Outstanding. I'm getting ready to build myself a roll top desk. My grandfather had a real old one that I admired. He told me when he was gone, it was mine. When he died, I was up in the hills hunting, and my dad and uncles went to move Grandma to town. The old desk was coming apart at the glue joints, so they threw it down an old cistern, where the town folk dumped their trash. I was livid when I found out what they did. I've looked for a desk I could afford but haven't found one. I'm 82 years old, so if I want one before I die, I'll have to build it. Hopefully, one of my grandsons will inherit it.
No, that was definitely omitted, and I'm also curious about his method. Also missing was attaching the main table top to the base, though that was probably just some screws through the top into the frames which would be hidden by the sides of the top.
@@1980rburgess Did anyone notice that in the finished version at the end of the video, there was an additional apron piece at the top of the kneehole between the drawer cases? It even has a decorative curved cutout. That definitely was not shown in the build. Nor was the mortising for the lock mechanism of the roll top.
Great, Norm but the only hand tool you used was a mallet. So one needs a fully-equipped workshop to make this piece? By the way, polyurethane varnish was a very poor choice.
Norm has often been criticized for his “overuse” of power tools and “underuse” of traditional hand tools. These are simply the methods he chooses to use, to each his own. He has almost singlehandedly rejuvenated the woodworking movement 30 years ago, so who are you to criticize him for this? I find it interesting that you offer complaints, for what are completely acceptable techniques and skills yet offer no solutions or suggestions for his “errors”. Go troll somewhere else, no one wants to hear your nonsense.
@@David-fv7zg @Gordon Burns makes completely valid points. Why should anyone wanting to make furniture have to feel compelled to spend thousands of dollars for expensive machines? If you could only make furniture with machines then you alienate hundreds of thousands of prospective woodworkers. Also, they are noisy and put tons of harmful sawdust in the air. You can do everything Norm is doing with hand tools and much of the time without complicated setup and jigs. As to choice of finishes go, polyurethane is plastic. If you need to repair it, you have to strip off the old finish first. Other, more natural finishes such as shellac, milk paint, and shop made finish from blend of linseed oil, bees wax and varnish are much more forgiving and simpler to repair. Now you go troll somewhere else.
@@David-fv7zg Not at all. I have lots of tools. Not everyone does, but when Norm fails to demonstrate how to do the same job with hand tools novices get the notion that you can only do woodworking with power tools and you have to have expensive cabinet saws. Also, you have to have someplace to keep a shop and not everyone has a dedicated shop. Using hand tools, you can work almost anywhere.
@@mgmoody42 So you are basically saying that people are just ignorant and can't think for themselves. I think 30 years of Roy Underhill solves that problem. Left wing victim mentality has finally infiltrated the woodworking community. Next thing you will say is we should have our taxes raised so we can equal the playing field and buy everyone power tools, and a building to put them in so they done feel left out. Get off your high horse buddy.
Outstanding. I'm getting ready to build myself a roll top desk. My grandfather had a real old one that I admired. He told me when he was gone, it was mine. When he died, I was up in the hills hunting, and my dad and uncles went to move Grandma to town. The old desk was coming apart at the glue joints, so they threw it down an old cistern, where the town folk dumped their trash. I was livid when I found out what they did. I've looked for a desk I could afford but haven't found one. I'm 82 years old, so if I want one before I die, I'll have to build it. Hopefully, one of my grandsons will inherit it.
Excellent video Norm, and very informative.
The New Yankee Workshop
Season 13, Program 13: Part 2 of a Recycled UK Mission-Stylish Roll Top Secretary Writing Desk
Thank you for the beginning
Somehow the top was attached to the desktop? Did I miss that part?
No, that was definitely omitted, and I'm also curious about his method. Also missing was attaching the main table top to the base, though that was probably just some screws through the top into the frames which would be hidden by the sides of the top.
@@1980rburgess Did anyone notice that in the finished version at the end of the video, there was an additional apron piece at the top of the kneehole between the drawer cases? It even has a decorative curved cutout. That definitely was not shown in the build. Nor was the mortising for the lock mechanism of the roll top.
Beautiful work
Excelente!
Who are watching in 2024
Great, Norm but the only hand tool you used was a mallet. So one needs a fully-equipped workshop to make this piece?
By the way, polyurethane varnish was a very poor choice.
Norm has often been criticized for his “overuse” of power tools and “underuse” of traditional hand tools. These are simply the methods he chooses to use, to each his own. He has almost singlehandedly rejuvenated the woodworking movement 30 years ago, so who are you to criticize him for this?
I find it interesting that you offer complaints, for what are completely acceptable techniques and skills yet offer no solutions or suggestions for his “errors”.
Go troll somewhere else, no one wants to hear your nonsense.
@@David-fv7zg @Gordon Burns makes completely valid points. Why should anyone wanting to make furniture have to feel compelled to spend thousands of dollars for expensive machines? If you could only make furniture with machines then you alienate hundreds of thousands of prospective woodworkers. Also, they are noisy and put tons of harmful sawdust in the air. You can do everything Norm is doing with hand tools and much of the time without complicated setup and jigs. As to choice of finishes go, polyurethane is plastic. If you need to repair it, you have to strip off the old finish first. Other, more natural finishes such as shellac, milk paint, and shop made finish from blend of linseed oil, bees wax and varnish are much more forgiving and simpler to repair. Now you go troll somewhere else.
@@mgmoody42 ridiculous. It's tool envy.
@@David-fv7zg Not at all. I have lots of tools. Not everyone does, but when Norm fails to demonstrate how to do the same job with hand tools novices get the notion that you can only do woodworking with power tools and you have to have expensive cabinet saws. Also, you have to have someplace to keep a shop and not everyone has a dedicated shop. Using hand tools, you can work almost anywhere.
@@mgmoody42 So you are basically saying that people are just ignorant and can't think for themselves. I think 30 years of Roy Underhill solves that problem. Left wing victim mentality has finally infiltrated the woodworking community. Next thing you will say is we should have our taxes raised so we can equal the playing field and buy everyone power tools, and a building to put them in so they done feel left out. Get off your high horse buddy.