Galoots,

Last year, I asked your opinions on wood slab sources to make a desk.  As
this was a gift (originally targeted for Christmas 2015), the recipient
(son) was getting impatient.  Youths of 17 have no perspective.  I could
have padded on shellac for another few months, but since it was his
birthday weekend, I called it done yesterday.

*Executive summary:*

I bought this slab in July.

*http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/IMG_5032.JPG
<http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/IMG_5032.JPG>*


The slab became a desk Sunday - on a beautiful, warm (winter?) day in San
Francisco.  Claro Walnut, steel, ash, 2-part epoxy, amber shellac, a bit of
super blonde shellac.

*http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276
/Desk_outside_-
_front.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276
/Desk_outside_-_front.jpg
<http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276
/Desk_outside_-
_front.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276
/Desk_outside_-_front.jpg>*


Gratuitous wood grain picture.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276
/Desk_outside_-
_surface.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276
/Desk_outside_-_surface.jpg




*Full gory details.*

With apologies for my lack of story telling acumen.

Cleaned up slab (10" x 2+" x 1?5/8") using draw knife and various
spokeshaves to remove the bark and sapwood with wormholes.

*http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/IMG_5034.JPG
<http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/IMG_5034.JPG>*


Getting ready to cut the top from the slab.  After some cardboard mock ups
and looking at the intended space for it, we settled on a 5' long top.
When I finally cut the slab, it was actually a relief - the stressful part
came before cutting; trying to ensure I cut it perpendicular with the ends
as there are no straight edges.  I didn't want to have to re-cut as I
wanted the grain to flow over joint from the top and down the side.  You
can see some of the layout lines here:

*http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Ready_to_cut.jpg
<http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Ready_to_cut.jpg>*


The next step was filling the holes, checks, etc, with epoxy.  I used a
two-part marine epoxy with Trans-Tint black.  Even with the thinner epoxy
hardener, there were multiple re-applications in some areas due to bubbles.
This is most likely attributed to operator error.

*http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Epoxy_filling.jpg
<http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Epoxy_fil
ling.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Epoxy_fil
ling.jpg>*


The ends of the slabs for the waterfall joint bevel cut to 45 degrees using
a friend's track saw (thanks JB!).  I opted not to take Joe Parker's
recommendation to use hidden mitered dovetails and instead used tenons.
You can see the joint prior to glue up here:

*http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/view_of_joint.jpg
<http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/view_of_j
oint.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/view_of_j
oint.jpg>*


Glue up.  I used basic Elmer's white glue to attach strips of poplar with
45 degree edge for clamping. The strips were positioned about 2/3 of way to
edge so more pressure would be on tips of joint.  I worked pretty well.
After glue up, I "popped" off the strips with a wide chisel and cleaned up
any left over glue.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/IMG_5274.JPG


The two legs are rectangular steel tubing from the "odds and ends" bin at
the local steel warehouse.  I drafted up about 5 different options for
attaching the legs to the slab and ultimately selected "none of the
above".  While delivering boxes of a certain type of German cookie to Joe
Parker, he reverted to his pre-retirement role of chief technical officer
and suggested a tenon in a wood plate.  This is what I went with as it
limited the amount of metal work I had to do and proved to be very strong.

Beveling the edge of one of the wood plates

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Leg_mounti
ng_plate.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Leg_m
ounting_plate.jpg


Shaping the upper leg tenon to fit into steel tube (and trying not to
damage part that goes into plate mortice).

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Leg_upper_tenon.jpg


Plate with tenon

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Plate_with
_tenon.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Plate_w
ith_tenon.jpg



View of the lower leg inserts (ash) with levelers. Blocks are recessed
about an inch below the edge of the tube of so minimal amount of leveler
shows when in use

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Leg_insert
s_and_levelers.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276
/Leg_inserts_and_levelers.jpg


Full assembly leg (prior to painting steel satin black)

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Assembled_leg.jpg


Note: wood attached to the steel tubing using epoxy and a few NOS slotted
steel screws.  Screw heads were filed flush and are mostly invisible
(except where I counter sunk them just a hair too much).

Determining leg placement - using eye, ruler, "client" input and tape to
figure out best placement for legs.  Legs are attached via 4 countersunk
NOS slotted steel screws.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Leg_placement.jpg

Assembled, sanded to 320 grit and ready for finishing.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Almost_rea
dy_for_finish.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/
Almost_ready_for_finish.jpg

view of the underside during finishing.  Finish is amber shellac, brushed
on.  At the time I took this picture, I was in "pore filling purgatory"
using a pad and pumice.  There is a lot of surface area and this was my
first time.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Underside_
during_finishing.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/102
76/Underside_during_finishing.jpg

Actually, LOTS of pads.  Here are a couple of the used up ones.  I found
100% cotton tofu (cheese cloth) from Japan worked incredibly well.  I just
happened to have a sheet laying around...

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Shellac_pads.jpg
or http://tinyurl.com/jygrstt

I had good instructions from Joe Parker on how to pad on shellac and also
found this video extremely helpful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxRIPkzgUTM

I signed the desk in a few places.  Under one of the legs I just signed and
dated it.  I used my name stamp on the end grain of the bottom (so it's out
of sight) and I wrote a message to my son under the other leg.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Message.jpg

Here is a view of the waterfall end.  Unfortunately, the outdoor picture
didn't turn out and I'm not carrying it back down two flights of stairs
just to take another picture.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276/Desk_-_ins
ide_waterfall_end.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10
276/Desk_-_inside_waterfall_end.jpg


All in all, a very fun project.  I even got a spontaneous hug from my son
after we carried it upstairs and placed it in his room.  8)

Thanks for reading this far.
Joe Jerkins - In San Francisco.

PS  He seems glad that I talked him out out using a black dye finish.

That's really nice.

Thanks Kirk.  It's nice to actually finish a project once in a while too...

On Wed, Feb 10, 2016 at 9:56 AM, Kirk Eppler  wrote:

> Nicely done. Nice to see a project go from concept to completion, with
> details en route.
>
> Kirk in HMB
>
>
>
>
> On Tuesday, February 9, 2016 5:09 PM, Joe Jerkins 
> wrote:
>
>
> Galoots,
>
> Last year, I asked your opinions on wood slab sources to make a desk.
>
> The slab became a desk Sunday - on a beautiful, warm (winter?) day in San
> Francisco.  Claro Walnut, steel, ash, 2-part epoxy, amber shellac, a bit of
> super blonde shellac.
>
> *http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276
/Desk_outside_-
_front.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276
/Desk_outside_-_front.jpg
> <http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276
/Desk_outside_-
_front.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10276
/Desk_outside_-_front.jpg>*
>
>
>
>
>


-- 

*Joe Jerkins*

*Genentech, Inc.*

Investigational Medicinal Product Quality Systems

Global Technical Development

Pharma Medicines

1 DNA Way

South San Francisco, CA 94080

Direct:  650-225-4901

iphone:  415-218-5028

That was a super project!  So many good ideas and nicely executed.

Thank you for sharing that.

Tim
patiently waiting for Spring in NJ...

Hey, Joe:

That really is an amazing, ambitious, beautifully executed project! I liked
the idea from the beginning--we chatted about it at either the flea market
or a BAGs event--but the sheer scope of the thing kinda scared me a bit.
Glad you are a braver man than I, because I am really digging this. Very
very nice work. And thanks for taking so many good pics along the way; they
really help the already excellent story.

And a spontaneous hug from the teenager? Nice.

Greg Isola
Alameda, CA