How is this held together?

[radhak]

The only fastener I can discern seems to be behind the base of the green lamp, and I assume there's a pair on the other side. But what else is there? I don't see any other screws on the sides to the shelves, or to the back.

Is it just regular counter-sunk screws and neat painting?

(btw, there's a real large image at http://www.sleepyheadbeds.co.uk/wmsi...yful_desk1.jpg)

[poolhound]

Probably some form of knockdown fixing like this. A lot of prepackaged furniture uses stuff like this.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2334

[Russianwolf]

What he said.

They will be seen on the back and underside of the horizontal pieces.

The one you see behind the lamp is likely just to keep the upper portion from tipping over as it seems to just sit on the desk.

[Shep]

Russian wolf beat me to the punch, but knock-down fasteners are used. It also looks like the upper unit simply sits on top of the desk and is fastened into the uppder inside of the desk.

[Wood_workur]

poolhound got it.

they actually make a pretty sturdy desk IMHO.

[radhak]

Hmm, I recall those used in some of the kmart stuff we had bought when we where young, naive and poor.

Looking at the instructions looks like lotsa precision needed in installing these.

Anybody think pocket-screws would be just as good and strong?

[Wood_workur]

Pocket screws would work nice. I'm not sure how strong those know down fasteners are, but I'm thinking that they are only as strong as much as the wood can hold the pin, which is how strong pocket screws are. So I think you could use them interchangeably.

[poolhound]

Pocket screws would work nice. I'm not sure how strong those know down fasteners are, but I'm thinking that they are only as strong as much as the wood can hold the pin, which is how strong pocket screws are. So I think you could use them interchangeably.

I would say that the knock downs would be stronger as usually they are larger in Dia than a regular screw and have a deeper thread designed for composite materials.

Depending on how much weight you were thinking of putting on some of those shelves I am not sure I would use pocket screws.

[steve_ma]

I have a heavy duty desk made from melamine and knock down fasteners. It has a 1 in. top and 3/4 sides/back. Its 25 years old, literally. If you are carefully moving it, it is fine. Once in place no problem. Mine now has chipped areas where the fasteners go and has been repaired to remain solid, but the damage is from knucklehead movers more interested in time and less interested in damage.
THe fasteners do get out of whack, some loose, some tight, but if your the only one to knock it down and put it up, its petty good IMHO. I have never built like that however.