Translate This PageThe new design
First step was creating 6 matching side pieces. This was the most complicated thing to do as it was the most cuts. I made a template, roughed them all down with a jig saw, then used a flush trim router bit to get them perfectly the same. Then I clamped them all together and sanded the edges to make them exact.
This was a complicated glue up. I wanted to make sure the arm rest was robust, my last edge. was pine and didnt hold up well to wear and tear. This time I made the arm rest out of 1x4 & 1x3 maple, wrapped around a 5/4 stock piece of pine for reinforcement. Glued them, trimmed them down and used a roundover bit for the first time. I think they came out fantastic! The maple was so great, a stark contrast to the absolutely AWFUL home depot sandee ply that I used for the rest. At $80 a sheet, that is the worst "furniture grade" plywood I have ever used. It has so many knots, some of the layers were pressed incorrectly and overlapped causing bulges, and it delaminated like crazy. Not good.... but I made due.
Just a shot of the complicated glue up here for the front rail as well as the SSL tray. Was critical to get these correct as there is a slight angle to the tray (about 5 degrees) so took a bit to fit it up perfectly. Then I glued and screwed it all together.
More shots of the SSL controller tray with cable pass through. Also added some cable pass throughs on the main desk area for keyboard mouse, etc.
Couple photos of the dry fit before staining. Assembling this was cool, I used threaded inserts and bolts to put it all together. Was my first time using them and I really like it. Traditionally I would have just used construction screws, but this was a more elegant solution that should hold up better over time.
Ready for stain! I was shortsighted and assembled everything with glue before staining. I wanted 2 tone and having it together made it a little tougher..... but nothing a little painters tape couldn't fix. I used gel stains so there was practically no bleed.
Some final glamour shots all assembled. Im very pleased with how this came out. There are not a lot of options for the SSL controllers and this really is the perfect setup for me.
