Bank Manager's Desk

With its quartersawn oak, and Arts & Crafts finish, this desk is sure to serve generations to come.

- Willie Sandry

The best thing about being a woodworker is the ability to make custom furniture for a particular spot in the home. Need a desk that perfectly nestles into a nook or alcove? Once you have the basic skills, you can build fine furniture to suit the available space. This large desk provides ample work surface, along with two pencil drawers and integral desktop organizers for corralling letters. Some advanced woodworking techniques are included to challenge you and keep woodworking fun, including inlays, locking miter joints, and side-hung center guided drawers.

Four Good Legs to Stand On

This project requires 21/4" square legs that are 30" long. 10/4 solid white oak is hard to come by, but luckily there are a couple good ways to build your own posts from 3/4" stock. Laminating three strips of lumber together is one way to go and if you carefully plan the dimensions, you can add thin veneers to cover the joint lines. Another option is to make hollow legs using a locking bit at the router table. For more details on the locking miter technique, check out the article on popularwoodworking.​com/onlineextras.

Inlay Technique