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Thread: Woodworking newbie seeking advice on desk!

  1. #1

    Woodworking newbie seeking advice on desk!

    Hey all, I have decided to build a live-edge desk and have selected a (potential) piece of wood. This is my first wood working project so please indulge me with any advice you might have. I have attached pictures of the wood I selected (second picture is a close up of the bottom). That gets me to my first question: I selected this piece because I thought the grain/coloring was really interesting/pretty, even though the board is not as deep as I had wanted my desk (it is ~19 inches wide). Do you think it will finish nicely or should I select a different piece? Second, I would appreciate any advice you have on finishing (especially the knot hole) - keeping in mind id prefer to keep the interesting grays and blues in the wood. I was told this is maple - I did not take a picture of the end grain to confirm.

    Thank you

    Edit: I am not sure if this belongs in the design or finishing forum. Mod feel free to move it if this is not the correct forum...

    Full_cropped.jpgbottom_cropped.jpg
    Last edited by Dave Neely; 09-18-2012 at 3:43 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    Chappell Hill, Texas
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    What shape desk and size desk were you going for? What are the dimensions of this slab? How thick? No reason to believe it is not maple.

  3. #3
    The desk is just going to be straight (no changes to the wood as it appears above) - so really just a table top I suppose. Size wise - originally I was going for a desk ~60 long x 24 deep x 2 thick. The slab is ~90 long x 19 deep x 2 thick (maybe 2.5?). I am thinking if I go with this piece I will go longer given the lack of depth, to approximately 75 inches long. The last 15 inches (which I would cut from the top of the above picture) i would turn into a bedside table.
    Last edited by Dave Neely; 09-18-2012 at 3:53 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Seabrook, TX (south of Houston)
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    I would reconsider making a desk of this piece. It is a very pretty piece and would make a nice coffee table, sofa table or entry table. In a desk, IMHO, it would be too narrow - most desks are at least 30" deep and keeping the rough characteristics would eventually drive you nuts. No matter how you cut it, that large knot is going to be right in the middle of your work area. Just my 2 cents and it may not be worth that much.

  5. #5
    Yeah, I am reconsidering using this piece, but we'll see. The problem is that most of the lumber I have found is 10 feet long and I'd rather not pay for a whole board and only use half (I have no use for the other half). So the only other option is cutting a thin 10 foot board in half and joining the two - which would be more challenging. Open to suggestions though. If I do use this board - any suggestions re: finishing? (I know this isnt the forum for finishing advice but I wanted to combined my questions...)

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