Category Archives: Home Improvement

Wrap-around Office Space

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Zeek wanted a modern looking office space with back-lit LED lighting, wall mounted articulating monitors and configurable shelving. Here is what we came up with.
Zeek wanted a modern looking office space with back-lit LED lighting, wall mounted articulating monitors and configurable shelving. Here is what we came up with.
We started by attaching 2x4 ledgers into the studs with 3 inch screws. A 1x3 was attached to the bottom of the ledger to act as the bottom of a wiring channel. Thin 1 1/2 inch strips were added the front of the 1x3 channels after attaching the to the wall to complete the U shaped trough.
We started by attaching 2×4 ledgers into the studs with 3 inch screws. A 1×3 was attached to the bottom of the ledger to act as the bottom of a wiring channel. Thin 1 1/2 inch strips were added the front of the 1×3 channels after attaching the to the wall to complete the U shaped trough.
The sheet on the 8 foot wall was laid with a 16 inch radius (48 inch sheet width - 30 inches desk width) to make a smooth curve onto the 12 foot long wall section. We cut the curve with a sabre saw and outside the layout line and used an oscillating drum sander to smooth the cut to the line.
The sheet on the 8 foot wall was laid with a 16 inch radius (48 inch sheet width – 30 inches desk width) to make a smooth curve onto the 12 foot long wall section. We cut the curve with a sabre saw and outside the layout line and used an oscillating drum sander to smooth the cut to the line.
A 5/8 inch wide router bit was used to make a channel for the LEDs at the back edge of the sheets of plywood used for the desktop. The channel was just deep enough to accommodate the thickness of the strips (3/16 inch). It was located about 3 inches from the back edge. The factory edge of another sheet of plywood was used as guide for the router base. The width of the desk was 30 inches. It extended 8 feet along one wall and 12 feet along the other.
A 5/8 inch wide router bit was used to make a channel for the LEDs at the back edge of the sheets of plywood used for the desktop. The channel was just deep enough to accommodate the thickness of the strips (3/16 inch). It was located about 3 inches from the back edge. The factory edge of another sheet of plywood was used as guide for the router base. The width of the desk was 30 inches. It extended 8 feet along one wall and 12 feet along the other.
We brushed on a coat of MinWax Polyshades Classic Black on the desktops and followed it up with several coats of polyurethane, doing a light sand between coats. Two 1/8 inch thicknesses of red oak were bent around the inside curve of the desk edge, glued with Titebond III and clamped in place overnight to dry. We used a single 1/4 inch thickness of red oak on the the straight portions of the desk edges. The oak edges were finished with Watco Natural Oil.

Temporary 2×4 braces supported the table tops at the correct height while they were attached to the wall ledgers with countersunk 2 1/2 inch screws. Two inch holes for a couple of black plastic desk cable grommets were drilled at the back edge of the desks, inside the LED recesses.
Four canti-lever braces made from 3/4 inch black pipe fittings replaced the temporary 2×4 bracing under the desktop. They provided enough support to enable a person to sit on the desktop without sagging. Also notice the 5 inch wide plywood plate added underneath the desktop where the two 4×8 foot sheets of plywood butt against one another.
French cleats were made by ripping a 1×4 inch pine board at 45 degrees and mounting the bottom half at two levels on the wall. The upper mating half was reserved for mounting to the backs of shelves, pictures, and any other component that was desired to be hung on the wall.
Book shelves were built in several “tetris” block shapes from the 3/4 inch plywood desktop remnants. A 3/4 inch back provided the needed rigidity to the various shapes. They were primed and painted different colors.
Full motion arm mounts were attached to wall studs to support three computer monitors. They swivel to support monitors in either portrait or landscape orientations and articulate to extend up to 20 inches from the wall.

AmazonBasics Premium Wall Mount Computer Monitor and TV Stand – Lift Engine Arm Mount, Aluminum

Light Fixture for Bekah

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Bekah wanted to replace her entry way flush mount ceiling light globe with a hanging candelabra light fixture. We first made a trip to the Habitat or Humanities RE-store, where we found a used candelabra for $7.00. We patterned the open box design after a $225 wooden fixture she had found locally.

We started the construction process by making the top of the frame 13 inches square with rabbeted ends secured with glue and small screws. The 15 inch vertical corner members had a 3/8 inch rabbet cut their entire length on the inside face. These corners were epoxied to the top frame. A 13 inch plywood square was elevated about 6 inches above the top frame and inserted into the rabbets to keep the assembly square while the epoxy hardened overnight.

Next the a full length diagonal with the mounting holes for the candelabra base pre-drilled was glued between opposite corners of the top frame, and the bottom frame with mitered corners was glued at the bottom of the assembly just above the small 3/8 inch blocks that were inserted into the rabbets at the bottom of the vertical corner members. Lead weights set on the top kept the assembly flat on the work table and added stability to the construction process.

Next, the x-struts were made to fit in two opposing faces of the open structure. Each end of the strut was cut with two opposing 45 degree angles which fit snugly into the rabbets of the vertical frame corners. Half laps were cut in the struts where they crossed so they would be flush and provide additional structural strength.

X-struts were constructed for the remaining two side faces. They butted up against the ends of x-struts constructed for the first two faces.
Trim pieces were added along the top and bottom frame to bring it flush with the vertical corner members.

After letting the glue try overnight, the trim pieces were hand planed flush with the vertical corner pieces. With the exception of the small screws in the top frame, the rest of the assembly is all fastened with just glue.

Here is the frame just before Watco natural oil was applied. All pieces were made of red oak scraps left over from other projects.

Here is the fixture with the candelabra and chain installed with the lights on. Note the interesting shadows on the walls and the contrast between the illuminated and shadowed frame members. The five 25 watt incandescent bulbs in the open fixture provide much more illumination than the two 60 watt bulbs shrouded in the original flush mounted ceiling fixture.