Ronn W

Finally got it with no scratch marks. Now I know how much anding is required. Used timbermate wood filler (veneer had holes too deep for pumice to fill) and then sanded up to 400 grit. Then french polish with 2# cut shellac. Took 4 sessions. 3 to build the finish and one for final polish. It looks better in person and feels great. Only the top got the french polish.

Beautiful, just freakin' beautiful. I like it.

I see what you are saying and that gap under the top drawer has bothered me, too. I have revised the depth of the top drawers on each side to be about 2 " deeper than the 3" center drawer that drops the rails under the side top drawers down a little but that just moves the gap. I have moved all of the drawer runners to be at center depth of each drawer. That includes the bottom drawer. I have thought about removing the rail(s) under the top drawers to eliminate this gap but i think I need overall stability that those rails add to the structure. Right now I have removed the back panels so that the front and back of desk is all open. I then added back an upper and lower apron on the back so the back will remain square and stable. The upper apron hides cavity created by the sloped top and the bottom apron keeps my 3 ring binders on the bottm shelf in place. But the front has only the rails immediatley under the desk top. Gotta think more about that. I have moved all of the drawer runners to be at center depth of each drawer. That includes the bottom drawer. The runner for the bottom drawer will only travel half way back along the side of the desk terminating at the post on the center of the side. I really want the shelf behind this drawer for 3 ring binders of wood working reference materials. There is a front center drawer, gotta have that. I have designed the 2" high space under the raised shelf to be home for the keyboard. Thanks for the input.

Thanks for all of your input. I like the idea of contitnuing the runners acroos the drawer fronts. I have yet to layout the peices of veneer (I think it is an elm burl but don't know for sure) for the drawer fronts so I have not decided about that yet. But I will keep that suggestion in mind if I don't use it on this project. I have widened thee chair opening to 24" and narrowed the drawers slightly. It forced the length of the overal length of the dest to 49 1/2". I can live with that. I have discovered that I only have 29" to ever get the desk out of the basement so I have had to revise some dimenson and make the top and upper shelf removable. Thank God for table 8's I have removed the lower right drawer to leave an open space for computer CPU. Still have plenty of drawer space. The drawers on the left and right are no longer symmetrical. Just call it a design quirk. Have yet to decide on wood species.....1) Maple frame with walnut drawers and top with burl drawer fronts. 2) Walnut frame with maple drawers and top and burl drawer front. (Have to be able to get 8/4 walnut for legs). Maple frame with sapele drawers and top and burl drawer fronts. Using walnut for the drawers will be the most expensive since they are exposed. That's a lot of walnut. I have discounted cherry since I am sure that the the various parts will darken at different rates and only lsowly becuase it will be in my basement office space. I have never actually used a story stick but for 8 legs with many dados and mortises and dovetails this may be a good time to make one. Thanks again, all.

I would like to get some comments/ suggestions on a desk that I am designing for myself. It is taller than most desks since I have worked at a drafting table for many years and prefer the height and sloped surface. Top shelf is for 2 computer monitors. Shelve space behind the drawers a basically because no one needs a 24" deep drawers. I may do drawer fronts with book matched veneer - that looks continuous from drawer to drawer. Any comments welcome. I won't be offended.

I would contact the makers of Tru-oil and wee what they say.

Looking good. I like the case work.

MIght help if you shared what type of project you are thinking about, will it be abused like a table top, etc.

Some people use microfiber clothes. I have not used them.

I cheated on my last breadboard ends - I clamped the ends tight and then thru drilled and plugged the holes. Not as strong as a good drawbore, though.

How thick are the legs? Looks like a job for domino man. Especially if the les are thicker than 3/4" (double dominos.)

I understand but it lost a ltille in translation

I agree with BMac for a lot of reasons. 2nd choice is A gluing each pairs of boards to 1 1/2" before gluing for width. I would not use B.

So I just re-discovered this thread and have learned a bit this since I started it. I have done some experiementing. Because of the high gloss of a frech poslished. You have to sand a lot more on each grit on figured wood and burls including veneers than you do on woods with a directional grain to avoid scratches showing up. Testing with mineral spirits or raking light as you sand is not good enough. Some times scratches will not show up until the polishing process reaches a certain level of sheen and then, poop, that scratch shows up. Here is a experiment for use on burl. Sand first grit with Ros, 2nd by hand north-south, 3rd by hand E-W. 4th diagonally, 5th diagonally the on other way. Then do the french polish. if scratches show up you will know at what step or steps in the sanding process you did not sand enough.

Whatever you decide, you're goin to have a great looking bench.