News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

How's your desk looks like?

Started by mienaichizu, February 08, 2009, 09:17:16 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Bill Cahill

Don't even ask! :o
My desk looks like Hiroshima after the bomb! :o
Bill Cahill

"My friends used to keep saying I had batts in my belfry. No. I'm just hearing bells....."

HobieSport

#46
Quote
Don't even ask! My desk looks like Hiroshima after the bomb!  -Bill Cahill

Bill, my desk is so bad that I think a bomb might actually improve it.  Not just the clutter on it, but the desk itself, which I built 25 years ago, has seen so much wear and tear that it's time to custom build a nice simple big new one into the front of my trailer.  Only then will I post a pic. :)

AET

Desk?  My computer sits on our basement bar.
- Tom

Firefyter-Emt

Huh.. I thought I had posted in this thread already!

Ok, so here is my office, the desk still needs to be restored and the office has plans  for a small addition to bump the left wall out maybe six feet, and then new hardwood floors... but for now.   ;D


But where to hide a printer in such a small office?  ;)

mienaichizu


Firefyter-Emt

Thanks!  The wall has a storage "room" on the other side so my computer is on a shelf in that room right to the side of the printer "box".  I have all the USB support at my desk with ports on my screen, all I need is an external DVD that can be placed in the box with the printer and I never need to go out there. (The only access to that room is from outside, however, I never use CD's much)

The laptop and home computer (work laptop) are connected with a KVM switch. This allows me to use my mouse & keyboard with both of them and the printer is on the home network so anything can print to it.

All of the wires feed thru the bottom of the box and run down a wire chase to exit behind my desk. This way all of the wires are hidden and looking at the desk, no wires can be seen from the desk.

Next up is getting the picture frame motorized.  I have two cable driven car window motors that will be used, not sure which one yet, one is just exactly the length I need without any play room, the other one has not been torn apart yet.  I need to decide what to use for switches now and I can start to motorize the frame instead of the counter weight I am using now.  There is this cool "up/down" keychain remote made for auto windows that can be bought for $50.00. While cool, I doubt it will be used.  :-\

McHeath

Neat room.  The hidden storage is very Bond, James Bond, circa 1966.  How old is that desk?

Ellen

Ramil, Steve, Fyrfyter and I all have very similar desks.  I have refinished mine since my previous pic, but only on the top.  Here we have the Randall cow, the handwoven chair seat, the AE40 and the robophone for *those* calls.  The green box on the floor protects wires and fragile junctions.  D/P, can you see what is playing on the iTunes?  The desk belonged to my father-in-law, the Episcopalian priest, and the little table on the right was my Grandma's.

Dennis Markham

Heath, your comment reminded me of a story.  Sorry, I have to share it.  I posted it off-topic here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1088.new#new

McHeath

Nice set up Ellen.  Like the cow.  I once had a chair similar to yours, it had a leather strip bottom, a fellow claimed it was "Shaker" made but I doubted that.  Do you know any history of yours? 

HobieSport

#55
Quote from: Ellen
Ramil, Steve, Fyrfyter and I all have very similar desks.

Whenever I see these great classic desks I think of old detective film noir movies with Humphrey Bogart, Robert Mitchum and the like.  To complete the picture they seem to involve venetian blinds with the shadows and light falling at a diagonal pattern, a single overhead light bulb with flat cone-shaped shade, a hatrack with a fedora, and a neon hotel sign blinking outside. Besides a classic telephone on the desk, other desk accessories seem to involve a cash box locked in one drawer with a revolver and a half bottle of bourbon.

Oh, and of course they involve a narrator: "The minute she walked through the door I could see that both of her legs reached all the way to the floor..."

Firefyter-Emt

#56
LOL... I just had to snap this photo of my desk drawer!


You know, I might just add a fake revolver and a bottle of bourbon just for kicks!  ;D


My desk is from the 1940 from what I can find and that cash drawer is "kind of" original. It was installed by the owner when the desk was in the office of an insurance agent.  The bottom side of the desk also has the names of some children, his I presume after he brought the desk home. I found three names and decided that I would just have to add my own for kicks.  :D

Ellen, I believe your desk dates back to the 1900 to 1920 range, but does not have the original handles.  That raised panel design to the drawers were more common then.  Could you post a photo of your desk now that is has been refinished? I plan to refinish mine this summer.

I love these desks and "almost" bought a small one with a typewriter flip up built into the top.  It would not fit now, but maybe after the office was enlarged....

Ellen

#57
No real info on the chair - except that I stripped the paint in 1976, I think.  Maybe because it was red?  The tapes with which the seat is woven are "Shaker" tapes.  The diamonds are not their standard weave pattern, though.  Mostly it's just a beat-up old chair.  And her legs go right down to the floor.

The top of the desk was doing that crunchy-white thing every time I scratched it with something, or Andy did the crossword, or someone left a wet cup on it even just for 2 seconds.  I used ammonia to take all the finish off, then I waited a day or two for it to dry.  I sanded it with only #600 sandpaper.  Even with that, the grain is very splintery, so using it for a day or two before I got out to buy the finish, it was very uncomfortable to use.  Very smooth, but very prickly.  I finished it with 3 coats of Formby's Tung Oil Finish, glossy, with a light sanding in between.  It still has a few nicks, but the grain shows very nicely.  It is not glassy, but finely textured.  Very comfortable to my hands and arms.  It is mahogany, I think.  My photo of today is the refinished top - you can see the reflection of my pink highlighter.  I don't have the stamina to do the whole desk, but it looks okay.

I think Fyrfyter's desk top is oak?

HobieSport

Tung oil is my favorite wood furniture finish by far.  Good stuff.

mienaichizu

Quote from: Ellen on May 25, 2009, 12:54:33 PM
Ramil, Steve, Fyrfyter and I all have very similar desks.  I have refinished mine since my previous pic, but only on the top.  Here we have the Randall cow, the handwoven chair seat, the AE40 and the robophone for *those* calls.  The green box on the floor protects wires and fragile junctions.  D/P, can you see what is playing on the iTunes?  The desk belonged to my father-in-law, the Episcopalian priest, and the little table on the right was my Grandma's.

WOW a MAC! I love it