So, it’s a bit crucial to get it right. I’m using this new mitre saw I bought a while back for in and around 20 euros from Homebase, and it does a great job of making sure that your cuts are straight, or well angled if you so wish. It doesn’t do compound mitres, which annoyed me slightly when taking it out of the box, but after using it today it does many jobs quite well. Cutting 2 by 2′s though… it’s about as much as it can handle.

More after the jump.

After cutting the sides of your half lap joints with the mitre saw, a tenon saw would do the trick, you start to chisel out the piece that’s left going no farther than the line you have marked. Chisel up at an angle from both sides, then slowly work across until the bed of the joint is level. Don’t chisel straight across as you’ll blow out the back of the joint.

Measure twice, cut once. The mortises in the back upright need to be exactly the same on both sides, otherwise the desk won’t sit level. And if the desk isn’t level you’ll have many pencils roll off onto the floor.

Measuring and cutting the other pieces according to the plans, create one side of the desk. If you have google sketchup and you wish for me to email you the plans then leave a comment below.

When you complete one side, it should look like this.

And then you rest. Or if you have power tools, you’ve finished the whole desk by now. But I’m going to hone my skills with hand tools for now. More tomorrow.

Today’s tool is a 3.6V power screwdriver from the budget tool range Challenge which I’ve only ever really seen stocked at Argos, a strange mix of warehouse and retail shop.

Just to explain Argos to the those of you out there that don’t know; you walk in, look through the laminated catalog of dreams, fill in your slip with the tiny pens provided, then wait for the great computer God ARGOS to call your number and deliver you your wonderous delights.

Enough of that, on to the screwdriver.

This is the little box that it came in, promising lots of goodies and joy inside. However for you kiddies, the goodies and joy are after the jump.

Alright then, I could list off the specs of this thing, but you can follow the link above if that’s the sort of thing you’re looking for.

The screwdriver came with 5 bits; 3 Phillips head and 2 straight bits. These 5 bits cover most of the household applications you would come across in your daily maintaining things in the house. However, it does not include any hexhead bits, a pretty standard fitting in a lot of flat pack furniture, so there’s a point gone off the score. The manual does suggest buying other bits, but stipulates that these pieces are not supplied in the kit.

It can be used in both pistol grip as shown below, or the handle can be rotated to fit the circumstance. A nifty little feature.

This little power screwdriver cost me less than 8 euros, and that is ridiculously cheap for a rechargeable tool… but, and here come the downsides…

It’s very basic, it takes an initial charge of 12 hours, and then 5-7 on each recharge, the torque is pretty low, meaning you’ll need to drill a pilot hole for your screw and it comes with a limited range of bits.

The main problem I have with this though, is that, for about double the price you can get a cordless drill from the same place, and the same manufacturer, and that would be much more versatile, and has a shorter recharge time.

So, in summation, if you need a power screwdriver, why blow a lot of money on a top of the range one, if you’re not going to use it that often? And if you drive a lots of screws, then buy a drill and a little box of screw bits and be happy.

This screwdriver is a middle ground for the person that drives the occasional screw or just doesn’t own a set of manual screwdrivers, and doesn’t want to.

I rate the Challenge Power Screwdriver a very neutral 3 out of 5. For this sort of price, don’t expect much. But it has redeeming features which mean that in a spot too tight for a drill, I’ll be grabbing my little power screwdriver before I grab my old style Phillips head from the bag.