w o r k s h o p
Wall Desk
A great way to organize that’s off the wall
I
f you’re like me, you’re probably
involved in an ongoing struggle
against clutter. Modern life seems
to be marked by piles of paper — junk
mail, bills, fliers, newspapers, books,
magazines and to-do lists. Of course,
most of these items are important, and
we need to keep them organized.
This wall desk provides a place for
you to begin that task. I constructed it
out of solid mahogany, with a drop-down
door that also functions as a writing sur-
face. The actual writing surface is plastic
laminate, which is smooth and easy to
maintain and provides an interesting
color contrast with the mahogany frame.
Gathering materials
I used 4/4 and 5/4 mahogany for the
desk. Because mahogany is readily
available in wide boards, you should
not need to glue up panels for the
wider case parts. If you choose another
14 HANDY N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 1
hardwood, you may have to assemble
the panels for the top, bottom and sides
from narrow stock.
The case back and door panels are
1/2-in. mahogany veneer on a medium-
density fiberboard (MDF) core. I chose
this core stock because it tends to be
flatter and more stable than a veneer
core. These panels are generally avail-
able from hardwood suppliers and some
home centers. Because the project calls
for only two small pieces, you might
try to purchase a 4 x 4-ft. panel instead
of the normal 4 x 8-ft. sheet.
If you don’t own a jointer and plan-
er, have your lumber supplier plane the
4/4 stock to 13/16 in. thick and the 5/4
stock to 1 in. thick. You should insist
that the stock be flat, without any cup-
ping or warping in the boards, because
it is almost impossible to build a high-
quality piece of furniture with material
that’s not flat. You will also need a
b y N e a l B a r r e t t
A wall desk provides
compact storage for
stationery and bill-
paying supplies. It
works best in a
kitchen or hallway
where floor space
is scarce.
small amount of 3/4-in.-thick maple
stock for the wall cleats and splines.
Case work
Begin by cutting all case parts to fin-
ished dimension. All joinery is done
with plate-joining biscuits, so no
allowances are needed for tenons.
Install the molding bit in the
router table for shaping the case top
profile. Although the bit has a ball-
bearing pilot, clamp a fence to the
table for safety’s sake. Keep the lead-
ing edge of the fence flush with the
bearing. Cut the profile on the panel
ends first; then shape the front edge
(see photo, p. 17). Change bits to
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
shape the bottom panel.
Next, mark the biscuit slot loca-
tions in the case top, sides, shelves,
partitions and inside bottom panel (see
drawing). Use the plate joiner to cut
the slots. When you need to cut slots
16 HANDY N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 1
 w o r k s h o p
milling parts
Shape the ends and front edge of
the case top with a molding bit.
Clamp a fence to the router table to
help guide the workpiece.
in the face of a panel, clamp a straight-
edge to the workpiece to help position
the plate joiner.
The case back rests in a groove cut
in the case top and sides. Use a router
with a spiral up-cutting bit and edge
guide to make these cuts. Notice that
the groove in the case top stops short
SHOPPING LIST
1/2-in. mahogany plywood
(1/4 sheet)
8 bf 5/4 mahogany (surfaced
to 1 in.)
12 bf 4/4 mahogany (surfaced
to 13/16 in.)
3 bf 4/4 maple (surfaced to
3/4 in.)
3 sf plastic laminate
Fall-flap support arms;
Rockler No. 30741 (2)
Fall-flap hinges; Rockler
No. 29447 (1 pair)
Router bits: Rockler catalog
No. 91914 and No. 91881
Knob; Rockler No. 42852 (1)
No. 6 x 1-1/2-in. flathead
wood screws
ILLUSTRATION BY GABRIEL GRAPHICS
No. 8 x 2-1/2-in. flathead
wood screws
No. 8 x 1-1/2-in. flathead
wood screws
No. 20 plate-joining biscuits
No. 0 plate-joining biscuits
Yellow glue
Contact cement
Transparent finish
Brown mahogany wood stain
Rout the grooves in the case back,
top and sides using a spiral up-
cutting bit. Mount an accessory
edge guide on the router.
When cutting biscuit slots in the
center of a panel, clamp a straight-
edge to the piece and position the
plate joiner.
of the panel ends. Square the ends with
a sharp chisel.
I used special fall-flap hinges for
mounting the desk door. These hinges
fit in a 35mm-dia. mortise cut in both
the desk bottom and door. Clamp a
Clamp the fence to the drill press
fence to the drill press table to properly table; then bore the 35mm hinge
locate the holes. You’ll need a 35mm recesses in the inside bottom panel.
bit to bore the mortises. (This size bit
is commonly used to mount Euro-style case parts before you start assembling
hinges for cabinet construction, so if the case. This eliminates the need for
you need to purchase one, it will be a awkward sanding in narrow spaces
handy addition to your tool kit.) Lay after assembly. Use 120-, 150-, and
out and bore the mortises in the case 220-grit sandpaper, dusting off thor-
bottom; then leave the drill press set up oughly each time you change grits.
to bore the door mortises later. Once you’ve completed sanding,
Sand all interior surfaces of the spread glue in the biscuit slots and on
MATERIALS AND CUTTING LIST
KEY NO. DESCRIPTION SIZE
A ....2......Sides ......................................13/16 x 10-1/2 x 16 in.
B ....2......Inner partitions.......................13/16 x 9 x 15-3/16 in.
C ....3......Shelves ..................................13/16 x 9 x 11-1/2 in.
D ....1......Inside bottom panel...............13/16 x 9 x 34-3/8 in.
E ....1......Bottom panel .........................1 x 11-7/16 x 36-5/8 in.
F.....1......Top .........................................1 x 12 x 37-3/4 in.
G ....1......Back, plywood.......................1/2 x 16-3/8 x 35-1/8 in.
H ....1......Door panel, plywood .............1/2 x 9-3/4 x 30 in.
I......1......Plastic-laminate panel ...........1/16 x 10-3/4 x 31 in.**
J.....2......Door rails ...............................13/16 x 3 x 36 in.
K ....2......Door stiles..............................13/16 x 3 x 15-3/4 in.
L.....2......Wall cleats, maple..................3/4 x 5 x 34-3/8 in.
M....2......Spline .....................................3/16 x 3/4 x 29 in.
N ....2......Spline .....................................3/16 x 3/4 x 8-3/4 in.
*All parts mahogany except as noted
**Trim to finished size after laminating
N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 1 HandymanClub.com 17
w o r k s h o p

assembly

1 2
Begin case assembly by joining the shelves to the Measure diagonally to be sure that the assembly is square. Adjust
inner partitions. You can save time by sanding the clamping pressure to square the assembly.
parts before assembly.

4 5
Slide the back panel into position. Drill and counter- Spread contact cement on the door panel and plastic laminate.
sink pilot holes; then fasten the back to the shelves, When the cement is dry to the touch, place dowels on the panel and
bottom and partitions with flathead screws. position the laminate.

the biscuits for the partition-shelf
joints. Join the shelves to the partitions
and clamp them to draw the joints tight.
Compare opposite diagonal measure-
ments to check that the assembly is
square (photo 2). If necessary, adjust
the clamps until the measurements are
identical; then let the glue set before
removing the clamps.
Next, join the partitions to the
inside bottom panel; then add the case
sides. When you clamp the sides, make
sure that they stay square to the bottom.
When the glue sets, remove the clamps
and add the case top.
Slide the case back into position in
the side and top grooves. Drill and coun-
tersink pilot holes and screw the back to
the partitions, shelves and bottom. Drill
and countersink pilot holes in the bottom
panel; then fasten it to the case.
Rip and crosscut 3/4-in.-thick
maple stock to size for the wall cleats.
Use the table saw to rip a 45-degree
bevel along one long edge of each
piece. Drill and countersink pilot
holes in one of the strips for mount-
ing it to the case back. Position the
holes so the screws run into the edges
of the partitions. Attach the cleat to
the case. Note that the long point of
the bevel should be positioned away
from the back panel.
Door parts
After you’ve attached the cleat, begin
making the door. Cut the door panel to
size; then cut the plastic laminate about
1 in. longer and wider than the panel.
You can use a jigsaw or band saw with
a metal-cutting blade to cut the lami-
nate. Next, coat the back of both the
panel and laminate with water-based
contact cement. Use a brush or roller to
spread the cement, taking care to coat
all surfaces evenly and completely.
Allow the cement to dry until it doesn’t
feel sticky when you touch it.
To attach the laminate, first place a
row of dowels across the door panel;
then position the laminate over the dow-
els. The laminate should overhang the
panel evenly on all edges. Start at one
end and remove the dowels one at a time
until the laminate rests on the panel.
Note that the cement grabs immediately,
so adjusting the laminate is impossible.
Use a small roller to press the laminate
onto the panel. This works out any bub-
bles and ensures a good bond. Once the
laminate is bonded to the panel, rout the
overhang with a flush-trimming bit.
Next, place a 3/16-in. slotting cut-
ter in the router table and clamp a fence
to the table to yield a 3/8-in.-deep cut.
With the laminate side down on the
table, cut a slot in all edges of the door
panel. To make the door frame, rip the
stock for the door rails and stiles to

18 HANDY N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 1
 the case (see photo, p.
21) and tighten the
large screws that hold
the parts together. Use
the small adjustment
screws to level the door
with the inside bottom
panel. Attach the fall-
3 flap supports to the case
Join the partition/shelf assembly to the inside bot- sides; then hold the
tom; then add the case sides. Be sure that the sides door level to mark the
remain square to the bottom while the glue sets.
pilot holes for the
screws that attach the
support arms. Mount
the strikes for the mag-
netic catches. Drill
1/16-in.-dia. pilot holes
for the strikes; then tap
them in with a hammer.
Finally, bore and coun-
terbore a pilot hole for
the knob, but don’t
mount it yet.
6 Finishing the case
is easiest if you can
Cut splines about 1 in. shorter than panel dimen-
sions; then carefully cut the door frame parts to break it down into
size with 45-degree mitered ends. component parts. To
that end, remove the
width; then cut it to rough length. door and all hardware; then remove
Readjust the height of the slotting cut- the bottom, wall cleat and case back.
ter in the router table to cut a slot in Sand all parts with 220-grit paper, and
the edges of the frame parts. Then ease all edges as required.
install a chamfer bit in the router table I decided to stain the exterior of
to shape the molded edge of the frame this case and leave the interior a natu-
parts. Cut 45-degree miters on the ral mahogany color. Before staining,
ends of the frame at the finished apply masking tape to the interior sur-
length. Lay out and cut biscuit slots in faces that abut the areas to be stained.
each mitered face. Press the tape firmly onto the wood
Finally, cut splines to size for the surface so the stain cannot bleed under-
door frame and panel and dry-assemble neath. You should also mask the edges
the parts to check the fit (photo 6). If of the plastic-laminate writing surface
everything looks good, apply glue to so the finish won’t stain the surface.
the spline and biscuit joints and assem- I used a water-soluble brown
ble the door. Use clamps to pull all mahogany stain, but use any stain that
joints tight; then let the glue set fully. suits your design scheme. Water-soluble
stains tend to raise the wood grain. To
Hardware and finishing eliminate this problem, first lightly wipe
Once you’ve assembled the door, bore the areas to be stained with a damp
the door-hinge mortises; then attach sponge. Then, when dry, lightly wipe
the hinges to the case and the door. the surface with 320-grit sandpaper to
Engage the door hinges with those in remove the raised grain. Do not sand
w o r k s h o p
hardware and finishing
Install the fall-flap hinges in both the case bottom and door. Engage the two
parts of the hinge and lock them together with the large screw.
Attach the fall-flap supports to the
case sides; then hold the lid in a
horizontal position to mark to location
of pilot holes for the support arm.
too aggressively. Finally, apply the
stain according to the manufacturer’s
directions.
When the stain is dry, you can
apply the first coat of finish. (I used
Waterlox Transparent Finish.) Use a
brush or rag to coat the wood surface,
allowing the finish to soak in for 20
to 30 minutes; then wipe off any
excess. After overnight drying, lightly
scuff the surface with 320-grit sand-
paper and dust off. Apply two or three
more coats, using the same technique.
When the last coat is dry, you can
buff the finish with 0000 steel wool
and polish with a soft cloth.
Installation
Once the finishing is complete,
assemble the case parts, including all
hardware. To hang the desk on the
If you’re staining only the outside of the
case, apply masking tape to protect the
areas adjacent to the stained surfaces.
Also mask the plastic laminate.
wall, first locate the wall studs with
an electronic stud finder. Transfer the
stud location onto the wall cleat; then
drill and countersink pilot holes for
No. 8 x 2-1/2-in. flathead screws. For
a writing surface height of 29 in.,
mount the cleat to the wall with its
bottom edge at a height of 35 in. The
long point of the bevel should be held
away from the wall surface. Make sure
that the cleat is installed level. Finally,
hang the desk on the wall, engaging
the two beveled wall cleat edges.
Club member Neal Barrett lives in
Rochester, New York.
SOURCES
Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
Medina, MN; 800-279-4441
www.rockler.com