What's Been Going On - 3

Since we now have a clock room to display and fix clocks we need a good desk to work on. Enter major project #3. I scoured the internet and found a number of jewelers' workbenches/desk that would be ideal for clocks as long as we were willing to fork out some serious cash. Thinking it through I remembered that we had purchased about 12' of reclaimed tractor trailer flooring. This stuff is made out of maple and is 12" wide (which includes a way to lock into the panel next it) and is made from 2" thick maple strips glued up butcher block style. We also had some spare walnut to create a raised edge to contain anything that decides to go wandering.

I took the 8' piece and ran it through the planer...a lot. I milled off the black undercoat and a good portion of the top trying to get it as level as possible and clean it up at the same time. I cut off 2 43" pieces which fits the space available along with the matching walnut edges.

I glued the two pieces together and filled the big screw holes with 1/2" maple plugs and filled around those. I then proceeded to sand it and sand it and sand it some more. For some reason I had decided that I liked the "character" of the side that saw all the abuse.

I then proceeded to route a rounded edge front edge, both top and bottom.  I also routed the inside and outside edges of the walnut with the same rounded edge. Once all of that was done I screwed and glue the walnut edges (which had also been sanded) on. I counter sunk these holes and will use a 1/2" maple plug to hide the screws. Unfortunately I'm still waiting for those maple plugs, the legs and a new finish that I want to try. So this one has a little way to go before its done.

Desk top, all the initial sanding is done and the front has been rounded off. The walnut edges are in the back.

A quick sanity check to make sure I didn't mess anything up to badly.

The edges screwed and glued in place. Commencing more sanding on the bottom but not to the level of the top.