Ronn W

Part of wood working is the ability to correct or hide mistakes. YOu done good. I like it.

A like you attention to detail and the care your are taking at each step. I like it.

Others will correct me if I am wrong. It sounds like you got the waxy finish when you used the blade like a chisel. (Cutting angle of 25 deg. Putting that blade, then in a low angle plane adds 12 deg for a cutting angle of 37 deg. It will cut fine but you won't get the same waxy results as a chisel and 25 degrees. The finish that you use on your shelves will determine how the wood looks and feels more that the smoothness of the wood before finishing. Good luck.

I have seen a dark (almost black) pore filler used on mahogany and the result was very appealing. Since the pours are small you don't see any areas of filler muchlalrger than a sharp pencil tip but there are a lot of them.. It would be worth a try on a samle board to see if you like it.

Consider using plywood webbed joists. You should be able to price them out at a local lumber yard. They are lighter and stronger than 2x lumber of the same depth. If you are using construction grade lumber like spruce-pine-fir, 2x10 @ 16" spacing is not enough. You don't want a bouncy floor. Also remember that the farther apart the joist are, the thicker your subfloor needs to be.

I asssume hat, for a deask top, you want a very smooth surface regardless of the sheen you choose. I would take a scrap piece and try you finidh of choice with and without using a pore filler and see which results you prefer. I have used aqua coat and find that it really does even out the surface any better than a sponge applied coat of Arm R Seal. If you decide to use a pore filler, I see nothing wrong with using it only on the top where you want the smooth writing surface. One option is to use Arm R Seal: Apply to the top with sponge applicator and wipe/off on the rest of the desk.

I also like the Federal style. Its ornamentation varies a lot. Some carving and stringing will be in my future, I hope. One of my goals is to make a piece, someday that duplicates a real period piece.

Photo please.

Just taking about your stacking rabbet and dado for the bottom. I would reverse the rabbets so the upper box is outside the innndet box. The the rabbet does not have to be so tall - maybe 3/16 to 1/4". The dado slot for the bottom can be only about 3/16" deep. That will allow plenty of glue for strength.

Are you referring to all that exercise that you get walking from the couch to the dispenser and back again.?

I plan to take a class from Steve Latta in may.. stringin , etc. Am really looking forward to it.

My grandkids love the one that Dave gave to my wife. Actually I use it more than I should, too.

Very nice work, Mick

Depending on which veneer that I use: 1) The veneer grain will be vertical (perpendicular ot the substrate grain) and I would veneer both sides or 2) the veneer will be a burl and I am not sure if I would veneer the inside face of the drawer.

I would like to veneer my desk drawers so that the grain appears continuous from drawer to drawer (grain would be vertical) - 4 drawers tall. My largest drawer is 12" tall. I was going to make the drawer fronts of hard maple and then veneer both sides. Here's the question........ Will the expansion/contraction of the maple rip the veneer apart? I would think that, since the venner is glued to every square inch of the maple that the stress in the veneer would be evenly distributed and the drawer front would act more like plywood. But I am not sure. Other alternatives???? Use MDF? - ugly dovetails Use MDF or Baltic Birch plywd with a 1" maple border? The side borders would be end grain to look like the drawer is solid and so the dovetails look right. Appreciate all our comments.