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jbroga · Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 1 Location: Northern VA

I built a slant front desk as my first project, and while I was in the middle of that, I built 2 sets of bed steps, and a jewelry box. All the projects had one thing in common, which is obvious, but worth noting nonetheless: the quality of the finished product was directly related to the care and patience with which it was built.

I found the instructions to be clear and simple, but I was naive about the amount of work involved with properly fitting and finishing a kit. My recommendation is that when the temptation arises to speed up in order to just get the silly project finished, it is best to walk away for a few weeks and get your motivation back. (Unfortunatley that has led to a 3rd set of bed steps being put into use with only one coat of stain - when it gets completed properly is anyone's guess)

The desk turned out very well, although I do not have the gloss that the showroom pieces have. I would say that it appropriate for a beginner, so long as they take their time with the dry fit, and are long on patience. I once glued a piece (the top, I think) only to realize I had made some error, and promptly began banging the top with a mallet to try and undo the glued dovetails. It was midnight with the family sleeping, and gentle taps were not working. As I knew the glue was drying and time was running out, I hefted the case on one shoulder, ran out the front door of my home into the driveway and wailed on it full strength. The banging echoed down our street, but I got it loose, undamaged, and proceeded with doing the job properly!