David's
Compact Computer Desk

The first step in completing the case of David's desk is to do the finish sanding on each of the sub-assemblies.  I first remove all hardware (that can be removed; the mag-catches are embedded in the case sides) then hand sand each sub-assembly with 150 grip paper.  I brush away the dust frequently and work as much with my fingertips as I do my eyes to know when each piece is done.

Then I remove the last of the sanding dust with a vacuum and a tack rag and take the sub-assembly into the finishing room for three coats of semi-gloss lacquer applied with an HVLP spray gun.  After the second coat is hard I scuff sand the piece with an fine sanding sponge to level and smooth the surface, tack it off again and apply the third coat.  while the lacquer on one is drying, I can sand the next.  Smaller pieces can fit two at a time on my finishing spinner.  I let the lacquer harden overnight to be sure it's cured out well and I won't be leaving fingerprints.

In the morning I lay the top plate upside-down on a mat and position the desk carcass, also upside-down, on teh top plate and measure carefully all around to get an even overhang on each side and the proper overhangs front and back.  The original design called for a 1 1/2" overhang all around, but since I know this desk will be placed against a wall, and we will be wanting to fasten it to that wall for safety, I reduced the rear overhang to match the protrusion of the legs.  On the front we want a 1 1/2" overhang with the door closed, so with the door missing I need 2 1/4".

To fasten the top plate to the case I use these washer-headed screws that allow me a large, flat bearing surface to hold the plate securely to the case, yet allow the wood of the top plate to move a little, by sliding the screws in their slots in the top struts.

With the top plate fastened down, I set the cubby assembly into the still upside-down casework and secure it to the bottom of the top struts with wood screws only.  The space inside the CD compartments is not tall enough to get my mini-power driver or a regular screwdriver into, so I mount the driver bit into a 1/4" socket and use a small ratchet to drive the screws home.  In front I get about 60° of swing and it goes pretty quickly...

The space in the back is much tighter.  I could do no better than two clicks of the ratchet on each swing, so driving these screws took a long time; about 5 minutes each.  If I did this sort of thing a lot, there are specialized tools for working in really tight spaces, but I don't so there's no point in spending resources on tools that won't get used much.

The final step is to turn the case upright, attach the drop-front hinges to the case, the door to the hinges and the metal disks for the mag-catches to the door.  And the case is completed.

This entire assembly will mount to the top of the leg-set once that is complete.  So, let's get to work on that!

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