Today again I was able to make some nice progress with my CNC computer desk project. All the planning and design work again paid off as parts lined up very well during this portion of the construction. So here is what I managed to accomplish with the project today.
The first thing that I worked on was the cross brace and drawer rails for the desk. The original computer model did not have the cross brace but after getting to this point in the construction I thought it was a good idea to beef up the desk and make it more solid. This was a simple task of adding an additional 23" long 2 X 4 that was mounted between the drawer rails using pocket holes and wood screws just like the rest of the assembly.
The drawer rails were mounted from the underside of the mount and were screwed into the assembly with three wood screws each. Quick and simple just the way I like it.
The desk top was the next step in the assembly. This 3/4" plywood panel matched up perfectly and so all that needed to be done was to mark where I wanted the wood screws to be mounted. I drilled out all of the holes and countersunk each of them using my drill press. This took a little time but with the drill press I was able to make sure everything was perfectly lined up when I mounted the desk top.
I took the drawer assembly and slid it into the opening for the desk and it was a perfect fit. Slides in and out without a problem. The handle for the drawer will be added in the final assembly of the desk once it has been either painted or varnished. Not sure yet which that will be for now. The desk at this point could be done but I think it is just to simple looking. The addition of the back and side panels really make the difference as you will see as I progress with the construction in this post.
Next the back of the desk was added to the framework. This as before was marked for hole placement and all were drilled and countersunk at each location. Throughout this portion of the assembly 1 1/2" wood screws were used to hold everything in place.
The rear panel had already had the four mounting holes for the vertical monitor support drilled in their correct locations. Once this panel was mounted to the framework I used these holes as guides that matched the cross braces at the back of the desk. The cross braces had to be drilled all the way through so that the mounting bolts could hold the vertical monitor support in place. This will make more sense when you see the final assembly of the desk and the vertical monitor support is attached to the desk.
The side panels for the desk were the last pieces that were mounted today. Like all of the other panels everything lined up very well and they were mounted using wood screws as before.
Even the back of the desk looks great. It always is a good thing when a design comes together this nicely. I will have to mount the casters that go on the bottom of the desk next and double check the vertical monitor support for alignment. This should be a no brainer as the vertical support was a guide for the rear panel which was a guide for the 2 x 4 cross braces in the assembly. Just really want to see how it will look like before I tear it apart for the finishing work. I'm very close to finishing this project now as you can see so it will not be long before I am able to put it to good use with my CNC machine. The desk now has added a bit more weight which is not a bad thing as it will be really solid and strong. The casters will help in moving the desk if I have to while cleaning up the workshop. I'll post the completion of the CNC computer desk project in my next post which should be very soon. Check back here to see how it all turns out. Have a good day tinkering!
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