700 workstation desk pic

V. cool looking desk. You look like a no nonsense pioneer in front of the log cabin he just built! Looking foward to seeing the finished product.

Got to get me one of those V700's. Living in New Zealand it is not an easy option.

Smoochy, you made the desk from scratch? It looks fantastic! I like how the VS-700C is sunk into desk and that there's a spot in front of it for a MIDI controller. Well done!

cost of material in this project was $160.00 canadian. had about 12hrs total in it.  the desk is aprx  36"deep x 84" long.  it's completely modualar.  all the racks and shelf can be configured any way you need them.  the height of the desk top is also adjustable.  i've got a few interested customers already.  this was a proto type. i'm in the middle of making a console desk for a toft atb24 with patch bays and one for a allen and heath 32.  i just wasn't happy with the choices out there.  unless i wanted to pay 3,000 bucks... aren't all musicians contractors as well?

i wish my wife didn't know i was... she's got me doing the stupid kitchen before i can continue with my control room...  what do we need a kitchen for anyways?

Smoochy, very impressive. The wood on that looks very smooth. How did you do that? I can never seem to smooth out the wood. :|

Oops!  desing should read "designed" ....typing too fast.

Late reply!

It just seems like anytime I work on a desk or with wood in general, it comes out too rough. Even with grade A birch plywood, it's not smooth. I can't run my hands over it and just feel... smoothness. I threw on a few coats of clear, but nothing... Maybe I just suck at woodworking and should hire someone for my next desk. lol

ahhh.. now i understand.... well... i'm about to share a finishers secret... 000steel wool.  yup that's all there is to it.  just like a paint job on a car.  you have to sand between coats.  after each coat wait till it's thoroughly dry(manufacturer's recommendations on can)  then rub it down lightly with 000steel wool til it's smooth to your hand.  keep in mind the first coat will not be very smooth so just a light rubbing to knock down any obvious bubbles and such.  always try to rub in the direction of the grain... not circular...make sure you blow it off thoroughly afterwards then add another coat... and so on.  i would recommend at least 3 to four coats.  the more coats you care to add the more depth you will achieve but the drying time between coats will be longer the more coats you add.  the best brush to use is a cheap foam brush.  do not shake the can but stir it gently so as not to make bubbles in the can.  also use a light tough when applying in the direction of the grain so as not to cause to many extra bubbles.  don't continue brushing over the same area over and over... for best result try to get maximum coverage with as few brush strokes as possible.  i always use a very light sandpaper at 240-300grit on an orbital sander  to prep the wood before applying my finnish.  after the Finnish has dried for a minimum of one week you can use a good qualify paste wax to buff it to a mirror finnish.    nothing ruins a finish like being in a hurry.  it's better to wait longer if your not sure if it's ready for a second coat.  if you try to use the steel wool before it's totally dry it will make a mess of it.  be patient  grasshopper.  and you'll end up with a piece of furniture instead of just a desk.  good luck...

i hope to have a couple of pictures of my toft console desk with patch bay by the end of January...  should be a nice addition to the studio...  looking forward to finally having a permanent home for it.

TerraSin


What about people who live in humid areas? One of the biggest issues I had was the clear coat just not drying properly. Even now, it's got that little level of stick when I press down on it, and I coated this thing months ago.

If it's possible at this point, unload everything from the desk and put some 100 W-150 W flood lights over it at about 6'. Keep an eye on it while you're doing so and move the lights around to hit all of the surface areas. I had the same problem when I did mine and that tightened it right up. If you can't do that, stick a de-humidifier close to it for a few days. Also important is what kind of clear coat you used. Polyurethane, varnish, oil based, water based, etc. I'd bet you used oil based polyurethane if it isn't dry yet.

ya... it may be a bit late to change anything at that point.  craig's idea of lights might work... just don't put them too close...  what type of Finnish did you use... water, oil, varnish?  it's possible that you might have a better result using an alcohol base rather then a water or oil.  that way the alchahol content will evaporate  and dry faster.  or it may just be that you didn't allow enough drying time between coats, sealing the coats under them before they were dry enough.  causing none of them to dry correctly.  humidity has never really been a factor where I'm from.  i would also try talking to your local paint specialist on the subject. if it is a humidly problem I'm sure your not the first.  they would probably have your best solution.

TerraSin


Late reply. Yes, it was a polyurethane.

Did you try applying some heat-light to it? In essense you'd be baking it so to speak.

well the good news is when you do go to move the desk you wont have to worry about taking anything off it... it'll be stuck to it..lol

that's what your dvd drive bay is for... just hit eject... perfect!