I put this project aside for a while, because the wood I chose at first, became too hard for me to work with, since I am still a beginner Woodworker. You can see in one picture, in the background, the original wood, I was trying to make the desktop out of. It's called Rustic Hickory. I absolutely love it, but, I just couldn't plane it down, or sand it enough to level it out. I worked and worked and worked on it for more hours than I want to admit to. But, I know there's a time, to just, walk away. Not to never come back, but, give it a rest until I advance my skill level.
So, I started making a new desktop, out of Poplar. I absolutely love Poplar. For anyone thinking about getting into Woodworking, and continue on, into Hardwoods, it's hard to beat Poplar as a great starter Hardwood. It's inexpensive, super easy to work with, terrifically strong, and doesn't weigh a ton. Another one to keep in mind, is white, or red Oak. I joined these boards using Titebond II glue, using a Bisquit Joiner, with number 20 bisquits. This wood sands like a dream. Even in raw form, it only has a very light abrasive feel to it, so you can actually hand sand it, without cursing like a sailor. I decided to bring out the darker grain in the wood, by going over it, with my Bernzomatic blow torch, then following it up, with 220 Grit sandpaper. I think I may darken it a little more, but not quite sure. You can see the difference in some of the pictures.
For stands, I used 1/4"x 2" square, stainless steel tubing, that a friend cut and welded for me. They have a nice raw, sort of braised look to them, and it's a nice matchup. Let me know what you think guys!
P.S. I'm sorry I don't have any building progress pictures of it, but, you can see, it's not a hard process. If you have any questions about the build, I would be more than happy to help!
