How to Make a Child's Desk and Shelving, Continued

• Ron made up another jig for boring.

• With the jig, Steve and Donna needed to simply slip the bracket inside the jig until it stopped.

• The jig, along with the portable drill press, assured them that the two holes were in perfect alignment.

• The key was to put the holes exactly were they needed to go.

7. Desktop and shelves:

• They cut the shelves and desktop to size from sheets of plywood, but Ron also wanted to add strips of one by two edging to make the shelves stronger and thicker in appearance.

• They began with the ends first.

• Donna brushed wood glue on the edge of the shelves, then pressed the edging into place…

• …and secured them with nails.

• The finished shelf looked (and was) very substantial.

• They installed the shelving brackets by hammering the dowels through the bracket and standard holes. If Tanner ever wanted to reposition the shelves, the dowels could be driven back out, and the brackets repositioned. With all of the brackets in place, they were ready for the shelves.

• Donna helped Ron position the first shelf.

• The shelves rested solidly on the brackets, but because Tanner could easily place a heavy object on one side or the other, the shelves were at risk of tipping.

• For that reason, they secured the shelves to the brackets with a couple of counter-sunk screws.

• With the desktop in place, they could begin to see that Tanner would have a great workspace, storage space and play space.

• The new desk and shelving unit eliminated a lot of furniture in the room, which in this case was very helpful. It also gave Tanner much more storage space than he had before. The fact that the system was fully adjustable, meant the shelves could grow with Tanner.

RESULTS:
The new desk was a great place for Tanner to study. Ron liked the result so much that he actually sat down and hit the books with Tanner at his brand new desk, which, along with the shelves, was the perfect addition to any boy's room.