Andy Dingley wrote:
What a piece of ugly - thought it was another of those Popular
Woodworking plans 8-)

What is "Shaker" about this design, and for that matter, when did the
Shakers make (let alone invent) lap desks ?

Most likely this was designed during the same era in which they came up
with that big 460v 3-phase shaper to allow for the intricate edge design
on their entertainment cabinets that they proudly displayed on their web
sites g