Getting Organized

Completed a much delayed little walnut shelf project earlier in the summer. I had received a bunch of air dried Oregon walnut from a neighbour a couple years ago, made this as a simple thank you. Inspired by a piece I saw in a book about the work of some of James Krenov's students. Finished with shellac, but it was all streaky. Very odd. Gave up on shellac, first time ever. Went to Tried and True varnish, worked like a charm. The colours on the air dried walnut are so much more alive than they are in kiln dried walnut. It's really quite an amazing difference, though the picture does not do it justice.

Casting about for a new project. Want to avoid the problems I've had in the past with trying to shoehorn a piece of wood into a project that it just won't work for. Not ready to take on a big display cabinet with legs - yet - although that remains my 'ultimate dream' project.

Started on a Wendy Maruyama inspired shelf out of arbutus. The hardest part for me is deciding on sizes and proportions, and figuring out if one wood works with another. Part of the learning process. Guess I am a slow learner . . .

My wife out of the blue wants me to build a desk for our daughter, a desk made from, get this, a slab! Yes! I have a garage full of slabs and this I can do! Watch for the worlds fastest slab desk to appear here at the Slow Woodworker!

Unfortunately the ladies chose this slab, which is magnolia. The wood is pretty much identical to poplar, with some rather unattractive mineral staining. I planed it to about 1 1/2 thick, cut it to 55" long, then beveled the underside with a router jig so that the edges appear about 1" thick. As you can see in the photo, it was time for the palm sander. Next up will be the legs, etc and finishing.