For 25 years our “office” desk has been a piece of glass (5 ft x 30 inches) resting on two steel file cabinets. Not very elegant, but extremely economical and functional. Beginning in 2010 we started looking for the “perfect” wood slab to replace the glass. We wanted an 8 foot long desk we could share. That would be a VERY heavy 2-inch slab and impossible to handle myself. We searched for slabs in 6 states and visited dozens of wood purveyors. In August 2014 we found the “perfect” book-matched walnut crotch slabs right here in Raleigh!! Each slab was 50 inches long so we could end-match them for an 8 ft desk, mechanically joined in the center using counter top miter bolts and dry dominos.
We took the slabs to Scott Smith to be flattened. First thing he did was fetch his moisture meter. It registered high. All across the slab it ranged from a little high to more high. These slabs were wet. The good news is we have a walk up attic so that’s where they went, for two and a half years!! I bought a good moisture meter and checked them every six months. By March 2017 they were down to 10% and Scott didn’t think they would go lower outside of a kiln.
Scott put them through his wide belt sander many times, taking off 1/2-inch, leaving each 2-inches thick. (Note - this process took an hour and Scott got a real workout handling those slabs!) Still pretty heavy but manageable by one man. I took them home and started to work. I cleaned up the three natural edges and jointed the “bottoms” where they would be end-matched. Voids were filled with tinted epoxy. I also added a six inch wide piece of sycamore to the back side, following the natural contour, to make the desk wider. And I built two file cabinets and a smaller one to support both ends and the middle joint of the finished desk. (Note, I had two and a half years to build these cabinets, but didn’t!)
Like a lot of woodworkers I really wanted to “feel” the natural wood in these beautiful slabs. So I chose Odie’s Oil. The trick, and the key to using Odie’s Oil is to sand the surface to 1200 grit! That’s a lot of sanding on an 8 ft slab! But well worth it. I could not be more pleased. You wouldn’t even know the wood has a finish on it. Of course it is smooth but it almost feels “soft” and no one would ever say anything was ever applied to it. And if it is ever in need of a touch-up, a scotch pad will suffice and Odie’s Oil is so pleasant it can be applied in the house without a respirator.
So, we have a new desk. Should last a little longer than 25 years. LOML is happy. I’m happy. And if anyone wants to buy a 3/8 tempered piece of glass, they’ll be happy too.
We took the slabs to Scott Smith to be flattened. First thing he did was fetch his moisture meter. It registered high. All across the slab it ranged from a little high to more high. These slabs were wet. The good news is we have a walk up attic so that’s where they went, for two and a half years!! I bought a good moisture meter and checked them every six months. By March 2017 they were down to 10% and Scott didn’t think they would go lower outside of a kiln.
Scott put them through his wide belt sander many times, taking off 1/2-inch, leaving each 2-inches thick. (Note - this process took an hour and Scott got a real workout handling those slabs!) Still pretty heavy but manageable by one man. I took them home and started to work. I cleaned up the three natural edges and jointed the “bottoms” where they would be end-matched. Voids were filled with tinted epoxy. I also added a six inch wide piece of sycamore to the back side, following the natural contour, to make the desk wider. And I built two file cabinets and a smaller one to support both ends and the middle joint of the finished desk. (Note, I had two and a half years to build these cabinets, but didn’t!)
Like a lot of woodworkers I really wanted to “feel” the natural wood in these beautiful slabs. So I chose Odie’s Oil. The trick, and the key to using Odie’s Oil is to sand the surface to 1200 grit! That’s a lot of sanding on an 8 ft slab! But well worth it. I could not be more pleased. You wouldn’t even know the wood has a finish on it. Of course it is smooth but it almost feels “soft” and no one would ever say anything was ever applied to it. And if it is ever in need of a touch-up, a scotch pad will suffice and Odie’s Oil is so pleasant it can be applied in the house without a respirator.
So, we have a new desk. Should last a little longer than 25 years. LOML is happy. I’m happy. And if anyone wants to buy a 3/8 tempered piece of glass, they’ll be happy too.
