Oooh I love this! Isn't wood amazing though? As you say, everything was basically made out of wood until the industrial revolution and for good reason. It's relatively easier to work with and manageable in terms of logistics in comparison to stone or metal. Unfortunately, it certainly isn't fireproof though.

I love woodwork though! My father was always excellent with his hands and carpentry was part of that. He assed that knowledge down to my sister. When I was at school they still divided girls into needlework and boys into woodwork classes. I am proud to say that my sister was the pioneer at our school who, through a series of protests and the age of like 10 or 11, said it was ridiculous that gender determined whether we work with wood or needles. I mean what was this? Certainly not the 1500s! I now know plenty of women who are extremely handy with DIY and carpentry while many of my male friends are excellent seamstresses!

Any way, although I thoroughly enjoyed woodwork classes, far more that needlework, she kept hers up while I am now ironically knitting! Teehee. I think both genders should have been given the opportunity to do both instead of having to choose. Being handy with the basics of screws and hammers and downing a sock or basic stitching repairs on clothing are things that everyone should be able to do. It's called adulting :p

Back to woodwork, this piece is an incredible example of how no piece is the same and it's characteristics are what makes it special. I love that, in your restoration process, you preserve as much as you can of the original piece. And yes, I wouldn't worry about that line. I actually didn't notice it at 1st glance, but I am sue your plan to return to it with the varnish in a month or two will work just fine.