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The Story of My Desk

jlongster.com

41–50 of 106 posts

Re: The Story of My Desk

#41

If you don't mind could you tell us a little bit about your setup, hardware and software?

Heh, here's a quick overview: Macbook Pro 15", Dell monitor (not sure what model, got it through work), old Microsoft mouse, Apple keyboard for hardware. Software: Mostly just Firefox and Emacs.

So what do you use to dual screen with your Macbook Pro?

Re: The Story of My Desk

#42

Woodworking is a fantastic outlet for creativity, and seriously underrated/underappreciated. Great way to take a break from coding. Extremely rewarding, and not very difficult to learn the basics, either. Since we're sharing, here's a couple things I've made around the house: https://scontent-b-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/302582_2063... https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/309672_1015...

Nice looking pieces! Totally agree about creative outlet. I think it would be cool to have a place where all of us engineers could talk about woodworking, interested in joining an freenode IRC channel about it? #woodworking

Re: The Story of My Desk

#43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Heh, here's a quick overview: Macbook Pro 15", Dell monitor (not sure what model, got it through work), old Microsoft mouse, Apple keyboard for hardware. Software: Mostly just Firefox and Emacs.

So what do you use to dual screen with your Macbook Pro?

I just use the native support in OS X. What do you mean? I plug it in and it works!

Re: The Story of My Desk

#45
post #6
post #2

It's always great to see people jump into doing something new with their hands. That said, I predict cracks and early failure for the top. The author created something called "breadboard ends" (the left and the right side of the top writing surface have boards that run 90 degrees to the main boards of the top). Breadboard ends are a great technique - they keep the natural tendency of the left-to-right boards to cup (…

I've been thinking about making a kind of greene and greene inspired side table for my front entry... of course arts and crafts styles in general have a lot of the breadboard ends. Do you have more information on techniques to avoid cracks?

I enjoy arts and crafts style furniture, I only consider true breadboard ends if they are mortise and tenon jointed on. When doing this you can design for the movement of the wood.

Also quartersawn white oak is most used, a wood that does not have as much expansion going on.

This is how I did it for my A&C style coffee table: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ejschmitt/9053576208/in/set-721...

Final shot of the coffee table: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ejschmitt/9115541399/in/set-721...

Re: The Story of My Desk

#46
post #2

It's always great to see people jump into doing something new with their hands. That said, I predict cracks and early failure for the top. The author created something called "breadboard ends" (the left and the right side of the top writing surface have boards that run 90 degrees to the main boards of the top). Breadboard ends are a great technique - they keep the natural tendency of the left-to-right boards to cup (…

sometimes trades do have semi-secret techniques evolved from dealing with the same damned issues over and over and over again.

This is the thing that keeps me from building my own tables, chairs, whatever. I know with many categories of things, even if building my own is 20% cheaper, I will still require 3 revisions to get it right.

Re: The Story of My Desk

#47
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you elaborate? Materials, sources, designs, etc? I'm interested in making a desk on the cheap.

Trick is to bypass 'making' stage, I just bought it second hand. I DIYD only things which are impossible to find (ultralight telescope, hexa-copters), tables are on every corner.

I have learned that this is the best way. And getting the furniture cheap makes me less afraid to modify it to my needs. If I destroy $10 table in the process I just get another one.

Re: The Story of My Desk

#48
As long as we're sharing pictures of our homemade desks, here's mine:

http://i.imgur.com/vFAThh.jpg

Oak, oak, oak, and more oak. I love oak.

And here's a full build album, including pictures of my wife's desk on the other side of the room:

http://imgur.com/a/HTxXk

Everything was done by hand except for the cabinet boxes above the corner desk and the cabinet doors, which I had made by a local cabinetry shop, since I don't have the proper tools and router bits.

This was one of my first major woodworking projects, and I can confirm what jlongster is now learning: you don't know how much you don't know about something until you try and do it yourself.

Re: The Story of My Desk

#49
post #2

It's always great to see people jump into doing something new with their hands. That said, I predict cracks and early failure for the top. The author created something called "breadboard ends" (the left and the right side of the top writing surface have boards that run 90 degrees to the main boards of the top). Breadboard ends are a great technique - they keep the natural tendency of the left-to-right boards to cup (…

sometimes trades do have semi-secret techniques evolved from dealing with the same damned issues over and over and over again. This is the thing that keeps me from building my own tables, chairs, whatever. I know with many categories of things, even if building my own is 20% cheaper, I will still require 3 revisions to get it right.

I can understand that, though the excitement and feeling of accomplishment more than makes up for cost and angst of possibly having done it wrong.

Re: The Story of My Desk

#50

This is so awesome and inspiring - I had somewhat of an epiphany a few weeks ago (essentially I felt like I wasn't handy AT ALL) and decided to take a basic woodworking class at TechShop SF this past weekend ( http://www.techshop.ws/take_classes.html?storeId=4&categoryI... ) I was a bit overwhelmed when we dived right in as I had absolutely ZERO experience before, but it was easier than I thought, especially when I g…

I build solid wood furniture at Tech Shop SF occasionally. It can be tough in a shared space, and their wood shop is really lacking in some ways, but I think that it is worth it.

Check out thewoodwhisperer.com. This guy's videos are invaluable and great for beginners.

Also, don't buy cheap tools. Just about everyone has to learn this the hard way (myself included), but there is a reason this advice is parroted so often.

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