I have about 5 projects going on at the moment, just phasing them so that I can do the major steps of multiple projects on the same machine at the same time to minimize setup/breakdown steps.

I had an idea for a desk that was kind of a simple modern twist, but gave me a nice blank slate to try some new ideas on the panels.

One desk will have the panels from a few boards I resawed in to veneers. they are claro walnut crotch, so some great character:

before I cut up:

Cut in to 1/8" thick veneers and backed:


the side panels are bookmatched:


The second desk I had an idea a few months ago, so I cut up a bunch of slices of mesquite in to end-grain chips. Dried those, then am doing a flagstone pattern on the panels.


The 'grout' gaps will be filled in with black epoxy. Those were a complete pain in the butt to make and get the spacing just right... but I think it is pretty cool.

agrams....the ONLY poster that has officially been authorized by Staff to post on the Outdoor forum.

Ag00Ag: I have turned and dried sycamore bowls in the past, but never slabbed or milled it. Looking at its shrinkage numbers, it looks pretty average (in line with cherry/walnut/etc). I wish I knew more or could help. Sometimes I have heard from mills that tough-to-dry woods are better left in log form for 3-6 months before they are slabbed with ends sealed in that meantime. But that is all anecdotal.

On a fun note, the slab for the walnut desk: It is claro walnut and figured throughout.

got the claro desk framed up:



and I also am doing a variation of it in mesquite, but doing the panels from end grain mesquite cut in a flag stone pattern with black epoxy.

Love these threads!

Um, yes we are interested!

as if I dont have enough irons in the fire, I'm also making 2 pair of sliding barn doors from walnut slabs. this is one of the bigger slabs. 27" wide and 104" tall, there will be two bookmatched for a pair of doors. I had to break out the router bridge to flatten one side.

christmas wood!

Made my youngest boy his big-boy bed. The headboard and footboard are from a cherry tree I got off my uncles land in east texas.



The middle drawers are also cherry, but were milled 3/4" thick and had about 6 months of aging/oxidation, so they are a few steps ahead in color change. Ultimately everything on the bed will age to that color. Cherry is one of the biggest UV/oxidation color changing woods out there.

I also got some good husband points for christmas gifts. I saved the trunk from our previous christmas tree in 2015, dried them, and turned them in to small trees for the two boys to paint and give to Mom as a christmas gift.

lots of dovetails on drawers.... extremely tedious..

finished up the mesquite tile desk, just a few minor fittings on the drawer guides left. I have some handles coming in this week that I will mount, but I am still up in the air on what style of handle will work best.






Most everything I do is commissioned, but this is one of the few projects I have done that is for stock. I may use it as my desk, but will probably list it on my page for sale and stick it in the corner of my office until someone buys it.

I did do a few new things on this desk. I switched the drawer sides from poplar to soft maple. I like the cleaner look of the maple, it is a bit harder, and takes a finish better. This is also the first I have done with the side runners and half blind dovetails. This lets me do wood runners for the drawers and utilize the full height of the drawer space. Normal runners make you use about 1/2-3/4" of an inch between each drawer - space i didn't want to give up for this piece.

got the handles in, I think they work pretty well:

Got the second desk done, and already framing up the third so start sanding/finishing on in the next few days.

Same style as the mesquite, but the panels and top are from 4 sequence cut boards of claro walnut with some awesome figure and character.

The next desk top in progress. It is a big claro walnut slab with some crazy character: