Here are a few quick snaps of the entry bench I'm currently building.

The frame is walnut while the panel is veneered birdseye maple.

Learning quite a lot with this project, first time I've done sliding dovetails. These were made using a pretty standard shopbuilt mortising jig (that I built for this project) although it probably would have been easier just doing them on the router table.

It's also the first time I've done any veneering. I built a vacuum pump system using the plans from joewoodworker.com. Dead easy. The substrate for the panel is MDF which is a great material for veneering as it's very flat and extremely stable.

Next step is to attach the panel, sand everything, gild a white gold border around the maple (first time I'll have done that too), and then finish it with some polyurethane from Target Coatings.

So far so good!

Update
So I decided against the gilded border, the maple looked great on it's own and I didn't want it to end up too busy, I also decided against poly, and went with Maloofs Poly/Oil, Oil/Wax finish for a softer silkier feel. All in all pretty pleased with the results :) Next on the list is a matching console table..


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Sliding Dovetails
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From aboive
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My Apprentice
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Vacuum Pump
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Daylight Shot