Desk a la Josephine
When I reflect back on the hundreds of projects that have flowed out of the many shop doors over the years, one theme that emerges is the challenge to add at least one new method, technique, or process to the next project. This desk for Josephine continues that paradigm.
The design criteria were to create a writing desk with a large enough work surface for school work and a large single drawer for supplies. Quarter sawn white oak seemed like a good choice, a stable wood with a beautiful grain that would show well with a darker mission brown wood dye and tung oil/resin varnish finish. My own additional goal was to make an heirloom quality piece of furniture, something which shows reverence for the strength and majesty of the white oak tree.
Brief description of project
Design features include: tapered-curved legs, a molded ledger that runs under the aprons, a classical thumbnail profile on the edge of the desk top, and a full extension drawer with custom pull. Dimensions: the desk top measures 22" x 40" with an overall height of 29". The drawer is 3.5" high x 16" deep x 20" wide.
Joinery: The joints that secure the frame of the desk at the legs are critical, especially since there are no lower horizontal connections between the legs. 
A haunched twin mortise and tenon joint was made at the apron and leg intersections for strength, without removing too much material from the 1 3/4" square legs. The molded ledger under the aprons was separately joined by twin mortise and tenon at the legs.
The tenon ends had to be mitered to allow them to meet at the bottom of the mortises inside the leg. (Photo right) The 7/8" thick ledgers are both decorative and structural, glued and screwed into the aprons from underneath creating a "T-shaped" stiffener with their tenons at 90 degrees to the apron's. This allows the front apron to be cut through for the drawer opening. (Photo below left)
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The advantage of this method is that you can get an exact grain match for the drawer front. (Photo above right) The entire bottom of the desk frame was covered with a dust panel after the top was attached with buttons (See photo gallery for more details).
Drawer Joinery: Sliding dovetail joints hold the drawer front, sides and back piece together.
One-half-inch thick birch was chosen for the interior drawer parts material, a solid close-grained wood, with 1/4" oak plywood for the bottom; all sealed with several coats of shellac. The full-extension metal drawer slides attach the drawer to the interior oak carcass around it. The pull is made of laminated strips of white oak and wenge.
