******   Build A Shelf (Hutch) On Top Of Your Computer Desk.   ******
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                              by M. Hopping


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   My computer desk is a standard sort of desk which, I am fairly confident,
  is in place under the Amigas of many MD readers. It came with a shelf
  covering about half the length of the desk top. The shelf was just
  adequate to hold the monitor but the design was such that the shelf support
  divided the desk at the centre, making full use of the desk top impossible.
  I have removed the half length shelf and replaced it with a full length one
  which a friend calls a hutch. The observations that follow are intended to
  encourage and assist others to add the same shelf to their desks. My
  computer is an Amiga 500 and, of course, the monitor is separate from the
  computer.

   Cabinet Makers will not get much assistance from these words, they will
  already have their desks exactly as they want them. My target audience is
  the person whose desk is not as he/she wants it and who wishes to take
  matters into his/her own hands but who lacks experience.

   The method I have adopted is simple and straightforward. It works
  perfectly. If it looks too simple to you, please do not dismiss it. Give
  it a go. It is a stand-alone design which will work on a desk or table of
  any size. The only adjustment to size would be to the length of the wood
  used for the shelf to match the size of the individual desk or table.

   The shelf is constructed of screwed butt-jointed sections of the one sized
  timber.

   The diagram

   It was some time ago that I fixed my computer desk. I was so pleased with
  the result that I decided to write to MD about it straight away. Pictures
  being worth thousands of words, it was obvious that anything I wrote would
  have to be accompanied by a picture. That became the major stumbling
  block. I cannot draw. The illustration accompanying these words is the
  best I can do. I hope it is adequate to make these descriptions reasonably
  clear. The illustration is NOT TO SCALE. It is an indication only.

   Before coming to the nuts and bolts (so to speak) I will return to the
  removal of the half length shelf mentioned above. The desk is a knock-down
  design and the half length shelf was held in place by special looking
  screws. All that was necessary was the removal of those screws and the
  lifting off of the shelf. The desk top was then as flat as the kitchen
  table.

   My desk top measures 1190mm x 580mm. The shelf I have installed is 1180mm
  x 350mm. The dimensions of the shelf are determined by the length of the
  desk (naturally) and the depth of whatever is to go on it. I have the
  monitor, printer, paper trays and a box holding a number of manuals on
  their ends. The monitor needs the greatest shelf depth and is housed
  comfortably on this shelf.

   To be able to bear the weight of the items I have on the shelf, it should
  be made of wood. Particle board, unless hugely thick, would almost
  certainly bend under that weight. As will be seen from the illustration,
  the front edge of the shelf is unsupported for its full length.

   I was fortunate in having some used pacific maple on hand when I decided
  to make my shelf. If you do not have wood available, you may have an old
  dresser you can dismantle, or an old table. Failing all that, you can
  purchase wood from a wood yard. Mine is 20mm dressed. Unless you wish to
  finish it in some fancy way, it should not matter what wood you use. My
  desk has a flat black surface. If yours is the same you need not be
  concerned with the appearance of the wood you use. When construction is
  finished, paint the shelf with blackboard paint and nobody will notice that
  it is an add-on.

   The style of construction is to create the shelf as a separate unit,
  finish it and fix it to the top of the desk.

   You must decide on the height of the shelf according to your own
  requirements. Assuming you will put the monitor on it, you will need a
  height to bring the monitor comfortably before your eyes. My shelf top is
  228mm above the desk. My monitor is a C-1084S.

   DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATION:

    I hope the illustration is self explanatory. It is not to scale.

        "A" is the desk. The dots on its top are the holes to be drilled
        to permit the fixing of the shelf.

        "B1" and "B2" are two pieces of wood, screwed together to form a
        right angle, making the shelf supports. The dots are screws.

        "C" is the completed shelf with B1 and B2 fixed under it at each
        end as its supports. The dots are screws.

        "D" is a plan view of one end of the shelf showing B1 and B2 in
        position.

   MATERIALS:

    -Timber dressed all round and having a dressed thickness of about 20mm
        1.  180 x 350mm     One piece. (This is the shelf itself).
        2.  350 x 210mm Four pieces. (These are the shelf supports).  -16
   Screws, Phillips head, styled "Drywall Screws - Bugle head, 'S' point,
    Self Drilling, 51mm Dia 6g". (I bought a packet of 100 for $3.20).
   -Blackboard paint.

   CONSTRUCTION:

   - Screw the shelf supports together in pairs, forming "L" joints (right
  angle joints at the ends of the pieces) at the 210mm end using 2 screws per
  joint.
   - Screw the shelf top onto the supports (so the space under the shelf is
  open to the front and partly covered to the back, ends closed in) using 4
  screws per end (2 into each of the four 350 x 210mm pieces).
   - Sand to smooth if required.
   - Paint with blackboard paint (2 coats)
   - When paint is dry place shelf unit on desk top and screw upwards into
  the shelf supports from beneath the desk.

   METHOD AND HINTS:

    -If using used timber which needs to be sanded down, leave the sanding
   until after the piece has been constructed. Old timber (especially oak) is
   inclined to warp if its surface is interfered with. It won't be so
   inclined to warp if it has been firmly screwed together before finishing.

    -The timber must be cut dead square. All is not lost if it is a bit out
   because the screws will pull it together to some extent; judicious sanding
   will improve the appearance of a slightly off joint and the blackboard
   paint is reasonably thick, having the effect of filling small gaps.

    -Guide holes should be drilled for the screws. The guide hole in the wood
   which holds the point should be small enough for the screw thread to grip
   firmly, while the guide hole in the wood which will have the screw head
   should be large enough for the screw shaft to slide easily through it. The
   hole should be countersunk to allow the screw head to sit flush with the
   wood.  Then when the paint is applied the screws become invisible.

    -Because the screws are the only thing holding this structure together,
   they should be the size I have set out. I advise against using smaller
   ones. (If desired, the joints may be glued with wood glue before they are
   screwed.)

    -This simple construction method achieves a partial opening at the back
   of the desk for ventilation and also strutting of the corners of the shelf
   for stability, while leaving access to the desk top itself almost
   unimpeded.

    -As referred to above, there is a limit to the unsupported length of a
   shelf. It depends upon the strength of the shelf material and the weight
   it must support. If you decide to scale down the thickness of the wood,
   remember to think about the strength you will need. If your desk is not as
   wide as mine you will probably be as well served with lighter materials.
   If it is a lot wider, you may need to scale up.

    -However you finish the wood, be sure to give it a matte finish. A shiny,
   reflective surface would be very annoying. Blackboard paint is ideal. I
   bought mine at K-Mart.


    Happy cabinet-making!




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