Willdoc's Blog at LumberJocks.com http://lumberjocks.com/Willdoc/blog Tue, 01 Jan 2013 17:23:45 GMT Child Cherry Desk #1: Finishing debate http://lumberjocks.com/Willdoc/blog/33683 After about a year of sporadic work, I’ve essentially completed the construction on my son’s desk. Good thing I started with designing the plans a bit oversized. A broken arm for daddy (me) significantly slowed the completion timetable.
I’ve learned so much on this, my second furniture project.
1) don’t hang drawers untill all of the structure that could possibly affect the drawer pocket sizing is firmly joined, glued, etc.
2) gluing up perfectly square and parallel sides to a large dowel with no gaps and perfect spacing is a royal pain in the bleep.
3) Curved aprons should be undertaken with great trepidation. A good electric hand plane, belt sander, and spokeshave help too.
4) When designing a table with a drawer, don’t exceed about two inches of table overhang.
5) Wait as long as possible to sand parts…... little nicks and gouges and drips and scrapes seem to increase in likelihood in an exponential prortion to the grit # to which one has sanded the piece.

Currently, I’m trying to decide on a finish for the table. I used Waterlox on the matching chair, but I’m uncertain whether this will be sufficient protection for the table top. The chair has held up really well under the abuse of a 2 and 4 year old.
Does anyone have any suggestions for the finish? Will polyurethane look about the same as the waterlox? Satin finish probably, right?

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