Tools of the Trade
A selection of Brian's tools that played a part in the construction of a desk well built.
S.Young
Apr 21, 20241 min read
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October 23, 2020 - Moving Day Part 2: Flatbeds and plexiglass
Scanning the skies and weather apps, it became clear that today was the day! Wrapped in layers of canvass drop cloths, the two pedestal...
S.Young
Oct 23, 20201 min read
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October 20, 2020 - Moving Part 1: Drawers Stack
We initiated the moving process, removing the drawers and trays and carefully loading them into the trunk and back seat of a car, making...
S.Young
Oct 20, 20201 min read
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Session 195 - October 18, 2020: FINISHED! (or are we)
With the few fine taps of a small hammer and a handful of little brass nails, the collars are installed - the desk is righted, assembled,...
S.Young
Oct 18, 20201 min read
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Session 194 - October 17, 2020: Collars and clamps
On a beautiful fall day, we went the extra mile and began manufactured ten folded brass collars, designed to slide over the ferrules and...
S.Young
Oct 17, 20201 min read
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Session 193 - October 15, 2020: Patching in and blending out
In preparing to transport the desk to its new home, we noticed a few small touchups (small tear-out from the case' hanger and spots...
S.Young
Oct 15, 20201 min read
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Session 192 - October 10, 2020: Brass boots with woolen soles
We attached and fitted the ten (10) handmade brass ferrules to the legs one at a time, using a combination of Contact Glue and small...
S.Young
Oct 10, 20201 min read
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Session 191 - September 25, 2020: Tools for bending, caps for ending
Additional Osmo Polyx-Oil was applied by hand to the end caps; the second image show the variety of steel bars fabricated specifically...
S.Young
Sep 25, 20201 min read
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Session 190 - September 23, 2020: The warmest reflections
Having prototyped the brass ferrules, we dialed in the manufacturing process using a combination of clamps, spacers, steel bars...
S.Young
Sep 23, 20201 min read
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Session 189 - September 17, 2020: Smoother than its ever been
The Osmo Polyx-Oil was applied to the desktop and polished to a high shine using an electric handheld waxer/buffer (the end-board caps...
S.Young
Sep 17, 20201 min read
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Session 188 - September 13, 2020: Revisiting the sand and stain
As we neared the finish line, B. knew that the desktop deserved extra care and re-sanded the surface to a 400 grit finish in preparation...
S.Young
Sep 13, 20201 min read
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Session 187 - September 8, 2020: Securing the joint, epoxying the bushings
When we originally slid the dovetailed end pieces into the grooves within the main portion of the desktops, we glued the first few inches...
S.Young
Sep 8, 20201 min read
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Session 186 - September 1, 2020: Oiled a parts
In order to more easily apply Tung Oil to the insides of the two pedestal consoles and "vanity" panel, we removed the desktop, flipping...
S.Young
Sep 1, 20201 min read
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Session 185 - August 29, 2020: Double decked and inset grip
Slots were chiseled into the tops of the console's inside edges, allowing the the center drawer/case's steel straps to sit flush, each...
S.Young
Aug 29, 20201 min read
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Session 184 - August 27, 2020: Hanging on
The original plan for attaching the center drawer/case to the underside of the desktop involved using a nine Quick Connect bolts screwed...
S.Young
Aug 27, 20201 min read
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Session 183 - August 25, 2020: Blocked, locked, and bungie cords
With the small addition of wood stoppers preventing the desktop from sliding out, the tracks could now securely support each of the long...
S.Young
Aug 25, 20201 min read
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Session 182 - August 23, 2020: Felted channels, powdered paint
As the end of the proverbial tunnel began coming into sight, we realized that a solution might be needed to ensure the desktop (with both...
S.Young
Aug 23, 20201 min read
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Session 181 - August 11, 2020: Proto-brass-tip
Early in the design process, we discussed the possibility of protecting the desk's legs with brass ferrules (rings or wrappings of metal...
S.Young
Aug 11, 20201 min read
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Session 180 - August 8, 2020: Back polished and lit
The Tung Oil application continued, with a second and third coat applied and judiciously polished to an almost glass-like texture and shine.
S.Young
Aug 8, 20201 min read
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Session 179 - July 29, 2020: Let your true grain show
Having finished and mounted the drawers and trays, the next finishing phase commenced: the frame itself. We chose to finish the outside...
S.Young
Jul 29, 20201 min read
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Session 178 - July 21, 2020: Pulls, slides, and empty spaces
With the center drawer case (and myriad of drawers, trays, and boxes) finished in all of their glory, we attached slides and epoxied...
S.Young
Jul 21, 20201 min read
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Session 177 - July 19, 2020: Veneered swirls
Second coat of polyurethane applied, bringing out the grain and character of the Baltic birch.
S.Young
Jul 19, 20201 min read
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Session 176 - July 17, 2020: Stunning sides
With the inside, sides, and back of center drawer case finished, we turned our attention to finishing the top (although hidden from view,...
S.Young
Jul 17, 20201 min read
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Session 175 - July 14, 2020: Sheen not seen
Coat number three successfully applied (compared to the pace for the following 3 years - we also began to hasten our work by looking for...
S.Young
Jul 14, 20201 min read
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Session 174 - July 11, 2020: Picking up the trace
With a renewed sense of expediency/urgency (following the re-opening of the interprovincial bridges and slight easing of visiting...
S.Young
Jul 11, 20201 min read
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Session 173 - June 21, 2020: Dust of time
After three months of lockdown (kids schooling from home, remote work, limited visits with friends/family, shifting risks and ever...
S.Young
Jun 21, 20201 min read
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Wabi-Sabi: Thoughts on a Way of Being
Thinking back on my relationship with Wabi-Sabi, I think it’s fair to say it began with my personal discovery of the peaceful pleasures...
S.Young
May 5, 20203 min read
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Session 172 - March 15, 2020: Before the storm
Though this might have felt like an ordinary Sunday evening, little did we know that a disease called "Covid-19" was about to inexorably...
S.Young
Mar 15, 20201 min read
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Session 171 - March 6, 2020: Veneers and plywood stains
After staining the cases' walnut sides, we decided to also stain the underside of the Baltic birch plywood in the same walnut color; a...
S.Young
Mar 7, 20201 min read
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Session 169 - February 21, 2020: Shell and slim fronts
With the center drawer done and few pieces still receiving these final touches, we turned our attention to finishing the supporting case;...
S.Young
Feb 22, 20201 min read
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Session 168 - February 8, 2020: What it takes to hold itself together
With excitement and anticipation, we re-assembled the now finished center drawer (along with all of its components, trays, and hardware),...
S.Young
Feb 9, 20201 min read
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Session 167 - February 6, 2020: Differentiation reveals itself
Applying the second coat to the bottom of the center drawer and first coat to the underside of the hidden trays serves to bring about the...
S.Young
Feb 7, 20201 min read
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Session 166 - January 30, 2020: Radiant and radical
To prevent the excessive effects of changes in humidity, the solid cherry bottom of the center drawer is sealed with polyurethane which...
S.Young
Jan 31, 20201 min read
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Session 170 - February 28, 2020: Tapping edges
Prior to sealing the case, we needed to stain the walnut sides to match the finish for the rest of the desk; painter's table was...
S.Young
Jan 29, 20201 min read
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Session 165 - January 26, 2020: Long days, steady ways
The third and final coat of polyurethane is reverently applied to the insides, outsides, and back of the center drawer and all of its...
S.Young
Jan 27, 20201 min read
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Session 164 - January 24, 2020: Clamping alternatives
A second coat was applied to all the center drawer pieces/components, taking care to apply more lightly and without undue touchups to...
S.Young
Jan 25, 20201 min read
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Session 163 - January 17, 2020: Preventative absorption
After carefully sanding all the pieces (with the orbital sander, a sanding block, or by hand), using the air compressor to blow off...
S.Young
Jan 18, 20201 min read
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Session 162 - January 13, 2020: In the middle, all apart
Next came the finishing of the center drawer and supporting housing, easily the most complicated part of the desk (in terms of...
S.Young
Jan 14, 20201 min read
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Session 161 - January 4, 2020: Hanging out to dry
Coat number three and all is well.
S.Young
Jan 5, 20201 min read
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Session 160 - December 27, 2019: Nights of repetition
On a dark December evening (between Christmas and New Years) we continued with our desk-building tradition and applied a second coat to...
S.Young
Dec 28, 20191 min read
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Session 159 - December 20, 2019: Suspending my belief
Suspending the breadboard-style pull-out boards from the ceiling to facilitate the finishing process, we sanded, wiped, and applied the...
S.Young
Dec 21, 20191 min read
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Session 158 - December 7, 2019: Sealed, stepped, secured
With the drawers and trays fully sealed. we re-attached the stainless slides and mounted them into the desk, protecting drawers/trays...
S.Young
Dec 8, 20191 min read
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Session 156 - November 22, 2019: Concealed / sealed
With the finishing of the drawers, trays, and boxes far along or completed, we turned our attention to the false drawer fronts (into...
S.Young
Nov 23, 20191 min read
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Session 155 - November 15, 2019: Blurred
Drawer meet polyurethane, polyurethane meet drawer (and box lid)
S.Young
Nov 16, 20191 min read
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Session 154 - November 8, 2019: Containers and bits, comparted and tidied
After applying the necessary next coat of polyurethane to the drawer and box, we tidied up the pool table which had served dutifully as...
S.Young
Nov 8, 20191 min read
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Session 153 - Novembr 1, 2019: Differences of shimmer
And so continued the finishing process, the picture to the right highlighting the change in color and grain of the cherry veneered...
S.Young
Nov 1, 20191 min read
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Session 152 - October 25, 2019: Sealing small seams
We continued the finishing process with the hidden box, working around the constraints of tighter/smaller internal dimension, and the...
S.Young
Oct 25, 20191 min read
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Session 151 - October 18, 2019: Impurities and imperfection
After weeks of following a standardized finishing process, you would think that we had ironed out all the issues, but alas no. When...
S.Young
Oct 18, 20191 min read
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Session 150 - October 11, 2019: Smart solutions for slim problems
Starting with the application of new coats of polyurethane to a drawer and hidden box, we also applied walnut wood filler to the pullout...
S.Young
Oct 11, 20191 min read
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Session 149 - September 27, 2019: Shadows and shades
With the breadboard-style pull-out board glued and assembled, in preparation for the finishing process removed all marks/pencil lines and...
S.Young
Sep 27, 20191 min read
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