Shopsmith Forums

We're homeschooling our girls (1st and 2nd grades), and I'm trying to put together a learning area for them in my "office." (My "office" is where my computer and my "stuff" is, most of it still packed from our last move.) Realizing the kitchen table just wasn't quite fitting the need for the girls a learning area, I made a deal with my wife. If she let me build a shelving system in my office, I'll incorporate a couple desks for the girls.

So, I build the room in Sketchup. Then designed the ultimate shelving system for our needs. (The picture below is just Phase 1 - there are three other walls full of shelves and cabinets to hold and display all my stuff.)

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My learning area idea was to take one wall and make one super long desk for all three of us with shelving above. It was to be 9' long with a 3' section for my desk (far right), and two 2.5' sections for each girl a desk divided by a 1' cubby shelf section. An open bottom with the desk surface supported by plywood panels cut to an inverted L shape. (The carpenters at the university I work at use this method a lot and it seems very strong and stable.) I didn't Sketch-it-Up, but I also plan for a cleat attached to the wall to support the back of the desk top.

After making a materials list and estimating the price in cabinet grade plywood, I decided I needed to figure out another way to do it.

So I spent today planing down some old 10' cypress boards of varying widths from a full 2" thick down to a little under 1.5". I'll use these for the desk surface. I have some rough-cut pine lumber that I should be able to plane down and glue up for the shelves.

So, after all that exposition, the first of my specific points of advice needed.

The cypress has a few knots, holes, and splits in it. That doesn't bother me as I think it ads to the character. So I think I need to fill in these places with epoxy. I've never worked with epoxy before. What recommendations can you give me on specific brands/types of epoxy to use? And any advice or tips on using it?

Second, all the other shelves can be painted (that pine I have is not very pretty), but I don't want to paint the cypress. It's a very soft wood, so what is the best EASY way to finish it that would be durable, smooth, and look good? I've only previously finished with Danish Oil, BLO, and spray-on Polyurethane. The only thing I know about Shellac is it seems pretty complicated. Would a wipe/brush-on Polyurethane be good? Also, I don't want something that is going to take a month to apply and cure. I want easy, fast, and good. Is that too much to ask?

Third, I'm not sure how to support the desk top now that I'm not going to be buying that expensive plywood. I guess cheaper plywood would work. But I want under the desk to be mostly open like in the image above. Support where needed, but out of the way where possible. I was thinking triangle shaped support arms built from my pine lumber (still using a cleat on the wall for the back of the shelf to attach to)? Any other suggestions?

Water based poly goes on pretty easy and dries fast with no VOC's.

Shellac is 'complicated'?

Dries fast. Flattens well.

Only quirk is alcohol is needed for cleanup.

Also alcohol dissolves it after 'drying'. Like JPW and mineral spirits.

I assume you would be purchasing it in liquid form in a can(spray or brush).

Triangular braces should work with minimal knee interference.

IIWM, I would add a front rail to support the front edge of the top.

I leave the epoxy advice to those with experience.

I'm not saying shellac IS complicated. Just that that is my knowledge of it. My knowledge may very well be wrong. I've only seen videos of the "professionals" using it and it involves bags of bug flakes that have to be mixed with whiskey and applied with a brush made of pixie hair. Ain't nobody got time for that.

heathicus wrote:I'm not saying shellac IS complicated. Just that that is my knowledge of it. My knowledge may very well be wrong. I've only seen videos of the "professionals" using it and it involves bags of bug flakes that have to be mixed with whiskey and applied with a brush made of pixie hair. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Fergit that flakey flasky stuff.

Just buy a spray can and try it. No shine need be used for pixie hair cleanup.

Easier than paint. No shaking required.

So I just re-read mickyd's ER bench restoration and his use of Nick Engler's recipe. Two cups tung oil and 2 tablespoons spar urethane. Took a lot of coats, but his boards have the look I'm going for. And Nick says it's durable. So a spray on shellac, or the tung oil/spar urethane?

heathicus wrote:So I just re-read mickyd's ER bench restoration and his use of Nick Engler's recipe. Two cups tung oil and 2 tablespoons spar urethane. Took a lot of coats, but his boards have the look I'm going for. And Nick says it's durable. So a spray on shellac, or the tung oil/spar urethane?

No question spar urethane will be much more durable/impervious to whiskey spills.

FWIW, shellac will seal knots(pitch etc.). Shellac may make for a good primer on the pine and the cypress.

I would suggest making it as three separate desk/bookcase assemblies that fasten together. This would make it much easier to disassemble and move if/when the need arises and also more versatile in the future as they could each be used independently of the other two.

For filling knot-holes, as well as many other joint-gluing jobs where I needed filled gaps, I use 15-min cure epoxy. I believe the brand is BSI (Bob Smith Industries) which I initially got into via the Penn State turning kits. Subsequently I've found the same product in good-size bottles on e#ay and I use it for many a tough job.

I use Loctite Epoxy, that's avialable from HD in my area. It's a 15 minute cure product. I mix 50/50. If I need to color it I use RIT dye (I have a red, black, and a couple of browns on hand). The epoxy sands fairly well. The epoxy holds those knots in place and can secure a check.

Give some thought to lighting.

You might want to give some thought to desk height. Given their young age will they be sitting on adult size chairs that go up to desk height? Or can you make the desk height adjustable?

Do you want to add a couple drawers for supplies (pens, pencils, rulers, protractors, highlighters, calcuator, tape, post-it notes)?

I'd do as much finishing of those long vertical pieces, before assembly, with things layed out flat. Avoiding runs is a lot easier when the pieces are layed out nice and horizontal.

I like shellac but my favorite finish in water based polyacrylic.

Earlier someone suggested making them as seperate units and then bolting or screwing them together. That makes sense to me.

Good luck it's a great project!