Been going slowly. My truck is sick, Covid is ramping up, holidays, and hunting season mean my priorities have been shifted. But I do have updates.
I was able to take the 2.5" slab of walnut and turn it into a mantel. The slab was longer and skinnier than the mantel shape, so I was able to take the ends off and laminate them to the side to get the shape I needed. Biscuits and pocket screws for the win. Cut, radius, router, light stain, and done. The finish is a concoction I made with equal parts mineral spirits, satin oil poly, and tung oil. I hand-rubbed 6 coats.
Then I built a coffee table to match with the remaining walnut which I had cut to 5/4". I grabbed a scrap of lauan to make a leg pattern. Maybe it's because it's hunting season, but I wanted legs that went along with the Victorian/English Gentlemen's club theme and reminiscent of antlers without being too "country." I hand rubbed two coats of the tung oil/poly mixture, then coated with two coats of satin poly thinned 2 parts poly to 1 part spirits. I wanted a couple coats of actual straight poly since this table will get things like drink glasses set on it, feet propped up, and generally more use than the mantel
Now I'm building cabinets for the left and right sides of the fireplace. I don't have pictures yet, but I got as far as building the basic framing of the cabinet. I'm running low on useable walnut, so I had to make the choice of doing the side panels with lauan and a walnut veneer. It will be the only part of the cabinets that isn't solid walnut, but I'm OK with that. It also freed up a wee bit more interior space in the cabinet, which, in the limited space I have will be nice for future upgrades to my A/V system. If I ever need to upgrade or replace my receiver, I don't want to be forced to limit my choices by "what fits."
I'm finishing up the cabinet doors today and they'll get the same stain/finish. Still waiting on the veneer to show up, then I'll get some pictures.