but takes water marks; poor solvent, scratch and heat resistance; fair stain resistance.

o Oil and Danish oil – thin; apply by rag; easy to repair; good chatoyance; good water, heat, and solvent resistance; poor scratch resistance; fair stain resistance.

o Shellac – apply thin or thick by rag, brush or spray; easy to repair; good chatoyance; poor heat and alkali resistance; good water and scratch resistance; fair solvent resistance; good stain and acid resistance.

o Lacquer – apply thin or thick by brush or spray; easy to repair; good chatoyance; poor to fair heat resistance; good water, scratch, stain and solvent resistance.

o Oil varnish – apply thin or thick by rag, brush or spray; not easy to repair; good chatoyance; good water, heat, solvent, scratch and stain resistance (if thick).

o Polyurethane (oil base) – apply thin or thick by rag, brush or spray; not easy to repair; good chatoyance; good water and stain resistance; excellent solvent, heat, and scratch resistance.

o Waterborne acrylic-polyurethane – apply thin or thick by pad, brush or spray; moderately easy to repair; poor chatoyance; good water, stain, solvent, heat, and scratch resistance.

o Two part coatings (catalyzed lacquer, conversion varnish, automotive polyurethane) – apply thick by spray; very difficult to repair; excellent water, stain, solvent, heat and scratch resistance; chatoyance varies.

Yet Another Way to Use3M’s All Purpose Post-it™ Notes

Marking the spot to drill for hard-ware on a freshly finished piece can be

trying. Next time you are confronted with thisdilemma try placing a Post-it™ Note in theapproximate location of the intended hole andmake your marks on it instead.



panels inside the drawer cavity (refer to theElevation Drawings on page 96).

Drill a finger hole in the top’s center panel tohelp lift the removable leather covered panel,then cut the leather (piece 23) and its backer(piece 24) to shape and dry-fit them to the top ofthe desk. When the fit is right, glue the leather tothe backer with 3M’s 77 spray adhesive.

Making the DrawersRefer to the illustrations and photos on this

page to mill the joinery on the sides, fronts andbacks of the four deep drawers and the shallowpencil drawer (pieces 25 through 35). Assembleeach box and sand smooth. Cut the drawer facesfrom attractive hardwood stock. Mount the draw-er pulls with their bolt heads counterbored into

the back of the drawer faces.With the drawer boxes complete, install the

drawer slides according to the manufacturer’sinstructions, then slide the drawers into theiropenings. Use double-sided tape to temporarilyposition and mark the locations of the drawerfaces, then screw the faces in place. Install theremaining faux tenons. Remove the drawer facesand hardware for finishing.

Wrap up this project by applying a light walnutoil stain, topped by at least three coats of clearmatte lacquer. Sand between these coats with400-grit paper. Reinstall the drawer faces anddrawer pulls after the finish dries.

25 Deep Drawer Sides (8) 1⁄2" x 41⁄4" x 193⁄4"

26 Deep Drawer Fronts & Backs (8) 1⁄2" x 41⁄4" x 103⁄4"

27 Deep Drawer Bottoms (4) 1⁄2" x 103⁄4" x 191⁄8"

28 Deep Drawer Faces (4) 3⁄4" x 47⁄8" x 117⁄8"

29 Drawer Pulls (6) Mission style

30 Deep Drawer Slides (4) 21"

31 Pencil Drawer Sides (2) 1⁄2" x 21⁄2" x 18"

32 Pencil Drawer Front & Back (2) 1⁄2" x 21⁄2" x 201⁄4"

33 Pencil Drawer Bottom (1) 1⁄2" x 201⁄4" x 171⁄2"

34 Pencil Drawer Face (1) 3⁄4" x 31⁄4" x 215⁄8"

35 Pencil Drawer Slides (1 pair) 18"

36 Faux Tenons (4) 5⁄8" x 2" x 1⁄2"

7/8"

511/16"

51/2"13/8"

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A small 1⁄4" x 11⁄2"notch allows thedrawer slides toclear the frontand back of thedeep drawers.

T x W x L

CORNER LOCKING DRAWER JOINERY

DrawerJoint

(Top View)

1/4"

1/4"1/4"

Thedrawerbottoms are1⁄2" hardwoodplywood withrabbeted edges.

Deep Drawer

(Section View)

CornerDetail

The drawer fronts and backs are rabbeted on their ends(left inset). Drawer sides (above right) have 1⁄4" dadoesmilled across their ends. Both steps can be done on thesame setup, as shown above. The 1⁄4" drawer bottomgrooves are also formed on the same table saw setup.

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MATERIAL LIST (DRAWERS)


Documents

Stickley Leather-top Desk...uses simple joinery and modern materials, like this white oak veneer plywood, to create an authentic Arts & Crafts appearance. Taper Jig Set-up Setting