Reviving an Old Animation Desk
Every now and then I happen to find myself at the right place at the right time. My latest serendipitous venture led me to the acquisition of an old animation desk. This solid specimen was being retired after 6 years of service at the institution I teach at, to make way for new, beefier replacements.
Having been a mainstay in the classroom environment, this desk (and its brethren, no doubt) had certainly seen its share of abuse. The one I managed to get my hands was grungy and worn, but structurally, in very solid shape. I’ve taken a few pictures to paint a visual picture.
Here’s the desk, as it arrived in our place. Clearly it had seen better days…
Underneath the heavily scratched plexiglass is a solid wooden surface with a circular opening, where the animation disc would go. (I need to find one cheap! Any suggestions?) Embedded inside the circular opening is a circular fluorescent light bulb.
My first course of action in restoring this desk to its original state was to sand off the wooden surfaces. I purchased some find grade (120) sandpaper to remove all the graphite and ink stains. The sanding was done entirely by hand.
Here’s the desk after my initial sanding. It’s starting to look better already.
Thankfully the bulb in the desk worked. I had no idea what state it was in until I tested it at home.
The desk will be in the garage until I can make some room for it in my (already-cramped) studio. I’m also shopping for some sturdy, thick and transparent plexiglass. The local Lowe’s hardware store sells the one I want for $50. I’m fairly certain I can find it cheaper, but I’m not sure where I can look (outside of hardware stores). Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
I can’t wait to put this desk back into use.
-Krishna
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Tell me what you think!
Merbrat
July 8, 2010 at 11:57 pmHere, in Austin, is a plexiglas supply. Maybe you have one in your area. They have a scrap bin, that you can get serious bargains. That size might be available, (a custom square that broke a corner,etc). They do custom stuff, too.
Bekk
July 9, 2010 at 12:25 amBack when I was in the cartoon biz, here are the places where I got my supplies. Cartoon Colour… http://www.cartooncolour.com/ …(direct link to their animation disk page… http://www.cartooncolour.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=9_35 ) and Chromacolour… http://www.chromacolour.com/ …(direct link to their animation disk page… http://www.chromacolour.com/store/animation-disks.htm ). I hope this helps :)
Chris Flick
July 9, 2010 at 10:26 amKrishna, what’s your budget on the plexiglass? If you’re looking for a cheaper solution, here’s an option: get a sheet of double or triple ply glass at Home Depot or Lowes. They’ll cut it to spec for you. If you’re worried about the glare from the light, you can buy a spray can of frost (not sure what the correct name of it is but it’s really popular at Christmas time for window decorations).
The frost will buffer the strong light source. That’s what we did YEARS ago when I was in the t-shirt biz and had a home-made lightbox.
Might be a little cheaper than the plexiglass…
Just a thought.
krishna
July 9, 2010 at 10:33 amMy budget is about $25. Will the frost affect the surface of the glass when I’m drawing on it? Or would I just frost the bottom side? I’ll definitely look into triple ply glass. Thanks for the tip, Chris!
Jose Gonzalez
July 11, 2010 at 8:55 amExcellent addition to the studio. Re-furbishing equipment and furniture is a great thing, especially when its got history. I hope you get all the parts you need, and everything fits just right. I imagine the round part you are looking for comes in standard sizes. (I’ve been thinking of a light box lately too… this is inspiration). Best of luck!