Thickness Tapers, Shelves, & Assembly | Nicole's Desk Pt. 2

Watch our latest video! "Refinishing a Retro Heywood Wakefield Desk With A Stunning New Look!"
• Transforming A Retro H... -~-
Topics:
0:00 - Leg Dados
2:53 - Thickness Taper
7:23 - Sanding & Roundovers
8:00 - Inner Frame Assembly
10:17 - Shelves
16:42 - Shelf Glueup
18:29 - Base Glueup
The desk has two shelves that span the distance between the front and rear legs and they are held in place with a dado. We'll make that dado using a miter gauge and a dado stack at the table saw. From there we'll thin the legs with a nice taper using a shop-made sled and the planer.
Assembly starts with a sub-assembly of the inner drawer compartment structure. Once that's complete, we can attach the legs. You really need to be careful with this glueup and as you'll see, even though I thought I was fully prepared, I still screwed something up. Glueups always keep you on your toes.
The shelves are going to be made from white oak and will serve as a nice complementary color and grain with the walnut. The white oak panels are carefully cut to size so they fit between the walnut legs when resting in the dadoes.
Links & Stuff:
MLCS 1/8" Router Bit (#6084) - www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops...
Titebond Extend - amzn.to/2QvMkgR
Lee Valley Drawing Bow - www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/...
TWW Card Scraper - thewoodwhisperer.com/product/...
Preppin' Weapon Sanding Block - amzn.to/3lwYtkb
TWW BBQ KZbin - / @twwbbq
TWWBBQ Instagram - / twwbbq
White Charcoal Pencil - amzn.to/2E1pY4r
Other Parts in this Series:
Part 1 - • Design, Legs, & Joiner...
Part 2 - • Thickness Tapers, Shel...
Part 3 - • I Lost My Temper | Nic...
Part 4 - • The Drawer & Finish | ...
Condensed Version - Coming Soon
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[@woodwhisperer]

This is a long video. Feel free to use the chapter markers to skip around. 0:00 - Leg Dados 2:53 - Thickness Taper 7:23 - Sanding & Roundovers 8:00 - Inner Frame Assembly 10:17 - Shelves 16:42 - Shelf Glueup 18:29 - Base Glueup

[@amauryrodriguez477]

You Sir are a true teacher! Took the time to explain the issue of the long clamp drawing the frame due to the gap for the drawer and the solution of two shorter clamps... all while the glue was quickly drying! “I should be cutting instead of talking” Loved it! Amazing build BTW! Thank you for sharing!

[@JacobAndersonLives]

Great tips! You make these complex parts seem more approachable.

[@nevillemcintosh6470]

Loving the new video format. Nice too see the projects develop and the process used.

[@VaracolacidVesci]

Hey it's going pretty good. Those shelves really balance the looks of the piece out. Great design. Amazing skills. Thank you for sharing them with us

[@NitFlickwick]

I know the KZbin crowd/algorithm don’t generally like these longer-form video series, but I’m loving it.

[@aaronallgrunn7845]

Making it look easy while my brain is breaking! I am starting to learn how much thought goes into every single move made, leaving the boards oversized for room to smooth to clamping strategies, there's a ton going on all the time here. Very well done!

[@scottroy6195]

Yup, I would have cut to size then been upset when they wiggle.

[@peterschut63]

Fantastic project, a pleasure to watch

[@Artnovetor]

Está ficando muito bom parabéns 👏

[@arth.4196]

I want to thank you for all you show us.....

[@jacobboone4281]

I always appreciate your amazing attention to detail! Even in your BBQ. You make some of the best videos.

[@LogHouseFarm]

The taper on the legs with the planer is something I would never have thought of, thanks for sharing.

[@woodwhisperer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@alanr745]

No kidding. I would have grabbed my #4 and done it by hand. Good tip Marc. That’s why hybrid woodworking works faster and usually easier.

[@n8wrl]

@@woodwhisperer Love the planer idea, but I have a question. I think you tapered the legs on the outside, so the inside of the legs is straight. I'd like to do the opposite - I want the legs to be straight on the outside and taper on the inside, but the dado is a problem. Seems like the leg is too wide at the top to use a taper jig at the table saw, I don't think I'll get as smooth a cut on the bandsaw, and I'm worried about cutting the dado before and after the taper because... What do you think?

[@g.m.fallon3135]

How about using the jointer for repetition?

[@n8wrl]

@@g.m.fallon3135 That's a good idea. I'm going to try Marc's planer+sled idea. I have several "leg-shaped" scraps from the taper cut. I'm going to cut dado's in those too and run them thru the planer to see if I get tearout

[@bickybickford]

I was watching this video and when it got to the part about the clamps leaving marks I ran down stairs and sure enough the protect I had clamped up earlier had marks on it. If I had only watched this video a bit sooner. Or did watching the video cause the marks. Damn quantum paradox. Awesome video mark nice work.

[@ssp_tube]

Did you steam them out?

[@adambrown7500]

your a life saver, i have to do a similar dado on a set of legs and i could not wrap my brain around how to do it accurately. this is exactly what i needed

[@woodwhisperer]

Glad to help Adam!

[@NHdiesel75]

Thanks for the great teaching/detail. Also, love the shirt!!! Norm is a legend!

[@ArturoMendezC]

Bonito mueble, el detalle de las patas se ve genial

[@philmininni5981]

Awesome build.

[@woodwhisperer]

Thanks!

[@MCsCreations]

Pretty interesting process, dude! 😃 Thanks for all the tips!!! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@waynebooker498]

That was funny at the end. God, it was just like watching myself!

[@justonsvoid]

You have the best squiggly lines in the business!

[@woodwhisperer]

Lots of practice with those squigglies!

[@FredMcIntyre]

Awesome work Marc! 😃👍🏻👊🏻

[@woodwhisperer]

Thanks 👍

[@TheWoodLab]

Excellent vid Marc. Now gotta get caught up on the 3rd video. Love how you cover an oops moment when you initially forgot the clamping blocks for the drawer side. - Jim **PS for anyone considering a TWW Guild project, Do It... this video series gives you a taste of the level of instruction there.

[@HansJPfisterer]

cool desk! Greatings from Vienna Austria!

[@andrewbrown8148]

Lookin' good, brother~! I might have to take this one on myself. Love the technique of tapering with the planer. Prior to seeing your instruction on that, my attempt would probably wind up a spear chuckin' demonstration....right thru the side of my shop. ;-)

[@phil.pinsky]

Another fantastic project in the can for my best friend, Spags.

[@woodwhisperer]

#bestbuds

[@phil.pinsky]

@@woodwhisperer Please remind Lutes. He's always been jealous of our closeness

[@ianmib]

Those countersink bits with the bearings are friggen awesome. I want them so bad, but they are too much $$$.

[@EscobarStyle]

How you doing sir? Love your videos. So many ideas I cant keep up. Question.. What’s a great jointer without spending an arm and leg? Thank you 🙏🏼

[@1969ironmike]

So watching this video sure helped me out. I believe I am using way too much glue sometimes and getting way to much squeeze out. Not sure how you attached the base to the top unless I missed a video lol

[@chrisjordan4210]

Love woodworking, just hate glue-ups. I'm looking for a glue that's workable until you click your fingers, then it sets (possibly Titebond 40 available from January 2032).

[@pulseammo]

I'm curious about the grain direction of the shelves. Will this grain direction not push the legs apart? Would the other direction have been not as strong glued into the dados? Or am I over thinking the whole thing and either orientation would do? Thanks again for these project videos, really takes me back to your older stuff, it's much appreciated particularly knowing youtube isn't the greatest source of return for you but you're still putting it up for us anyway.

[@woodwhisperer]

The grain direction breaks the rules. The shelf will expand and contract between the legs but the movement is really minimal. Many of the boards of the panel are rift or quartersawn and with that width in an air conditioned home, the movement isn't going to be much of an issue. Whatever movement does occur, the legs should have no problem handling it. In this case, I thought it was important enough for the shelf grain to match the grain of the top and the downsides minimal enough to warrant it.

[@JackMoskowitz]

When you dry fit, how do you get your dominos to slide easily? Mine are so tight I have to remove them with plyers. Learning a bunch from these videos. Thanx.

[@woodwhisperer]

I lightly sand them and remove the ribs along the length. In Denver it’s very dry so that’s all I need to do. My guess is you live in a place where the humidity is higher. So you’ll have to do more work. It’s a good idea to reserve some of each size domino as “dry fit”. The you can reuse them whenever you need to.

[@ritchtaylor3831]

How do you compensate for movement of the shelves which are glued into the dado's? Won't the legs move in & out with the expansion & contraction of the shelf panels?

[@jeremyspecce]

Really liked the nice calm, thorough pace of this one. BTW, will there be a video on this project??

[@IAmKyleBrown]

I'm not following your question. This is the video on the project. Are you referring to guild project?

[@jeremyspecce]

Kyle Brown it was a play on his Instagram rant about people asking if he’s making a video (or plans) about everything he shows on Instagram. But... if you have to explain a joke it might not be funny. 🤣

[@IAmKyleBrown]

@@jeremyspecce ah! I missed the sarcasm, that makes perfect sense. In that case, well done!

[@oatmeal63]

Great video. Will there be a third one showing the finished project?

[@woodwhisperer]

I sure hope so.

[@ssp_tube]

Speaking as an amateur, once you set your jig for the cross cut, do you need to move the fence a little further away, or is it okay to leave it where you had it since you aren't putting direct pressure on it?

[@jdlandry06]

Hi Marc, what is the reason you go up one more grit on end grain? Is it to make a finer dust to plug all the end grain pores? Thank you for all the replies to the comments I see below.

[@woodwhisperer]

Sanding to a finer grit helps curtail some of the absorption that happens on the end grain, preventing it from become darker when finished.

[@1320crusier]

I feel like a panel jig should be a project to make applying vertical and horizontal pressure a bit easier and more efficient.

[@adambrown7500]

your right, but hes teaching us poors how to do it lol

[@brentfowler2317]

Hey Marc, what type of pencil are you using in this video? And where did you get it? Awesome video, thanks for another great one..

[@woodwhisperer]

White Charcoal Pencil - amzn.to/2E1pY4r

[@brentfowler2317]

@@woodwhisperer oh cool, thank you.

[@p8ntblr1]

Will there be extra supports to keep it from racking?

[@woodwhisperer]

Nope.

[@hdwoodshop]

I was wondering how the leg glue up was going to turn out. Seems like gravity was against you and legs could sag making legs spread out. Would tighter fit of dominoes made that less likely? Or would a gluing jig?

[@woodwhisperer]

Both might help.

[@Foley480]

Hi Marc, Are you worried about expansion on those shelves?

[@woodwhisperer]

Nope. The legs will take whatever minimal movement might occur.

[@p8ntblr1]

What brand double stick tape do you use?

[@woodwhisperer]

I'll have to get the brand for you. It's something that you can't buy online and they seem to only deal with local hardwood dealers.

[@Sam_I_Am70]

@@woodwhisperer Could you post that somewhere on your site? It looks thinner than the spectape turners tape and seems perfect for light duty tasks.

[@woodwhisperer]

It’s called G-Tape

[@reforzar]

I never think ahead on glue ups.

[@woodwhisperer]

I’ve heard this.... 😄

[@davidl.532]

Is it just me or did others gasp when he uses a nice piece of Walnut as the stop/holder on the taper leg jig?

[@woodwhisperer]

I gasped too, but only because it wasn't bubinga. :)

[@scottroy6195]

Yeah heart stopped a bit.

[@TWC6724]

I've been wondering, do you keep in touch with David Marks?

[@woodwhisperer]

We don’t talk often but we do stay in touch periodically.

[@bewnie]

What kind of Domino plugs are you using? They look so dark compared to the ones I have.

[@woodwhisperer]

Those are the Sipo outdoor versions. Only using them because i purchased a ton of them accidentally.

[@bewnie]

@@woodwhisperer Thanks. Any significant benefit when using them outdoor? or let me re-phrase: Will the patio table a made for my parents suffer from regular Dominoes?

[@duanehurley2105]

Hope that smoker was the Big Green Egg!?

[@bertv1205]

You could have used the dado’s and a piece of wood to keep the legs in place in your planer set up... Or am I confused about where the tapers go? Dizzying stuff!

[@woodwhisperer]

I suppose you could, but that would probably be a lot more trouble than it's worth. The angles of the dados change depending on which leg you're planing and you'd still need a sled with the shims. There are probably other ways to get it done but the one you're suggesting sounds like more work.

[@jeremyspecce]

I feel like my planet wouldn’t feed the piece through because of the angle, did you have to manually feed it through after the initial cut was above the level of the leg material?

[@dennispope8160]

Funny, all the grain I work with when using the hand plane is temperamental...

[@aapoapina7390]

I approve this video 😉, but where's the morningshow?

[@woodwhisperer]

No morning show today. We have a few kids coming to the house for 3rd grade tutoring, Nicole has to do Ava's remote learning stuff, and I'm backed up on video. Crazy times!

[@aapoapina7390]

@@woodwhisperer No worries! I just looked at guild calender and there was a morningshow but kids comes first 100% And yes we live crazy times 😀

[@CPTTango30]

I expected to see some delicious BBQ at the end of the video. I feel robbed.

[@woodwhisperer]

You and me both!

[@eoincripps]

"recording right after lunch is a bad idea" :)

[@ragnkja]

I suspect it’s a worse idea to record right before lunch.

[@jlmfoy365]

Hey Marc, you need to remember your a bloke and it's common knowledge blokes don't multitask. Just a fact of life, unfortunately. Regards Jim UK

[@s28278187]

uggh recording right after lunch