I finally finished my secretary project. I started it over a year and a half ago (but that time also included a full kitchen remodel, including building new cabinets). I just wanted to share the results here and encourage anyone else considering such a project to go for it. Like many of you, I got a lot of tips from the Lonnie Bird FWW article (but I also got some good tips here). However, I designed my secretary from historical photos of early American pieces from Rhode Island.

This is the most challenging piece I've built yet. I anguished over many parts of the design and execution, but I really learned a lot and now have more confidence to try other challenging pieces. So if anyone else is anxious about starting a new project requiring new skills, I'd suggest you take your time, do some research, practice the new techniques, but most importantly, don't be afraid to try something new.
There are more than a few mistakes on this piece that at least I will notice, but all in all I'm happy with the results.

As for the finish, I decided to let the cherry age naturally. Just several thin coats of shellac, then rubbed out with wax.


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