Desk Cubby Insert

I've always loved those old roll top desks with the little pigeon holes in them. I like the idea of having little cubbies for everything right where you need them when you're working on something. My desk attaches to one of those Ikea cube book shelves so that I have easy access to my books and such. Earlier this summer I thought It would be cool to build an insert for it where I could keep all my notebooks and papers neatly. 

I measured the books and papers that I wanted to include in it, and made sure there were specific places for each. One day I stayed late after work, and using the measurements I had taken, built up my cubby in Solidworks.  That way I could make a 1 to 1 pattern for cutting out the pieces and routering all the slots for the dividers. I cut all the pieces to size and then set up the back panel for routering. Each divider gets glued into the slot at the back to give it some strength and help with positioning. 

Next I had to work quickly to glue up all the pieces and try and get them all aligned at the front and clamped while the glue was still wet. It took rather a lot of clamps! 

One of the internal ribs tilted a degree or two in the glue up, but overall it worked out pretty well. I had pre waxed all the internal faces of the piece so that papers would go in smoothly, and because it would be impossible to do at this point. I did some finish sanding and waxed the outside. You get a sneak peak of some upcoming projects I was also working on in this picture too!

As luck/design would have it, it fit!! Here you can see it in context with the whole shelf. Things for a bit messy in emptying the spot where it was going.

Now I have a handy place for all my notebooks instead of them being in a big pile. It's great, and at a glance it looks like it was built right in!