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Campaign Desk -- "An Homage to Capt. Sturgess's"

2K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  livewire516 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
So I'm planning my Campaign Desk Build.

Although I ultimately dream of making one out of solid Cherry, Walnut, or Mahogany, I first would like to make one primarily with paint and plywood and live with it for a few years and get a sense of what I like and what to change before spending the money on prime lumber and time on hand-cut joinery.

I believe I would largely like to draw from this awesome example from c. 1910, shown on 1stDibs.

Table Furniture Sports equipment Rectangle Outdoor furniture


Wood Table Rectangle Wood stain Tints and shades


Furniture Rectangle Wood Outdoor furniture Font


Thankfully, the dimensions are listed in the listing:

H 30.25 in. x W 72 in. x D 33 in.
I've estimated the height of the desk carcass itself to be around 5.75"

I would appreciate some input:

- How would you join the carcass?
- Since I am painting it, should I apply solid edging and/or have a face frame?
- Would you make the underside a solid plywood panel or exposed webbing?

Thanks so much, I looking forward to hearing ideas from the community.

Addit. notes: I have no intention of adding decorative painting - it will be one solid color. Similarly, although I may ultimately add an inset desk blotter (1 mm sheepskin, backed by hardboard or 1/4 mdf), I might not do that immediately. I will be insetting brass hardware and strapping. I think the drawer faces will be joined to the drawer sides with rabbets and dowels, although I'm open to other ideas.
 

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#2 ·
I guess realistically how long do you think you'll use it before building a hardwood one?

And you mention hand cut joinery, do you need practice? Because its a great place to learn/practice for the next one as the paint will hide a lot.

Do you have the Lost Art Press book on campaign furniture or the Anarchists design book?
 
#3 ·
I'm going to guess 2-4 years. I do have LAP's Campaign Furniture but not The Anarchist's Design Book

I would normally welcome any opportunity to practice hand cut joinery; however, both time and money constraints make a paint-grade cabinet plywood really appealing. (I recently finished grad school for and I'm a nurse practitioner; I plan to soon start "travel nursing"/"locum tenens" where I work for an agency where they move me to an area with staffing shortages on assignments of 3-18 months).

At the moment, I have access to my table saw, router, and a family member's garage in the suburbs - but I can't take for granted the next assignment will afford me such space. Also, with soul-crushing student loans it's simply hard for me to enjoy buying anything at this stage of life if I'm spending much more than I needed to (while I have the stamina, and no family to come home to, I'd sooner pick up an extra shift and practice my clinical skills).
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
you resonate my sentiments exactly.
I often suggest making a "prototype" whenever the situation exists.
to me, there is nothing wrong or improper of making an inexpensive box
and use it like that for as long as you like.
hope you can post some photos when it is all done.
in the meantime, you can print out some lettering and scroll designs that you like and
cut a stencil out of sticky back shelf paper with an X-Acto knife. and with a stiff brush,
lightly smear some gold paint in the graphics and it will look very ornate and original.
or, if you have some extra pocket change, your local sign shop can make you
a paint mask to replicate the graphics exactly. also, there is a "pinstripe" tape at some
of the Big Auto Parts stores - or from online sellers. (ebay, amazon, etc).
(I haven't looked, but, there are probably videos on the ole YouTube on how to make
paint stencils out of shelf paper).
(just food for thought).

.
 
#5 ·
you resonate my sentiments exactly.
I often suggest making a "prototype" whenever the situation exists.
to me, there is nothing wrong or improper of making an inexpensive box
and use it like that for as long as you like.
hope you can post some photos when it is all done.
in the meantime, you can print out some lettering and scroll designs that you like and
cut a stencil out of sticky back shelf paper with an X-Acto knife. and with a stiff brush,
lightly smear some gold paint in the graphics and it will look very ornate and original.
or, if you have some extra pocket change, your local sign shop can make you
a paint mask to replicate the graphics exactly. also, there is a "pinstripe" tape at some
of the Big Auto Parts stores - or from online sellers. (ebay, amazon, etc).
(I haven t looked, but, there are probably videos on the ole YouTube on how to make
paint stencils out of shelf paper).
(just food for thought).

.

- John Smith
If I do spring for any decorative paint, I'll definitely either hire it out or do a work-trade with someone. I enjoy collaborating with other makers.

That being said, you do bring up good points about a sign shop and pinstripe tape: neither occurred to me even though a friend does customer sign making and I grew up in a hot-rodding family! Thanks John.

I'll definitely post a link to a project page and/or build thread on this thread later on.
 
#6 ·
you resonate my sentiments exactly.
I often suggest making a "prototype" whenever the situation exists.
to me, there is nothing wrong or improper of making an inexpensive box
and use it like that for as long as you like.
hope you can post some photos when it is all done.
in the meantime, you can print out some lettering and scroll designs that you like and
cut a stencil out of sticky back shelf paper with an X-Acto knife. and with a stiff brush,
lightly smear some gold paint in the graphics and it will look very ornate and original.
or, if you have some extra pocket change, your local sign shop can make you
a paint mask to replicate the graphics exactly. also, there is a "pinstripe" tape at some
of the Big Auto Parts stores - or from online sellers. (ebay, amazon, etc).
(I haven t looked, but, there are probably videos on the ole YouTube on how to make
paint stencils out of shelf paper).
(just food for thought).

.

- John Smith
Thanks John. If I do spring for any decorative paint, I ll definitely either hire it out or do a work-trade with someone. I enjoy collaborating with other makers.

That being said, you do bring up good points about a sign shop and pinstripe tape: neither occurred to me even though a friend does customer sign making and I grew up in a hot-rodding family!

I ll definitely post a link to a project page and/or build thread on this thread later on.

- livewire516
 
#7 ·
I would normally welcome any opportunity to practice hand cut joinery; however, both time and money constraints make a paint-grade cabinet plywood really appealing.

- livewire516
I guess what I was thinking is go ahead and use plywood for the top, then wrap the sides with like a 1×4 or 1×6 select pine boards from the big box stores. You can usually pick out some decent boards for a reasonable price.
Pine is reall good for practicing handcut dovetails, easy to cut, easy to smash together as it compresses so much. Or if you don't have the time, glue and finish nails or whatever other joinery you want to try.
 
#8 ·
I would normally welcome any opportunity to practice hand cut joinery; however, both time and money constraints make a paint-grade cabinet plywood really appealing.

- livewire516

I guess what I was thinking is go ahead and use plywood for the top, then wrap the sides with like a 1×4 or 1×6 select pine boards from the big box stores. You can usually pick out some decent boards for a reasonable price.
Pine is reall good for practicing handcut dovetails, easy to cut, easy to smash together as it compresses so much. Or if you don't have the time, glue and finish nails or whatever other joinery you want to try.

- SMP
I like that idea! I'm very pleased with the value-for-money of my nearby BORG's select pine.

How would you join the edging? Dowels / T&G / Splines / Pocket-hole screws? My first thoughts would be Dowels / T&G / Splines at joints where I'd cut dovetails but perhaps get away with pocket-holes with the webbing.

One thing I still haven't yet figured out is how the original front panel is joined. My best guess would be a rabbeted frame-in-panel, but if I'm using plywood I guess it doesn't matter.
 
#10 ·
Weren t most originals made of pecan?

- tvrgeek
I feel as though I may have seen examples of American field desks made in pecan/hickory; it may be worth specifying my project is going to be a derivative of British Style Campaign.

According to Chris Schwarz in Campaign Furniture British campaign furniture were largely made with the same materials other furniture was made during those times. English Oak and Walnut were considered the premium materials. Mahogany and Teak were common. Camphor was also used.

As a side note: I first mentioned cherry in my original post because I live in Pennsylvania, so I just favor using it - my understanding is the cherry wasn't common in British campaign furniture.
 
#11 ·
I would be inclined to inset the top and bottom into rabbets in the sides/edging with probably pocket holes connecting the inner webbing. I would probably also do rabbet joints on the four corners, but mitered corners would be cool as the inset top and bottom panels would make up for a weaker joint. 1/2 or 3/4 ply for the top and bottom and either 1×6 select pine or maybe oak for the rest. Maybe oak on the exterior and pine for the interior to spread some of those locum dollars.

As for the newly attained APRN status, I understand the locum approach for some cash flow. When you can I would find a physician you respect and try to build a practice with them. Who you work with can be much more important than how much they pay you.
 
#12 ·
I would be inclined to inset the top and bottom into rabbets in the sides/edging with probably pocket holes connecting the inner webbing. I would probably also do rabbet joints on the four corners, but mitered corners would be cool as the inset top and bottom panels would make up for a weaker joint. 1/2 or 3/4 ply for the top and bottom and either 1×6 select pine or maybe oak for the rest. Maybe oak on the exterior and pine for the interior to spread some of those locum dollars.
I understand most of what you're describing, except I'm struggling to visualize what you mean by insetting the top and bottom. Do any of these describe what you mean?


As for the newly attained APRN status, I understand the locum approach for some cash flow. When you can I would find a physician you respect and try to build a practice with them. Who you work with can be much more important than how much they pay you.

- jmhallrn
And thanks for the advice. Truthfully, I'm using locum less as a means of earning more, but rather in the service of sampling different states, regions, and settings. Since APRN's are used so differently in different places, I want to understand what kind of setting I'd best contribute. That being said, I completely agree: both mentorship and a collaborating physician are what matters most in developing good practice. What's most important is that I continually be a better clinician; I do worry most about developing bad habits.
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)


I was meaning something like this but rotated 90 degrees. The edges of the plywood would be completely hidden within the sides. You could also do rabbet joints at the corners where the sides meet.

I hope you find a good fit. I was fortunate to find a great position with a good group just a year or two out of school. With the attitude you described above you're going to learn more in the next 6-12 months than in your entire program. I guarantee it.
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
Good plywood is not necessarily inexpensive.
Where I live, one find in big stores solid wood pine panels in shrink wrapped plastic (3/4 thick).

example

Using this kind of material would give you the opportunity to make joiney:

dovetails at the ends and housing/dadoes for the partitions.
caution: for dovetails, the grain must run vertically on the two small ends.

- "H 30.25 in. x W 72 in. x D 33 in" is very big, do you really need such a desk?
There is a serious sagging risk; you might need to glue 1 X 2 (vertically on the underside).

Then I would make drawers on the two sides. 33" long drawers are impractical.
Then glue a long solid wood board inside in the middle to prevent sagging.

Handwriting Rectangle Font Parallel Pattern
 

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#15 ·
Thanks. Your references are better than mine. I looked into it many years ago ( pre-internet) and most of it was the earlier French history not English. Durable and available make sense.

Always liked the style. A change in hardware it becomes Chinese, a bit of fancy paint, Korean. No hardware, Shaker. Functional and well proportioned.

Weren t most originals made of pecan?

- tvrgeek

I feel as though I may have seen examples of American field desks made in pecan/hickory; it may be worth specifying my project is going to be a derivative of British Style Campaign.

According to Chris Schwarz in Campaign Furniture British campaign furniture were largely made with the same materials other furniture was made during those times. English Oak and Walnut were considered the premium materials. Mahogany and Teak were common. Camphor was also used.

As a side note: I first mentioned cherry in my original post because I live in Pennsylvania, so I just favor using it - my understanding is the cherry wasn t common in British campaign furniture.

- livewire516
 
#16 ·
Good plywood is not necessarily inexpensive.
Where I live, one find in big stores solid wood pine panels in shrink wrapped plastic (3/4 thick).

example

Using this kind of material would give you the opportunity to make joiney:

dovetails at the ends and housing/dadoes for the partitions.
caution: for dovetails, the grain must run vertically on the two small ends.

- "H 30.25 in. x W 72 in. x D 33 in" is very big, do you really need such a desk?
There is a serious sagging risk; you might need to glue 1 X 2 (vertically on the underside).

Then I would make drawers on the two sides. 33" long drawers are impractical.
Then glue a long solid wood board inside in the middle to prevent sagging.

Handwriting Rectangle Font Parallel Pattern


- Sylvain
Thanks Sylvain, good points.
The dimensions of the above chest is just a starting point. I agree, it probably should be both less wide and possibly deep.

The plywood I have in mind isn't ultra-premium, but comes out to an effective $2.50/bdft where I live where most decent surfaced solid wood starts at $3.50/bdft. I generally much prefer dealing in solid wood because I much prefer using have tools over routers and my table saw.
 

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#17 · (Edited by Moderator)
Thanks. Your references are better than mine. I looked into it many years ago ( pre-internet) and most of it was the earlier French history not English. Durable and available make sense.

Always liked the style. A change in hardware it becomes Chinese, a bit of fancy paint, Korean. No hardware, Shaker. Functional and well proportioned.

- tvrgeek
I agree - its simplicity is appealing. I'm actually considering using Shaker style drawer pulls, at first, as a hold-over to spread out the cost (decent campaign brass flush drawer pulls are fairy expensive).

French style campaign has come cool stuff as when. For those curious, Napoleon's field-library and canopy bed can be found with a quick Google image search. Otherwise, they tended to use wrought iron more extensively - they're cool but impractical to replicate. In the back of Chris Schwarz's book, Campaign Furniture
he does have a copy of a plate from Roubo about a folding campaign canopy bed which is wood with brass hinges/hardware.
 
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