Mr. Don Draper Desk {With Diy Hardware}
If I'm watching AMC, most definitely The Walking Dead is on, but I've caught a few Mad Men episodes every bit well. You know how when you lot move on a slice as well as random thoughts blow through? While working on this novel adventure, "Fly Me to the Moon" past times Frank Sinatra was the solely rail on my brain's playlist (I don't fifty-fifty when's the final fourth dimension I heard that song!), as well as I kept having visions of the real manly, Don Draper.
This desk had humble beginnings. Literally. Not solely was it orangish as well as rhythm out to heck, but it was missing it's typical, mid-century spindle legs, making it humble- or depression to the solid set down if you lot sentry Charlotte's Web.
I picked it upwardly from a genuinely cool lady named Shelly (hi Shelly!). Her occupation solid was FILLED amongst awesome "before" as well as "after" furniture. Very talented lady. Anyways, I was therefore caught upwardly talking to Shelly, that I hardly got to await at the slice earlier I loaded upwardly as well as took him home.
I knew I would live constructing novel legs, but when I started to accept this affair apart, I realized it needed a lot of work! The transcend was gouged as well as scratched pretty heavily, in that place was cleft downward i side, as well as nearly all of the drawers needed work. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle, as well as I got it for therefore cheap, I can't complain every bit good much.
I'll write a tutorial on how I made the legs soon. (UPDATE: See the tutorial here )
I took off the drafting tabular array as well as lay it aside for some other day. After removing the drawer pulls, it was fourth dimension to strip the drawer faces. After sanding all the former complete off, I wiped on i coat of a mystery stain I had mixed long ago. I think it was Golden Pecan as well as Antique Walnut.
After it dried, I decided it was a fighting every bit good orangish for me, therefore I brushed on a coat of tinted Polyacrylic to note it down. I only mixed a small-scale amount of Raw Umber tint as well as a few drops of black blue acrylic paint. The resultant was subtle, but what I wanted. Cooled things off exactly a little.
I brushed on 2 to a greater extent than coats of Polyacrylic to seal the complete well, as well as and therefore it was fourth dimension to tackle the body. I wanted to become amongst a dark, cool grey, therefore I mixed upwardly a distich colors of latex pigment I had.
Originally, I idea I would exactly spray on a distich coats, seal it as well as telephone call upwardly it a day, but Mr. Draper had other plans for me! I realized that the transcend would HAVE to larn sanded down. The gouges were exactly every bit good bad to pigment over. Additional seasoning amongst the belt sander was required. I could write an entire ship on the problem I had amongst my pigment gun (lets exactly country it involved a twin, a spring, lots of spilled paint, as well as ultimately blasting my married adult man amongst a loaded pigment gun).
I ended upwardly getting my gun to move good plenty to pigment most of the body, but ended upwardly brushing the top. After drying overnight, I brushed on 3 coats of water-based polyurethane in satin.
The former hardware had to go. I've mentioned earlier that I'm non a huge MCM fan, summation I'm pretty certain they are made of some sort of plastic. The spacing for the holes was an odd size, as well as I didn't similar anything I could honour to fit, online or locally. I decided to endeavour something I've been scheming for a while. I LOVE how they turned out! Can you lot tell what they are?
Yep, U-bolts. They are solid steel, cause got their ain nuts as well as back plate, come upwardly inwards tons of sizes, as well as are CHEAP! These ones are for a 2 1/2 inwards pipage as well as toll roughly $1.30 each at Lowe's. They also brand foursquare ones (I don't know if they cause got a dissimilar name) that I desire to endeavour out some other time.
To attach them to the drawers, I exactly had to drill out the existing holes amongst a larger drill bit, but earlier I could install them, I had to reduce downward the length. I "borrowed" my husbands bench vise as well as angle grinder. I've cutting downward bolts before, therefore it wasn't every bit good hard.
Don't live intimidated past times a grinder! You tin choice upwardly a inexpensive i from Harbor Freight, as well as they are pretty useful when your take away to cutting or shape metal. Just brand certain to work some welding gloves as well as a human face upwardly shield (also inexpensive at Harbor Freight). Just remember, the metallic gets REALLY hot but the sparks won't wound you!
I got all the drawer pulls on, as well as the desk reassembled, but it was missing something. It all the same looked unfinished to me. I headed dorsum to the hardware store to honour something else to spice Mr. Draper up.
I picked upwardly some 1/16 inwards thick past times 1/2 inch broad aluminum strip. They solely had half-dozen ft lengths at Lowe's as well as they toll roughly $6 each. Using the border of the desk transcend every bit a guide, my married adult man helped me curvature the aluminum roughly the exterior border of the top.
I as well as therefore evenly marked spots as well as drilled holes using a real small-scale (maybe a 1/16 in) drill bit.
Once all drilled, I applied this gum to the within of the aluminum trim. I've never used this sort before, but it said it dries fast as well as plant on metal.
I as well as therefore grabbed some smash caput tacks I had leftover from this project. I hammered them inwards through the pre-drilled holes. You could work regular tacks every bit good as well as I mean value it would await cool.
Since the slice of aluminum I had wasn't long plenty to twine all the agency around, I had to cutting some small-scale strips from some other slice as well as attach them to the sides.
Once that was done, I stood dorsum as well as took a look. That's it!
Clean as well as masculine, exactly similar the Hollywood Don Draper.
What create you lot think? I mean value the WHOLE enchilada toll me roughly $40.
I beloved how the reduce turned out! It looks like rivets to me. I volition live trying this technique again, as well as in all probability at a larger scale. The Restoration Hardware catalog is flashing through my heed correct now. Any skillful inspiration?
Find him nether my store tab.
Linking at:
Remodelaholic
