some rough 2x2s and a desktop.

When we were touring the Boeing Flight Museum last month - in the old section that was supposed to replicate (or was... I can't remember now) the Old Red Barn (the first Boeing factory) - I got an idea for a desktop that I could make out of glued-together rough lumber. So a couple weeks ago I went to Home Depot and picked some out... the last of the lot on the pallet. No worries cos I wasn't being picky (this time) - the knottier the better.

I started then with some rough 2x2s...

The key was the little 12" planer I bought from a co-worker's dad for forty or fifty bucks a few years back... so I lined them up in the order I thought looked good based on knots and grain and such, numbered them and fed them through the planer a couple at a time to square them up nicely and plane off the dirt and such. J helped. I didn't really get any good shots of the process but then we glued and clamped them and let them dry for a day or so.

J also picked out a maple-colored stain he thought looked good that I finally applied the other day after boring holes through each end for a 3/8" threaded rod I also picked up at Home Depot to give it an 'industrial' look (strictly ornamental... but it would appear to also serve the purpose of holding it all together). Then rubbed on some poly (my favourite part of finishing!)...

But that was about it. Oh... I routed one side to have a nice edge on which to rest my wrists...

Like so...

Yep... that was it. Easy peasy. This was really just a test afterall - now that I know it works I'm totally going to do more of this type of woodworking (glueing up pieces of rough lumber) for other pieces of furniture I plan on designing/building...