Three Drawer Writing Desk - FineWoodworking
Need some advice on constructing a small desktop organizer
Interested in building my own wooden desk
You will absolutely positively spend more than $199 on materials to build that desk. And that doesn't even take into consideration the tools you need to buy. If you're looking to get this cheaply buy a used desk.
That said if you want to build something because its fun, you get to learn and eventually you'll be able to make things that are higher quality than ikea furniture, then I'd recommend a few steps.
For design you should download sketchup http://www.sketchup.com and then watch these videos: http://sketchupforwoodworkers.com/
That'll let you play around with how the thing will look and get rough dimensions from it
As for plans. Once you have a rough design I'd look for some preexisting video tutorials that make similar things. Then watch those and make changes to dimensions as required.
More on reddit.comWhere to get a solid wood desk
"What does Countryside Amish Furniture consider to be “small” in regards to wooden desk-size?"
Most of our desks labeled as 'small' measure under 48" in width, although we do have a few options listed here that are close to 53" wide. For convenient browsing and shopping, you can find each desk's specific dimensions on the product page under the designated Dimensions tab.
"Can Countryside Amish Furniture make a small desk to meet custom dimensions?"
In many cases, we can customize small desk designs to suit your preferences exactly. This could include two-tone wood staining, modifications to the desk's shelving and storage configurations, different styles of drawer knobs than those listed, and enhancements both practical and aesthetic. Leather inlays? LED lighting in the hutch? We can make it happen!
As you might suspect, the potential modifications do indeed include the desk's dimensions. We recommend discussing your vision for a wooden desk with a member of our team. They'll provide insights into what's feasible and how it might affect features such as drawers, shelving, and other considerations.
"Does Countryside Amish Furniture send wood samples to my home?"
When viewing the small desks as a picture on the screen or in a showroom, it's difficult to determine if a wood color will complement your existing furniture in your bedroom or office. That's why we offer to send multiple stain samples directly to your home. One tip: examine the samples in various lights to better understand how they appear during the day and at night. This way, you can buy your wooden small desk with confidence!
Videos
I've been practicing my cuts, flattening, squaring, and joinery and I think I am finally ready to try an actual project, but I'm unsure about exactly how to do it. I want to make a small little box to put on my desk that just has two small drawers. I don't want a lidded compartment. It would be 9" wide, 6" tall, and 5" deep. My intent is to make the exterior box with dovetails, but I'm not sure what's the best way to attach a back to the box, how to attach a divider between the drawers, or how to attach the bottoms to the drawers. I'm using all hand tools and do not have a router plane or, well, any specialty planes, just a #4 smoother (and chisels and saws).
I'm planning on using pine, mostly because it's fairly cheap and I can get it at the big box store (and I don't want to mess up something nicer). I also have some of that shelf back panel MDF or whatever it is.
A lot of what I'm unsure about is wood movement. I could miter and glue the back, but it seems like that might fail over time as the wood expands and contracts. Similarly, I could cut a groove to put a divider between the drawers, but I'm not sure how that would work over time (plus I don't really have a good way to make the groove). So, at the moment, I'm thinking of just gluing strips to either side for the top drawer to rest/slide on, but that still leaves the back.
Then there's the drawer bottoms. Again, I'm not sure how to deal with that groove with the tools I have. Or if it would be better to just use some thin plywood or MDF and not have to worry about wood movement. It's only going to hold light things like pencils and such, so maybe that's enough.
Any suggestions? I'm probably overcomplicating it, especially since I want to keep it relatively simple for my first project.