Hi all. Looking for some help with a desk I’m building for my brother out of African Mahogany. He has a special request for a top that hinges open rather than the traditional writing desk with drawers. I’ve seen and heard that this may require battens or cleats on the underside of the top for support. Can anyone give me some guidelines on whether this is necessary and if so, how beefy do they need to be. Thanks … Dan
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Replies
master,
If you are planning to attach the battens with screws, the biggest consideration is to wallow the holes in the battens to allow for some movement as the lid swells and shrinks with the seasons.
Mahogany is pretty stable, I'd guess that a 1x2" section would be sufficient to hold a desk lid flat. You could taper the ends for appearance sake if you want without losing stiffness.
Ray
Thanks for the advice ....
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