DIY Network

Home Office with Sports Theme: Desk System From "Major League Remodel" episode MLR-105

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Host Denny Janson and former Major-League player Ken Griffey discuss plans for a home-office remodel. Ken has a treasure-trove photos and memorabilia from his baseball career. The redesign for his home office provides home for an impressive array of career keepsakes. Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E Figure F Figure G Figure H Figure I Figure J Figure C In 1990, Major-Leaugers Ken Griffey Sr. and his son Ken Griffey Jr. established a new stat for the record books by becoming the first father-son duo to play simultaneously on the same Major League team. Before the elder Ken retired, the father-son team established another record -- becoming the first father-son team to score back-to-back home runs.

In this episode of Major League Remodel workshop, Host Denny Janson helps former Major-League player Ken Griffey Sr. convert a plain spare room in his house to a home-office that doubles as a display room for mementos from Ken's distinguished baseball career.


Laminate-Top Desk

Materials:

Lumber
Formica (TM) or other laminate surface
Jig saw
Hand-held trim-router
Belt sander
Sanding block
Hammer
Nails
Contact cement
Masking tape

Safety Alert: Always wear eye protection, and follow proper safety precautions, when working with power tools and pneumatic tools.


Steps:

• Prior to the remodel, the 10'x10' room was already used as an office space. It was functional, but hardly a model of interior design (figure A). Ken wanted a more complete home office; he also had lots of treasures and keepsakes from his career that he wanted to display in an attractive manner. The office redesign would incorporate both objectives.
  
  
  
• Before work on the desk began, Ken painted the room in a two-tone design (figure B). This paint scheme serves to help add visual depth to the room.
  
  
  
• Custom-made L-brackets and desk-top will be fashioned from scratch by cutting wood pieces to the appropriate dimensions and covering them in a prefabricated laminate (figure C).
  
  
  
• Because of the relatively small area of the room, an L-shaped, wall-mounted desk system was selected to help maximize usable wall space. Ken selected a dark grey surface color to coordinate with the painted walls. The project began with a sketch of the room, incorporating the addition of a new wall-mounted desk system, the existing door-openings and a basic floor layout. In the illustration (figure D), the outline of the desk is highlighted in red.
  
  
  
• Begin by taking measurements for the desk, and transferring appropriate measurements to the wood pieces for cutting.
  
  
  
• Measure and mark the wood pieces and make your cuts using a jig saw.
  
  
  
• The steps below show the techniques used in our demonstration to cut and laminate the desk's support bracket. Similar techniques are used to complete each of the laminated desk component
  
  
  
• Once the wood pieces have been cut, use the cut pieces as templates for marking and measuring the laminate surface-material (figure E).
  
  
  
• With the layout marks made, cut the laminate using a jig saw (figure F).

  Tip: Tape the areas of the laminate to be cut with masking tape before cutting to help minimize splintering and rough cuts.
  
  
  
  

• Once all of the pieces of wood and laminate have been cut, glue-up can begin. Apply contact cement to the surface of the wood and laminate (figure G).
  
  
  
  
• Allow the cement about 15 minutes to set up. The cement is ready when no gloss appears on the surface.
  
  
  
  
• Apply the laminate pieces to the wood. As you work, smooth out the air bubbles beneath the surface material using a wood block.
  
  
  
  
• Once the glue has hardened, trim the edges of the laminate using a trim router and flush-trim bit (figure H).
  
  
  
  
• Once the excess has been removed, use a belt sander to continue smoothing the surface (figure I). The edges should be as smooth as possible before applying the next, adjoining piece of laminate.
  
  
  
  
• A lubricant can be applied to the edges before using the router on the next piece. This keeps the trim bit from burning or scorching the laminate.
  
  
  
  
• After all the pieces have been applied, the belt-sander is no longer an option. Any remaining rough edges can be cleaned up using a sanding block (figure J).
  
  
  
  
• With the support bracket finished (figure K), follow the same basic techniques to laminate all of the desk elements.

RESOURCES :
Roadside Baseball: A Guide to Baseball Shrines Across America
Model: 0892047143
Author: Chris Epting, Joe Buck
McGraw-Hill Companies
Website: www.mcgraw-hill.com

Triumph and Tragedy in Mudville: A Lifelong Passion for Baseball
Model: 0393057550
Author: Stephen Jay Gould
W. W. Norton & Company

Special thanks for DIY's Major League Remodel


Athlete's Advantage, LLC
Featured in Major League Remodel marathon.
www.athletesadvantage.com

Louisville Slugger factory and museum
800 West Main St.
Louisville, KY 40202
Featured in Major League Remodel marathon.
www.slugger.com

Wilson Sporting Goods
Featured in Major League Remodel marathon.
www.wilsonsports.com

Stan Mar Sports Nets
Batting cage featured in Major League Remodel workshop, episode 101.
www.stanmarnets.com

SpaceMakers Of East Tennessee
Featured in Major League Remodel special.
www.spacemakersofet.com

Memories Photo and Portraits
Knoxville, TN
Photo transfer featured in Major League Remodel marathon.
www.memoriesphotos.com