Make Your Own Declaration Desk

The Woodworker

In 2000 Master Woodworker Lon Schleining published detailed plans in Fine Wood Working magazine on how to construct a faithful replica of the famed desk and has since generated a blossoming of interest and modern makes of the iconic Declaration Desk.

At the very beginning of our research, we contacted Lon a number of times. essentially because he was the first one known to us to have been given access to the original at the Smithsonian. He had some insights that will be discussed in a separate post.

Understandably his plans make concessions to to modern materials and techniques but by publishing his plans, he created a surge of interest that led to a number of craftsman interpreting the original that in no way diminishes the elegance and neat simplicity of the original and has certainly has brought more attention to the original Jefferson Desk.

Lon Schleining's plans from Fine Woodworking Magazine

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The Judge

In 2015 we met with Ed Zappen, a retired Wisconsin Judge during our initial research into our replica desk. We'll get into that story elsewhere but Ed is an interesting gentleman who had been given access to the original when it was briefly off display at the Smithsonian and was able to get photos and detailed observations. Shortly thereafter Ed began making his own replicas. His replicas are now, among other places, at Monticello and the Smithsonian .

Have Ed tell you the story:

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As mentioned above, I'll discuss our interaction and the interesting insights Lon and Ed had regarding what was still very much a mystery when we spoke with them.