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ROLL-TOP DESK PLAN

K
eeping with this desk’s traditional con- designed as a separate, removable assembly. (See
struction, we used mortise and tenon joints Designer’s Notebook on page 9.)
to secure the rails between the legs. You WOOD. I built this project from solid cherry.
can easily cut this joint using a drill press and It looks great, and has a fairly tight grain. This pro-
table saw. And when it comes to the tambour vides a nice writing surface, although using a
door, it’s easier to make than you might think. desk blotter will help protect the wood from being
Step-by-step instructions start on page 12. damaged by pen and pencil points.
ORGANIZER. We included an optional desk FINISH. When finishing a project that has a lot
organizer with pigeonholes and drawers hidden of crevices like the tambour on the Roll-Top Desk,
behind the door. Normally, an organizer is built I like to use an oil finish. On this project I used a
as an integral part of the desk. But this one is tung oil and urethane combination.

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CASE
TOP
EXPLODED VIEW K CASE
BACK
OVERALL DIMENSIONS:
I
43W x 24D x 403/4H H
CASE
SIDE

J CLEAT
CANVAS
BACKING

L
LIFT
RAIL
TAMBOUR
SLATS
M
DESK
TOP
G

H
CASE
SIDE
BACK
RAIL
C
BACK
CLEAT
E FRONT
CLEAT
E SIDE
CLEAT
F

B
FRONT
RAIL

D
SIDE
RAIL

LEG
A

CUTTING DIAGRAM
MATERIALS LIST
1#/4 x 4 - 60 (3.4 Bd. Ft.)
A A WOOD
A A A Legs (4) 13/4 x 13/4 - 271/4
#/4 x 5 - 96 (3.4 Bd. Ft.) E B Front Rail (1) 3/ x 4 - 40
4
C C Back Rail (1) 3/ x 4 - 40
B 4
D Side Rails (2) 3/ x 4 - 21
4
#/4 x 5 - 96 (Three Boards @ 3.4 Bd. Ft. ea.) F 3/ x 3/ - 381/
E Ft./Bk. Cleats (2) 4 4 2
G G F Side Cleats (2) 3/ x 3/ - 191/
4 4 2
G Desk Top (1) 3/ x 24 - 43
4
#/4 x 5 - 96 (Three Boards @ 3.4 Bd. Ft. ea.) H Case Sides (2) 3/ x 12 - 23
4
I Case Back (1) 3/ x 12 - 401/
I H H 4 2
J Cleat (1) 3/ x 3/ - 40
4 4
#/4 x 6 - 96 (4 Bd. Ft.) N K Case Top (1) 3/ x 91/ - 43
4 2
L Lift Rail (1) 1/ x 13/ - 403/
K K 2 4 8
M Tambour Slats (26) 5/16 x 3/4 - 403/8
E 1/ x 1/ - 397/
#/4 x 7!/2 - 96 (5 Bd. Ft.) J N Rail Support Strip (1) 4 2 8

D D
M HARDWARE SUPPLIES
L
(18) No. 8 x 11/4" Fh woodscrews
#/4 x 6!/2 - 96 (4.3 Bd. Ft.) (11) No. 8 x 11/2" Fh woodscrews
(1 piece) 36" x 381/2" artist’s canvas
M M

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BASE 1
21
The base for the Roll-Top Desk is built
like a simple table. There are four legs
4
and a top joined by rails. I started work
on the base by making the legs.
LEGS. These legs (A) start out as 13/4"-
4
square pieces of 8/4 stock cut to a fin-
C
ished length of 271/4" (Fig. 1). Near one BACK
end, I marked the location for a pair of 1#/4" SQUARE RAIL
1/ "-wide mortises to hold the tenons cut AT TOP
4
later on the rails. These mortises are B
drilled on adjacent faces (Fig. 1a). But 40 FRONT
they aren’t centered on the leg. Instead, 5 RAIL
they’re positioned 1/2" from the outside
D
edges (Fig. 2a). SIDE TAPER
To cut the mortises, I used a 1/4" RAIL STARTS
HERE
Forstner bit and drilled overlapping holes a. D LEG AND RAILS
13/ " deep to remove most of the waste (CROSS SECTION)
16 27!/4 #/4
(Fig. 2). This depth provides a little extra
clearance for the 3/4"-long tenons on the
ends of the rails. Since the bit cuts a A
LEG NOTE: CUT !/4" 1#/4
clean, flat-bottomed hole, it only takes a TAPERS ON ALL A #/4 B
few minutes to square up the ends and FOUR SIDES
OF LEG
clean up the sides of each mortise with 1!/4" SQUARE
AT BOTTOM
a chisel. 1#/4 !/4
TAPERS. Now to make the legs look
more graceful, I cut tapers on all four
sides (Fig. 3). (See page 11 for more on
making and using the taper jig.) Next, I cut a 3/4"-long tenon on each sneak up on the final thickness.
RAILS. After tapering the legs, set end of each rail (Fig. 4a). This tenon is To complete each tenon on the rails,
them aside until the rails are completed. centered on the thickness, but there’s all that’s left is to create shoulders on
The rails that hold the legs together are really no trick to cutting a centered tenon the top and bottom so the tenon matches
identical in width (4"). But their lengths on the table saw. Just flip the rail over the length of the mortise in the leg. To
are different. The front rail (B) and back between passes to remove stock from do that, stand the workpiece up on edge,
rail (C) are 40" long, while the side rails both sides. But to make sure the tenon and remove 1/2" of the tenon from each
(D) are only 21" long (Fig. 1). fits snug in the mortise, you’ll want to edge (Fig. 4a).

2 4
!/4
a. !/2
AUXILIARY
FENCE
LEG
A !#/16"
MORTISE
DEPTH !/4

MORTISES
3 CUT ON !/2
ADJACENT
!/2 FACES
NOTE:
USE A !/4" END VIEW !#/16
FORSTNER BIT
TO REMOVE WASTE USE DADO
BLADE TO CUT
#/4"- LONG
TENONS
ON RAILS
3 NOTE: CUT !/4" TAPERS
ON ALL FOUR
SIDES OF
LEG TAPER JIG
(SEE PAGE 11)
a. #/4

RAIL !/2
LEG TENON
DETAIL
A 4 3

NOTE: THICKNESS !/2


OF TENON SHOULD
MATCH WIDTH OF
MORTISE

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5 DECORATIVE CUTOUT DETAIL
6 NOTE: ROUT A BULLNOSE MOVE WORKPIECE
PROFILE ON BOTTOM FROM RIGHT
EDGE OF EACH RAIL TO LEFT a. CROSS SECTION
!/2"
FRONT RAIL ROUNDOVER
B BIT
1!/2 " RADIUS RAIL
1!/2 " RADIUS B
%/16

2 FRONT RAIL
!/2 B
4!/4

7 SECOND: GLUE AND CLAMP top edges (Fig. 8a). Instead, they’re
LEG ASSEMBLY LEG ASSEMBLIES TOGETHER
WITH FRONT AND
glued on just a little bit below the edges
BACK RAILS to create a small clearance gap.

FIRST: GLUE
DESK TOP
TOGETHER BOTH
PAIRS OF LEGS AND
SIDE RAILS TO FORM Next, I edge-glued six 3/4"-thick boards
LEG ASSEMBLIES to create a solid wood blank for the desk
top (G) (Fig. 9). After the glue dried, I
planed and sanded the top until it was
flat and smooth.
Then after cutting the top to finished
size (24" x 43"), rout bullnose profiles
DECORATIVE CUTOUT. Up to this point With the bullnose complete, the base on all four edges. Here again this
the front and back rails are identical. But can now be glued together. To make this required a 1/2" roundover bit, but since
to provide extra clearance for sitting at easier, I glued the legs and side rails first the top is too big to rout easily on my
the desk, I cut a decorative shape in the (Fig. 7). Then I clamped the front and router table, this time I used a handheld
front rail (Fig. 5). To do this, simply lay back rails between the side assemblies. router. Rout the ends first, so that any
out the curves at each end of the rail and CLEATS. Next, I worked on making chipout will be cleaned up when you rout
connect them with a straight line. Then the cleats that hold the desk top in posi- the sides.
remove most of the waste with a band tion. These are 3/4"-square pieces of stock Finally, it’s a good idea to attach the
saw, and complete the profile by sanding with oversized shank holes drilled in table top to the base for the time being
to the line. them (Fig. 8a). (This allows the top to (Fig. 9). It will help strengthen the base
BULLNOSE PROFILE. The legs and rails expand and contract with changes in as you move it around in the shop. You
could now be assembled, but I wanted to humidity.) The front and back cleats (E) can go ahead and drill the holes, but
break the sharp corners on the rails and are the same length (381/2"), while the don’t put in all the screws just yet. Later,
create a smooth edge. So I routed a bull- side cleats (F) are shorter (191/2"). you’ll have to remove the desk top before
nose profile on the bottom edges of all These cleats are simply glued to the the roll-top case and tambour door can be
the rails (Fig. 6). To do this, I used a 1/2" desk rails. But to make sure the desk installed.
roundover bit raised 5/16" above the top is pulled down tight against the tops
router table (Fig. 6a). of the rails, the cleats aren’t flush with the

8 SIDE CLEAT
9 DESK TOP
(#/4" x 24"- 43")
F
G
CENTER TOP
E ON BASE
NOTE: BACK
GLUE AND CLAMP CLEAT NOTE:
CLEATS TO RAILS TEMPORARILY
INSTALL DESK
TOP WITH
#8 x 1!/4" a. CROSS SECTION
a. CROSS SECTION Fh WOOD-
SCREWS
INSTALL CLEATS !/32" #8 x 1!/4"
BELOW EDGE OF RAIL Fh WOODSCREW CLEAT

#/16"-DIA.
COUNTER- E
SUNK
SHANK FRONT DESK
HOLE CLEAT TOP
CLEAT

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10
a. SIDE TEMPLATE DETAIL

23
2!/16

CASE BACK 12 9" RADIUS


CASE SIDE I
H CASE SIDE 5!/4" RADIUS
3 14!/2
H 12

4 6#/4
6" RADIUS
23
6
5 14

ROLL-TOP CASE identical, I stuck them together with To determine this, add up the distance
double-sided carpet tape and sanded from the edge of the workpiece to the
After completing the base, I turned my them smooth. groove (3/8"), the groove width (3/8"), and
attention to building the roll-top case. It GROOVE TEMPLATE. Once the side the distance from the edge of the router
consists of two case sides (H) held pieces are sanded, the next step is to bit to the outer edge of the guide bushing
together by a back panel (I) (Fig. 10). rout identical grooves on the inside face (1/8"). This adds up to 7/8".
BLANKS. I started by working on the of each piece. This 1/4"-deep groove fol- Now use a compass set at 7/8" and
sides. They’re glued-up blanks that are lows the shape of the case side and pro- trace the template along the front edge
cut oversize (mine were 121/2" x 24"). vides a channel for the tambour door to and across the top (Figs. 11 and 11a).
SIDE TEMPLATE. Once the glue dries, slide in. To allow the door to slide But the back edge is a little unusual.
the “S-shape” for the sides can be drawn smoothly, the grooves have to be posi- Here you need a 11/2" radius so the
on the blanks. An easy way to do this is tioned exactly the same on both pieces. door can slide around the corner. And
by making a template (Fig. 10a). Draw So I used a template again, this time for clearance between the door and case
the shape on a piece of 1/4" hardboard, to guide my router. But I didn’t make a back, the distance changes to 13/4" (Fig.
cut it out, and sand the edges smooth. new template. I just downsized the old 11a). Once the lines are drawn, cut the
Now the template can be used to one. This smaller template is used with template to its new size and sand the
transfer the profile to each blank. Just a 5/8"-dia. guide bushing in the router edges smooth.
trace around it and cut out the case sides (see the Shop Tip below). Now, using double-sided carpet tape,
(H). To make sure these pieces were How much smaller is the template? stick the template to a case side with the

11 USE COMPASS TO DRAW LAYOUT LINES


FOR SMALLER GROOVE
12
TEMPLATE

CASE SIDE
H GROOVE
TEMPLATE
Guide Bushing
A guide bushing installed in
the router base rides against
the groove template to give
SIDE GROOVE
TEMPLATE TEMPLATE you a slightly larger copy of
OUTLINE the profile. Keep the bushing
tight against the template.

a. &/8
2#/8
3!/4
SIDE
TEMPLATE
NOTE: DOUBLE-SIDED
CARPET TAPE
HOLDS TEMPLATE
IN PLACE
1!/2"
RADIUS POSITION TEMPLATE
LAYOUT LINE FOR 1#/4 &/8" FROM FRONT EDGE
GROOVE TEMPLATE

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13 Now you can piece, a dado is cut along the back edge
rout the groove. I to hold the case back (I) (Fig. 15). This
made two passes 1/ "-deep dado is cut to match the thick-
4
to reach the full ness of the back panel.
(1/4") depth. You CASE BACK. With the dado cut, the
could do it in one case back (I) is added next to join the
pass, but it’s sides. This glued-up panel matches the
easier to keep the height of the sides (12") and is glued in
bushing tight the dadoes (Fig. 16).
against the tem- But before the glue dries, it’s impor-
#/8"
STRAIGHT plate by making tant to check that the sides are perpen-
BIT NOTE: KEEP GUIDE
WITH BUSHING TIGHT
lighter cuts. dicular to the back. If not, the tambour
%/8" AGAINST TEMPLATE Note: Be sure door may “rack” in the opening.
GUIDE
BUSHING to position the CLEAT. One more thing to add to the
ROUT GROOVE
WITH SEVERAL LIGHT groove on the case is a cleat (J) for securing the top
PASSES inside face of (Fig. 16). It fits between the sides and is
SEE SHOP
TIP ON each case side. glued and clamped to the back, just
OPPOSITE USE BACKING BOARD
PAGE TO REDUCE CHIPOUT PROFILE. Next below the top edge (Fig. 16b).
WHEN EXITING GROOVE I moved to the CASE TOP. All that’s left to complete
router table to the case is building the case top (K).
rout the bullnose Like the side pieces, it’s also a solid wood
bottom edges flush and the front edge of profiles on all the edges except the top panel with bullnose profiles routed on
the template set back 7/8" (Fig. 12). (Fig. 14). I didn’t want a radius here so the edges.
ROUTING GROOVE. Before routing the the case top would sit nice and flat. To do The case top is then screwed to the
groove, I clamped a backing board to that, just measure out about 9" from the cleat (Fig. 16b). But the front edge is
the workpiece where the bit exits the back edge and make a mark where you glued in place in just a couple spots (Fig.
groove (Fig. 13). This keeps the edge want to stop the profile. 16a). If you glued the whole edge, the top
of the board from chipping out. BACK DADO. To complete each side couldn’t expand or contract.

14 DON’T ROUT BULLNOSE 16 BULLNOSE PROFILES ON ALL FOUR EDGES


ON LAST 9" OF THE CASE TOP
TOP EDGE GLUE ON (#/4" x 9!/2"- 43")
FRONT ONLY
(SEE DETAIL a) K

NOTE: USE !/2"


ROUNDOVER
BIT TO CREATE CASE SIDE
BULLNOSE
PROFILE (REFER H CASE BACK
TO FIG. 6 ON (#/4" x 12"- 40!/2")
PAGE 4)
I
J
CLEAT
(#/4" x #/4" - 40")
(SEE DETAIL b) GLUE
ROUT BULLNOSE #8 x 1!/4"
PROFILE ON Fh WOODSCREW
BACK EDGE NOTE:
CLEAT IS GLUED
AND CLAMPED TO
CASE BACK

15
CASE SIDE
H a. b.
CROSS SECTION CROSS SECTION

a. BACK DADO DETAIL CASE TOP K

#/8 TAMBOUR !/32


GROOVE !/2
CUT DADO TO
HOLD CASE BACK
J #/8
BOTTOM EDGE CLEAT
OF CASE SIDE !/4 I
APPLY GLUE TO
FIRST 3" ONLY #/16" OVERSIZED CASE
#/4 #/8 SHANK HOLE BACK

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LIFT RAIL 17
After putting the case together, the next
step is building the tambour door that
fits inside. Tambour doors are basically
all the same. There’s a lift rail to grasp
when you open and close the door, slats
that make up the body, and a fabric
“hinge” on the backside that holds every-
thing together (Fig. 17). (For more
details on making tambours, see the
Technique article on pages 12-14.)
CUT BLANK. Begin work on the door
TAMBOUR SLAT
by making the lift rail (L). I started with RECESSED CUTOUTS USED
FOR HAND GRIPS M
an extra-wide (3") blank of 1/2"-thick
CANVAS
stock. (You’ll see the reason for the extra
width in a minute.) Though it’s extra LIFT RAIL L RAIL SUPPORT STRIP NOTE: RAIL SUPPORT STRIP
GLUED TO BACK OF LIFT RAIL
wide, cut the blank to finished length. N
To determine the length, measure the
distance between the bottoms of the a. CROSS SECTION
b. CROSS SECTION
grooves in the case sides and subtract
1/ " for clearance. (My rail ended up M
8 !/2 TAMBOUR SLAT
403/8" long.) #/8" #/8"-WIDE GROOVE %/16" THICK
CUTOUTS. Next, a pair of cutouts are ROUNDOVER
routed in the front face of the lift rail that LIFT RAIL
will become hand grips (Fig. 17). LIFT RAIL L
L
To do this, first draw a couple of stop 1#/4
lines across the front face to mark the RAIL SUPPORT STRIP
location for each cutout (Fig. 18). Then N

use a handheld router and a 1/2" cove bit N 7° BEVEL


RAIL NOTE: CUT CANVAS AWAY
to create each recess (Fig. 18a). (Here’s SUPPORT SO RAIL SUPPORT STRIP CAN
why you need an extra-wide workpiece. STRIP BE GLUED TO LIFT RAIL
(!/4" x !/2" - 39&/8") 7° BEVEL
The extra width helps to keep the router
steady during the cut.)
Note: This is a fairly deep cut, so I
didn’t make it in one pass. I set the router backwards slightly when the door is sides (Fig. 17b). I did this by setting up
for the finished depth, but didn’t push mounted in the case.) Once the bevel is a dado blade in the table saw to cut a
the router bearing all the way to the cut, rip the opposite edge of the lift rail rabbet on each end of the rail to create
workpiece on the first pass. to bring it to final width (13/4"). a 1/4" x 1/4" tongue (Figs. 19 and 19a).
BEVEL. Next, I ripped a 7° bevel along RABBET AND ROUNDOVER. Now to And finally, I used a 3/8" roundover bit
the bottom edge of the lift rail so it would complete the lift rail there are two more to rout the top outside edge of the lift
sit flush on the desk top when the door steps. First, the ends need to be thinner rail so that it would match the finished
was closed (Fig. 17a). (The lift rail leans so they’ll slide in the grooves in the case profile of the slats (Fig. 17a).

18 FIRST: ROUT
19 AUXILIARY
RECESSED CUTOUTS FENCE
FOR HANDLES SECOND: RIP 7° BEVEL
ON BOTTOM EDGE

LIFT RAIL
NOTE: START WITH L
WIDE WORKPIECE
TO SUPPORT ROUTER AUXILIARY
FENCE
STOP LINES
!/2" COVE
a. BIT DADO
LIFT RAIL BLADE
LIFT RAIL
4 L RABBET DETAIL
4!/4
L a.
BACK FACE

#/8 LIFT RAIL


L
THIRD: RIP TO FINAL
WIDTH OF 1#/4" !/4
!/2 NOTE: CUT
!/4" TONGUE
EXTEND WORKPIECE PAST EDGE ON EACH END
OF WORKBENCH FOR ROUTER BIT WORKBENCH OF LIFT RAIL !/4
CLEARANCE

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SLATS 20 TAMBOUR
SLAT BLANK a. TAMBOUR SLAT
BLANK
With the lift rail complete, I concentrated
on the tambour slats (M). For the roll-top #/8" ROUNDOVER
BIT
desk, 26 slats the same length as the lift
#/8" ROUNDOVER
rail are needed. But I made a few extra BIT
so I wouldn’t come up short if any twisted AFTER JOINTING EDGE,
out of shape. ROUT HALF-ROUND PROFILE
ON EDGE OF BLANK
Making the slats is a two-step process.
First, I used a roundover bit to create a
rounded profile on the edge of the work- 21 CARRIER
piece (Fig. 20a). Then using a carrier BOARD a. %/16
CROSS
board, it’s quick and easy to rip a thin SECTION
slat off the edge (Fig. 21 and refer to %/16"
NOTCH CARRIER SLAT
Fig. 5 on page 13). BOARD BLANK
TAMBOUR SLAT
The important thing is that all the SLAT BLANK
slats end up 5/16" thick. Then the door M USE CARRIER BOARD TO TAMBOUR SLAT M
will slide freely in the 3/8" groove. RIP SLATS TO UNIFORM
THICKNESS
GLUE-UP. Once you have your slats
cut, both the lift rail and slats can be
glued to a canvas backing (see page 14). strip gives you something to grip to close holes through the desk top and into the
DRY ASSEMBLY. After the slats are the tambour door. Like the lift rail, there’s case sides and back.
glued to the canvas, it’s a good time to a 7° angle ripped on one edge and the SCREW HOLE LOCATION. To locate the
check the fit of the door. If it doesn’t slide support strip is sized to fit easily between holes, I centered the case on the desk
freely in the grooves, refer to the trou- the case sides (397/8"). top. Then to mark its position, place tape
bleshooting tips on page 14. Note: Cut away a strip of canvas to around the outside edges of the case
Also, since I planned on adding the get a wood-to-wood joint between the lift (Fig. 22). When the case is removed,
desk organizer later (refer to the rail and the strip. just measure in from the edge of the tape
Designer’s Notebook on page 9), I 3/ " and drill the oversized shank holes.
8
checked the height of the opening (mine FINAL ASSEMBLY Now, to complete the desk, install the
was 10"). door in the case, then screw the case to
RAIL SUPPORT STRIP. To complete the Once the tambour door is complete, the the desk top (Fig. 22a). Finally, set the
door, a rail support strip (N) is glued to desk can be assembled. The first step is desk top on the base and screw it in place
the back of the lift rail flush with the to install the case on the desk top. This (Fig. 23). ■
bottom edge (refer to Fig. 17a). This means locating and drilling mounting

22 23
CASE
DESK
FIRST: INSTALL TOP
TAMBOUR
DOOR
IN CASE

SECOND:
SCREW
CASE TO
a.CASE #/8
DESK TOP
CROSS MASKING
SECTION TAPE
(FRONT
VIEW)
TAMBOUR
DOOR
DESK TOP

#8 x 1!/2" BASE
Fh WOODSCREW

MASKING
TAPE ATTACH DESK TOP
TO BASE WITH NOTE:
#8 x 1!/4" Fh DESK TOP IS
DESK WOODSCREWS CENTERED
TOP ON BASE

NOTE: ROLL-TOP CASE IS #8 x 1!/2" Fh


CENTERED ON DESK TOP WOODSCREW

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Sized to fit into the Roll-Top Desk, this organizer can be built with or without drawers. Besides
providing storage, it also hides the back side of the tambour when the door is rolled up into the desk.

CONSTRUCTION NOTES:
■ To build the Desk Organizer, I started it holds a back panel added later. sure the dadoes align, clamp the shelf
with the top (O) and shelf (P) (Fig. 1). ■ To hold the back, I cut a 1/4"-deep and top together and use a hand-held
They’re made from 1/2" stock edge-glued groove along the back edge of the top router and a straightedge guide.
into 10"-wide panels (rough size). panel (O) (Fig. 1b). This groove is cut to But you don’t want to rout all the way
■ When the top and shelf panels are dry width to match the thickness of the 1/4" across both pieces. So stop the dado
and planed flat, they can be cut to the plywood used for the back panel. when the router bit reaches the groove
same length (391/2" or a hair less). But ■ The shelf and top are connected by in the top (O). Then chisel out the waste
their widths are different. The top is four dividers. These fit in 1/2"-wide to square up the end of the dado.
wider (91/2") than the shelf (9") because dadoes cut 1/4" deep (Fig. 1). To make ■ After routing the dadoes, cut an arc in
the front edge of the shelf, centered on
1 !/2 O TOP the length of the shelf. To do this, you’ll
need to locate the arc’s centerpoint in a
39!/2 !/4
Q piece of scrap (Fig. 1a).
VERTICAL ■ Next, the four vertical dividers (Q) can
DIVIDER 9!/2
be cut to size (Fig. 1).
Q
■ The two outside dividers also hold hor-
9 2!/2 NOTE:
!/2 5!/2 CUT DADOES
NOTE: Q IN OUTSIDE
ALL DADOES Q DIVIDERS MATERIALS LIST
!/2" WIDE, ONLY
!/4" DEEP P
SEE DETAIL a SHELF 9 NEW PARTS
11!/2 1/ x 91/ - 391/
O Top (1) 2 2 2
14!/2
a. WASTE
P Shelf (1) 1/ x 9 - 391/
1
2
1
2
SHELF Q Vert. Dividers (4) /2 x 9 - 5 /2
R Sides (2) 1/ x 91/ - 10
5"
4#/4
b. O TOP
2 2
S Horiz. Dividers (2) 1/2 x 9 - 113/4
RADIUS !/4 T Back Molding (1) 1/2 x 3/4 - 391/2
3 U Back (1) 1/ ply - 91/ x 391/
4 4 2
!/4 V Drwr. Frt./Bk. (4) 1/2 x 21/4 - 113/16
THICKNESS OF W Drawer Sides (4) 1/2 x 21/4 - 9
SCRAP BLOCK END VIEW !/4" PLYWOOD
X Drwr. Bottoms (2) 1/4 ply - 81/2 x 1011/16

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izontal dividers added later (refer to Fig. 2
2). Rout a 1/4"-deep dado centered on the a. !/4
b.
height of each of these two vertical NOTE: SIDE LENGTH DETERMINES
HEIGHT OF ORGANIZER. CUT TO FIT
dividers (Fig. 1). BULLNOSE DESK OPENING, IF NECESSARY.
■ When the dadoes are routed, the top, TOP EDGE 3 !/4
shelf, and vertical dividers can all be
glued together (Fig. 1). Check that the END BACK
VIEW VIEW
assembly is square.
5#/4
■ The next step is to add the sides (R) !/2"-WIDE
!/4 RABBET
(Fig. 2). Begin by ripping two 1/2"-thick NOTE: ALL
DADOES
panels to match the width of the top !/2" WIDE
(91/2"). The length of each side panel
should be just less than the desk’s tam-
bour opening. (I cut my sides 10" tall.) 9!/2
■ Next, rout three 1/4"-deep x 1/2"-wide CUT !/4" x !/4"
c. GROOVE FOR
dadoes in each side (Fig. 2a). The first BACK
BACK U
dado holds the top panel and is located
1/ " down from the top edge. The other
U
4 !/4
S
two align with the shelf (B) and the dado BACK HORIZONTAL
cut on the vertical divider (Q). MOLDING 10 DIVIDER !/2
T
■ To hold the back (added later), each T
11#/4
side also needs a 1/2"-wide rabbet along 9
its back inside edge (Fig. 2b). This R !/2 !/4
rabbet is stopped as it hits the top dado SIDE
in the side panel.
■ Finally, to soften the top end of each
side panel, I used a 1/2" roundover bit 3/ "-wide
4 molding would fit flush with gap at each side. But for now, the height
raised 5/16" above the router table to rout the back edge of each side. of each drawer should match its opening.
a bullnose profile (Fig. 2b). ■ Next I cut a 1/4"-deep groove in the The drawers will be trimmed for clear-
■ With the side panels complete, it’s time molding. This groove is sized to hold the ance after they’re assembled.
to cut the horizontal dividers (S). The 1/ "-thick plywood back (Fig. 2c). ■ The drawer is constructed with 1/4"
4
width of these pieces is the same as the ■ Now that the molding is complete, you box joints at each corner (Fig. 3). The
shelf (P) (9"). To determine their length, can cut the back (U) to size from 1/4"- 1/ " plywood bottom (X) is held in a
4
dry-assemble the case (Fig. 2). Then cut thick plywood (Fig. 2). groove that’s cut in each piece. Align this
the horizontal dividers to length to fit ■ Once the back is cut to size, glue it to groove with a slot in the drawer side (W).
between the dadoes in the sides (R) and the back molding and then glue this This way it will be hidden by a pin on
the vertical dividers (Q). When they’ve assembly to the back of the organizer. the drawer front.
been cut to size, these pieces and the ■ The case is complete, but I decided to ■ Before assembling the drawers, I laid
side panels can be glued and clamped add two drawers to fit in the organizer. out and cut an opening for a handle on
to the ends of the case. (You could build four drawers if you want each front piece (Fig. 4).
■ Before adding the plywood back, a a drawer in each opening.) ■ Next, cut a drawer bottom to fit and
back molding (T) is cut to fit between ■ Start by cutting the drawer fronts (V), assemble the drawers. Then trim the top
the rabbets in the sides (R) (Fig. 2c). backs (V), and sides (W) to size from and bottom edges very slightly to create
Then I notched the front corners so the 1/ "-thick stock (Fig. 3). Allow for a 1/ " a 1/32" gap above the drawer.
2 32
■ After each drawer is assembled, the
3 SIDE grooves for the drawer bottom will be
W BACK exposed on the sides. I cut small wood
V plugs and inserted them into the square
CUT !/4"
DEEP holes to hide the grooves (Fig. 3).
GROOVE
TO HOLD
BOTTOM
BOTTOM
4 !/2 HANDLE CUTOUT

X 2!/4 1!/2
(!/4" PLY - 8!/2" x 10!!/16")

!/4
!/2
9 #/4 !/2" R
FILL HOLE !/2" R
!/2 WITH
11#/16 HARDWOOD
V
PLUG CL DRAWER
!/4
FRONT NOTE: NOTE: CENTER FRONT
!/4 !/2"-THICK CUTOUT ON WIDTH
STOCK OF DRAWER

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SHOP JIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taper Jig
T apering all four sides of
a leg requires a jig that’s
“adjustable.” That’s because
front of the jig. This means
you push the workpiece,
not just the jig. I find it safer
after two faces of the leg are to use this way.
tapered, there aren’t any USING THE JIG. To use
more straight faces to place the taper jig, first lock down
against the rip fence or on the rip fence so the distance
the table of the table saw. from the fence to the blade
To cut the tapers on the is equal to the width of the
legs of the roll-top desk, I plywood on the jig plus the
made a special jig with a width of the leg. (It’s okay
piece of 3/4" plywood and a if you trim off a little bit of
stop block (Fig. 1). These the sled on the ver y first
pieces are screwed to a 1/4" pass.)
hardboard sled that carries Now simply place the
the leg and the jig past the leg in the first notch and
saw blade. then make two passes,
STOP BLOCK. The stop rotating the leg 90°
block is the key to the jig. between passes (Fig. 2).
It’s just a piece of 1/4" hard- Note: For safety, I stuck
board (or plywood) with the leg to the sled with
two notches in it (Fig. 1a). double-sided carpet tape
These notches offset the before making a pass.
leg on the jig and set the angle of the of the plywood (Fig. 1a). Then the To taper the last two faces, place the
taper. second notch is offset the same distance leg in the other notch (the one closest to
One of the nice things about using (1/4") from the first. the blade), and make two more passes,
this jig is that you don’t have to worry The stop block also needs to be posi- rotating the leg 90° between passes.
about any angles. Just determine how tioned on the length of the plywood (Fig. Once the tapers are cut, some light
much stock needs to be cut from each 1b). This position determines the length sanding on each face should take care of
side of the leg (1/4" for the legs on the of the taper. (The tapers on the desk legs any blade marks.
Roll-Top Desk). This is how far the first are 221/4" long. Refer to Fig. 1 on page 3).
notch needs to be offset from the edge Note: I attached the stop block to the

1 #8 x !/2" 2 PASS 1
Fh WOODSCREW #/4" PLYWOOD

PASS 2
STOP BLOCK
b.
TOP POSITION WORKPIECE
!/4" VIEW IN FIRST NOTCH FOR FIRST
HARDBOARD AND SECOND PASSES
STOP BLOCK

!/4"
HARDBOARD PASS 3
SLED
LENGTH
a. STOP BLOCK !/4
OF TAPER
DETAIL

!/4
CARPET
OFFSET FIRST TAPE PASS 4
NOTE: NOTCH !/4" STOP BLOCK
LEG TO
POSITION OF BLOCK FROM EDGE SLED
DETERMINES LENGTH OF PLYWOOD
OF TAPER. OFFSET POSITION WORKPIECE
OF BLOCK DETERMINES IN SECOND NOTCH FOR
ANGLE OF TAPER. THIRD AND FOURTH PASSES

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TECHNIQUE . . . . . . . Building Tambours
S ome people think that
tambour doors are a
myster y. After all, there
SLAT WIDTH. But there
are a couple of other things
that come into play. One is
must be some trick to get- the width of the slat (Fig.
ting all those pieces to 3). A wider slat makes a
work together as a sturdier door. But a wide
smoothly sliding door. slat can’t slide through a
But once you under- tight curve. That’s why you
stand the design, you’ll see typically don’t find slats
there’s really no trick at all. wider than 1".
You make a tambour flex- There is one exception
ible by gluing a bunch of to this: the lift rail at the
thin slats to a piece of front of the door. Here a
fabric. Then cut a groove wide piece is needed to
for the pieces to follow so take all the wear and tear
the door can slide out of as the door is pushed open
sight inside its own cabinet. and pulled closed.
That’s it. Nothing so mys- To get a wide piece like
terious about it after all. this to work in a groove,
pieces (tambour slats), all held together simply reduce the thickness on each end
TAMBOUR ANATOMY with a piece of fabric. by cutting a rabbet to create a tongue
CANVAS. I use canvas when building (Fig. 1).
All tambour or roll-top doors consist of tambour doors. This allows the door to THICKNESS . When you reduce the
the same three parts (Fig. 1). There’s flex as it slides through the groove. thickness of a lift rail or slat, you can
usually a thick, heavier piece at the front But it takes more than a piece of make it wider and still have it slide
(a lift rail), followed by a series of thinner canvas to allow a door to flex in more smoothly. This is because you’ve cre-
than one direction (as it has to for the ated more clearance around it. Of
1 S-shaped tambour used in the Roll-Top course you can go too far and make
CROSS SECTION Desk). The real “secret” is the style (or them too thin. Then on a wide door the
profile) of the tambour lift rail and slats. slats could start to sag and even fall out
#/8"-WIDE GROOVE SLAT PROFILE. The key to creating this of the grooves.
RABBETED END flex is building in enough clearance CLEARANCE. Finally, there’s one other
ON WIDE LIFT between the slats. This can be accom- consideration for making tambour doors
RAIL ALLOWS
RAIL TO FIT plished easily by changing the slat pro- slide smoothly. You need to allow for
GROOVE
WITHOUT %/16"-THICK SLAT file. I wanted the door on the Roll-Top clearance between the slat and the
REDUCING
THICKNESS Desk to move through some pretty tight groove. The tambour door in the Roll-
curves. By rounding over the slats, they Top Desk used 5/16"-thick slats in a 3/8"
can flex or move back and forth as the groove (Fig. 1). This provided just
LIFT OPTIONAL RAIL door moves through the curved groove enough clearance so the tambour door
RAIL SUPPORT STRIP
PROVIDES A GRIP (Figs. 2 and 2a). The greater the clear- would slide smoothly without rattling.
TO PULL DOOR
CLOSED ance between the slats, the tighter the
curve the door can follow.

2 CROSS SECTION 3 CROSS SECTION

GROOVE
S-SHAPED TAMBOUR
BENDS IN TWO
DIRECTIONS WIDE SLATS CAN BE
USED IN A TAMBOUR
DOOR IF THEY FOLLOW
a. CLEARANCE BETWEEN SLATS
ALLOWS TAMBOUR
A SHALLOW CURVE
TO BEND FORWARD

TAMBOUR NARROWER SLATS ARE


NEEDED WHEN THE
CANVAS TAMBOUR DOOR HAS
BACKING TO FOLLOW A TIGHT CURVE

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CONSTRUCTION
Okay, so now you know there’s more to
a tambour door than gluing some sticks
to a piece of canvas. The next step is
to put this information to use. For
me this means starting on the
case sides that hold the door.
TAMBOUR CASE. The first
step is to cut the grooves
in the sides that guide the
door.
Since the grooves are
mirror images of each other,
the easiest way to keep them TAMBOUR
aligned is by making a tem- SLAT
plate (refer to page 5). This
way a guide bushing in a
hand-held router can follow the tem- CANVAS
BACKING
plate and rout the groove.
LIFT RAIL. After routing the grooves,
the lift rail can be built for the door (see
LIFT
drawing at right). Just cut it to length to RAIL
fit between the grooves and rabbet the
ends so it slides easily in the grooves.
SLATS. Next I turn my attention to the
tambour slats. The safest and most accu- 4
rate way to make these is to start with a
wide piece of stock and cut several slats
off it like strips of bacon.
To do this, first rout the profile on TAMBOUR a.
SLAT BLANK
one edge (Figs. 4 and 4a). Then switch ROUND OVER
EDGE
to the table saw to rip a slat from the OF BLANK
#/8"
edge of the board. ROUNDOVER
Here I use a carrier board with a #/8" ROUNDOVER BIT BIT
notch cut at one end that matches the NOTE: AFTER JOINTING EDGE,
thickness of the slat (Figs. 5 and 5a). ROUT HALF-ROUND PROFILE ON
EDGE OF TAMBOUR BLANK
As the slat is cut from the blank, the car-
rier pushes it safely past the blade.
I also like to number the slats as

5
CARRIER b.
BOARD

TAMBOUR SLATS

TAMBOUR SLAT
BLANK

a.
CARRIER BOARD DETAIL NOTE:
NUMBERING SLATS
NOTCH DEPTH MAKES IT EASIER
EQUALS SLAT THICKNESS TO REASSEMBLE THE
PIECES DURING
GLUE-UP
EQUALS LENGTH OF SLAT

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they’re cut (Fig. 5b). That way they can 6
be reassembled for the best color and
appearance. And while you’re set up,
make some extras. It seems there are
always a few slats that will twist or bow.
MASKING TAPE PROTECTS
ENDS OF SLATS FROM GLUE
GLUE-UP
To hold all of the slats and the lift rail
together, they’re glued to a piece of
NOTE: MASKING TAPE HOLDS
canvas. Trim the canvas so it’s narrower PIECES TOGETHER WHILE
than the slats. This keeps the canvas out APPLYING GLUE
USE ROLLER TO
of the grooves. But allow some extra SPREAD CONTACT ADHESIVE
length to help you keep the fabric taut as
you mount slats.
I use a couple of coats of contact adhe- the canvas so they’re square to each install the other guide board square to
sive to glue the slats to the canvas. A other. Here’s where an assembly jig the first one.
small roller spreads the adhesive quickly. helps (Figs. 7, 8 and the photo on page Now the lift rail and slats can be
This is easy on a big piece of canvas. But 87). This jig is just a couple of pieces of installed on the canvas. Just remember,
it can be tedious on the narrow slats. So scrap screwed to a piece of plywood at a when they make contact, you won’t be
I temporarily assemble a few slats by right angle to one another. These guide able to move them. It’s also a good idea
taping the ends (Fig. 6). boards keep the door pieces straight at to check periodically that the slats are
Taping the slats together serves two the sides and parallel to each other. running true (Fig. 8).
purposes. First, it gives you a large sur- I stretch out the canvas first (adhe- After the slats are all in place, tap
face to work on. And once you remove it, sive side up) so it’s flat and tight. Just them with a mallet to remove any air
the ends are free of glue so the slats will screw a guide board at one end to hold gaps under the slats. Finally, to com-
slide freely in the grooves. the canvas in place, stretch it out, and plete the door, trim of f the excess
ASSEMBLY JIG. Now the challenge is secure the other end with a piece of canvas at the ends.
getting the slats and lift rail installed on scrap. Then using a framing square,

7 TO PREVENT GAPS, 8 TOP VIEW


KEEP SLATS PRESSED
TOGETHER TIGHTLY AS
THEY'RE INSTALLED NOTE:
CHECK
NOTE: CHECK EVERY 5 THAT
90° TO 6 SLATS TO MAKE DISTANCE
SURE THEY ARE TRUE IS THE
SAME
ON BOTH
FRAMING SIDES
SQUARE

GUIDE
BOARDS
LIFT
RAIL CANVAS
CANVAS

TROUBLESHOOTING TAMBOUR MOVEMENT


SAND AND WAX
GROOVE TO HELP
DOOR SLIDE
SMOOTHLY

LIFT
RAIL

FILE OR
SAND ENDS
ROUND OVER END OF SLATS TO
OF TONGUE ON SMOOTH ROUGH SPOTS
LIFT RAIL

LIFT RAIL. When a tambour won’t slide SLATS. The slats can also get hung up. SAND AND WAX. It’s always a good idea
freely, check the lift rail. Sharp corners Here again, round over the ends. But to sand the groove lightly to remove any
can hang up in the groove. Use a sanding because the groove is shallow, keep the chatter marks left by the router. Then
block to round the corners. radius small so it’s not exposed. apply paste wax so door will slide freely.

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