Desk Project - with pics

[skysharks]

Man and I thought that I had a cool desk.
Great looking wood and great design.
Love that quilted maple keyboard tray.

 

[Shamrock]

Bill-
That is one fabulous slab you got there, and your patience in making it into functional art is impressive-can't wait to see the legs! How many time did you rub it with alcohol before you finished it to see that beautiful figure?


:BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:clamps-clamps-why do i never have enough clamps

 

[BillPappas]

Wow that's some amazing wood Actually the interim legs don't look too bad. If you don't mind giving up the drawer storage you might consider making some wood legs like the Husky Workhorses. The simplicity of the leg design really draws your eyes to the top.
It's a dream of mine to be able to play with wood like that someday...lucky you.

Dave

Dave,

I thought the same thing about the thin legs and I liked how the black played off of the bubinga as well. I will probably stick with my current plan for the base of the desk but will use those 2 design attributes for the coffee table and end tables I am building with the cutoffs from the slabs.

To all of you that posted - Thanks for the nice comments!

Regards,

Bill

 

[BillPappas]

:thumbs_up:thumbs_up Great job on the top. I had to look at it several times to see that the edge treatment is different across the rear from the rest of the top. Your woodworking skills are impressive, but I'm even more impressed with your patience. Keep those progress pictures coming.

Dino,

Thanks - You have a great eye to notice the different edge treatment. I did them different because I did not want any sharp edges on the keyboard side of the desk.

Regards,

Bill

 

[BillPappas]

That is indeed an awesome slab of Bubinga! I know the feelings you had when you made the decision to buy it -- to me it is one of the most incredible species of wood in the world. Yours looks like it is about 5/4 thick, but the figure in it is really amazing! I love the way you laid out the top in a free form shape with a built-in spot for the desk chair and keyboard tray. The edging profile is an excellent choice and the finish worked out very well -- I like Seal-a-Cell and Arm-r-Seal and frankly, I'm surprised at how well this looks (I would probably have used a short-oil varnish like Behlen's Rockhard Tabletop Varnish and buffed it out to achieve the satin look).

Looking forward to seeing it when finished.

Rob,

The slab is 1.5 inches. I gave BLO with Behlens Rockhard on top serious consideration for this project. I used it on all of the bedroom furniture I built and it is great stuff. Instead of rubbing it out to get a satin finish I would apply a final coat of Minwax wipe on Satin.

I started using the Seal-a-Cell and Arm-R-Seal finishes a few years ago and found them very easy to use and I just can not see any loss of clarity so I stuck with them. The grain just pops out and stays that way with these finishes. BTW - I did put on 5 coats of Arm-A-Seal but the last coat was thinned 50% with mineral spirits. It applies much faster when it is thin giving me time to do end to end stokes to get a smooth and streak free finish.

Regards,

Bill

 

[BillPappas]

Bill-
That is one fabulous slab you got there, and your patience in making it into functional art is impressive-can't wait to see the legs! How many time did you rub it with alcohol before you finished it to see that beautiful figure?


:BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:clamps-clamps-why do i never have enough clamps

Shamrock,

I rubbed it with alcohol at least a dozen times...I liked the grain so much that I even finished the bottom the same way I finished the top!

Regards,

Bill

 

[Andy Casiello]

That quilted maple is insane!! That Bubinga is gorgeous too. Can't wait to see it with the finished base! Great work, and thanks for sharing the photos!

 

[NCPete]

Stunning!

 

[Travis Porter]

:swoon::swoon::swoon::swoon:

 

[Bas]

Two words. Well, one word and a number. Calendar 20010. STUNNING!!!!

 

[DaveO]

Two words. Well, one word and a number. Calendar 20010. STUNNING!!!!

He said he worked slowly and deliberately...but give the guy some credit I hope it will be done in eighteen thousand years


Dave

 

[jeff...]

That's one nice flitch, most people wont buy flitches they look at all the bark and freak out. :swoon:

 

[BillPappas]

He said he worked slowly and deliberately...but give the guy some credit I hope it will be done in eighteen thousand years


Dave

Its funny, but when I saw the comment on the calendar my first thought was will I really be done by then and in a moment of complete clarity the answer came to me...:rotflm::rotflm: nope not me!..

Regards,

Bill

 

[Bas]

He said he worked slowly and deliberately...but give the guy some credit I hope it will be done in eighteen thousand years


Dave

I did not mistype that. I have a Y20K problem.

:rotflm:

 

[cpowell]

I followed the link to your blog...wow!! unbelievable to me. I can't imagine how excited I'd be with that much figured bubinga in the back of my truck. Absolutely beautiful. :eusa_danc :eusa_danc

The desk plan looks super. I agree with others that minimalist legs would be a great approach though it would limit the desk's storage.

I don't recall ever seeing anything like this stock at Roger's. Very impressive find and well thought out and executed design to this point. I don't think anyone would be surprised at the outcome based on the quality of your work and your attention to detail. The fit of the layout lines on the rough stock shows how well you plan dimensions around your stock.

BTW you move at lightning speed compared to my pace.

Chuck

 

[nelsone]

Man, that's some purdy wood!

 

[Rescue U]

All I can say is Wow! That is a beautiful piece of Bubinga, and a great presentation for Mother Natures artwork!

 

[Travis Porter]

Where did you get that flitch?

 

[BillPappas]

Where did you get that flitch?

I bought it at East Wake Hardwoods in Zebulon.

Thanks,

Bill.