Roll Top Desk

[Ken Sully]

Has anyone cut out a Roll Top Desk on there bot?
Could use some advice on how they did it
Thanks!!

[Brady Watson]

I'm sure there are others, but look on Rockler for tambour door kits & bits. You can buy or make your own tambour panels & all you need to do otherwise is create a cyma/bezier curve in PartWorks as your slot for the tambour slats to ride in. Do a trial run in MDF or scrap to get the right shape for the desk top and to make sure it rides smoothly.

-B

[jerry_stanek]

Norm did a roll top desk on New Yankee workshop

[sawkerf]

I made these two back in October. I used the bot to make the grooves. My slats are 5/8" thick X 3/4"wide with a 1/8" round over. I glued them to a piece of denim cloth using spray contact cement. They turned out quite well I think. The whole process was a lot easier than I had expected.

[GlenP]

Nice job Kip. I have done them same way as you explained. I have done couple before the bot and it certainly was more setup top make the groove with a jig.
They add allot of value to a desk IMHO. :)

Glen

[Ken Sully]

Kip,
Thanks for the pictures!
That gives me some ideas.
Very nice job

[sawkerf]

You're welcome! Good luck and have fun!

[Joe Porter]

http://www.van-vliet.org/dempseywoodworking/rolltopdesk.shtml Ken, this may be of interest to you...joe

[chiloquinruss]

Joe that is a great tutorial especially the 'what went wrong' portion. I need to spend some time on that site, thanks for sharing. Russ

[Joe Porter]

His grandfather clock project is my favorite....joe

[Ajcoholic]

Here is my take on a roll top - a little more modern than the ones with swoopy curves.

I did this one in 2011. Just around the time I got my shopbot actually.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0718_zps8039ba36.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/IMG_0718_zps8039ba36.jpg.html)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0711_zps9526ec7a.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/IMG_0711_zps9526ec7a.jpg.html)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0712_zps994bb7ba.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/IMG_0712_zps994bb7ba.jpg.html)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0713_zps9e2bad95.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/IMG_0713_zps9e2bad95.jpg.html)

[myxpykalix]

Man Andrew that is fantastic:D

[Ajcoholic]

Solid cherry - except the divider unit in the top which is G2S 1/2" cherry veneer core ply with solid edging.

The drawer boxes are solid alder, dovetailed, with baltic birch ply bottoms. The lower drawers have rails for legal size hanging files, while the upper drawers have a secondary drawer/lift out tray that can slide back and forth.

The central pencil drawer has a pen and pencil tray in it, and the two pull out writing tablets ride on UHMW pads and felt.

The only change I'd make is to have the upper and lower unit center stiles line up. I centered the lower, and placed the upper as to get the stile intersect the frame junction of the face and top. I'd like them to line up visually - but the customer (my wife!) was happy.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0717_zpsa290f0b0.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/IMG_0717_zpsa290f0b0.jpg.html)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0716_zps6bda0aa5.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/IMG_0716_zps6bda0aa5.jpg.html)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0715_zps5ea00a41.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/IMG_0715_zps5ea00a41.jpg.html)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0714_zps410ef1c4.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/IMG_0714_zps410ef1c4.jpg.html)

[Ajcoholic]

Man Andrew that is fantastic:D

Thanks Jack!

I spent a lot of time looking at roll top photos in books. Most of them are the traditional "dual curve" on the top, with some of them being the large convex curve. My father built a bunch of these over the years, and several that I helped on when I was apprenticing for him in the 80's and 90's - he liked to use a similar straighter more angular look to the roll top. I guess I stole that idea from him.

The tambours I have always used a 6 or 8 ounce canvas, contact cementing the slats to them. My dad built a desk for himself that gets used daily to this day, and the original tambour is still like new (at least 30 yrs old now).

With the divider section you can get as intricate or as simple as you want. In this case, I made it to hold standard size computer paper and the verticals hold large books/binders. Its for my wife's home office.

[scottp55]

Good clean lines and yet solid as heck. Beautiful work Andrew(as usual), like the front stile detail and interior triangle.

[myxpykalix]

I guess I stole that idea from him.

I'd say you got way more then a few ideas from Dad....:D

[Ajcoholic]

I guess I stole that idea from him.

I'd say you got way more then a few ideas from Dad....:D

No doubt Jack!