Sunday, August 31, 2014
Proof I can create more than just a virtual desktop
I liked that slogan so much, I made it the motto for my company, Price Consulting Services, LLC and even put it on my business cards.
Well four years on, I’ve finally gotten a chance to prove I could actually do just that.
In fact, I’ve spent just about the entire month of August building a mammoth, 9½-foot-wide news anchor desk for a local online sports show called Game On.
While you can check out the fruits of my labors at the link above, I’d thought I’d share with you a series of pictures documenting its construction, from picking up the wood at my local big-box hardware store to its final delivery on set.
STEP 1: Designing the desk in SketchUp
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STEP 2: Buying the lumber
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| It's truly amazing how much lumber you can actually fit into a Honda Civic! Everything you see on the cart at left, actually made it into my truck and stayed their for the 20 minute drive home! | |
STEP 3: Cutting the parts down to size:
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| Using my compound miter saw, I cut out all the various parts for the desk base and then used my table saw to square up all those parts. It took me an entire day to do this. | |
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The top and bottom sub-assemblies had to be glued up in a few stages because the weird angles made clamping it all at one nearly impossible.
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After the top and bottom sub-assemblies dried, I attached them to the legs to form a right and left base. At 9.5 feet wide, I had to make the desk in two parts, so the finished product would be easier to move.
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STEP 7: Fitting the base to the top
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STEP 8: Covering the base
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STEP 9: Assembly complete!
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| From the front, (left) the desk has a nice rail and panel look to it. But since the rear (right) will never appear on camera (at least not on purpose anyway!) I didn’t make any attempt to hide the 2x4s that give the desk its strength. The circular knobs on the center legs and top center support are actually window latches that are used to lock both sides of the desk together. | |
STEP 10: Painting
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| The desk got two coats of gray primer (left) and after that dried, I began to apply its final topcoat (right): a glossy black paint.
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The "Game On" program is shot on a green-screen stage so a CGI background can be added later. The producer has since told me that now that they have such a nice desk, they are thinking of building a real set around my desk! | |
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