ScottR

Thanks and yeah it is. And once I told my wife it was for her table there was never going to be a guitar in its future. SR

I ordered some Zpoxy 30 minute to seal the bottom and attach the base. I was looking forward to seeing how that amber tint kicked the burl over. Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found that the 30 minute version is crystal clear. Still, it made the bottom of that table top look pretty sweet! SR

After getting it all de-fanged, I worked on the gluing surfaces. I spray-glued some 80 grit to the bottom and positioned the base and sanded it roughly in place. when I could see fresh wood on all the branch ends, it was ready to go. This is going to be the last time I get this view. SR

Thanks Mike! We're coming around the final curve now I think. SR

Wow, thanks Andy! This thing has had me distracted for a year now myself. I've got a lot of catching up to do.... SR

Way to go Mike! SR

Yep, this is going to be fun! SR

Yeah, and it isn't the first of my projects to have that signature. Usually it's razor sharp edged instruments that are the risk. This is the first time I've had the actual project piece attack me. SR

I got the top of the top and the bottom of the top flat. And sanded to 220 which was probably a waste of time on the top of the top, since there is going to be some void filling to do. At least it gave me a chance to wipe it with mineral spirits and see how it may look finished. I spent today taming the live edge down. In its raw state it was a dangerous as walking in shorts through a room a hyperactive kittens....demon possessed terrorist in training kittens. I had to re-sand the top a bit several times to get the blood off from just handling the thing whilst de-clawing it. II made it about 75% of the way around before succumbing to my injuries, and deciding I needed some fluid replacement. Adult beverage type fluids of course. SR

Blame the excess on my wife. She got jealous of the burl top guitars I made, and guilted me into getting a top tomake her a table from. And yeah, a gaboon ebony neck would likely cost a fair amount more than this did. And finally someone speaks up that prefers the smoothed wood carve to the gouged up look! Thank you! SR

Yeah, my fingers still see pretty well. SR

Well doh! My eyes are going, I'm sorry to say. And of course it is! SR

Thank you sir! SR

One of the best things ever... The dark middle layer is frame the same board, but different faces of the grain are exposed in each, making the light angles bouncing off of each different. They look like different types of wood in these shots. And are you ever going to reveal what your daughters drawing depicted? SR

It just looks like a slice of tree to me. SR

I got to the point where I could apply my first coat of oil. And it's time to bring the top out. SR

Gotta agree with Andy there @JGTay. Bravo! SR

There is such symmetry in that drawing, I think it has to be an island and its reflection in the water. And the smooth areas contrasting with the rougher areas is part of what I'm showing off in that carving. I'm hoping the contrast becomes even greater the more finished the smooth areas become. SR

I want the gouge marks and areas where the wood's beauty shows through. the grain just does crazy things when it's carved into shapes.. I may put some tool marks back in at some point. SR

Yeah, I'm stunned. This has gone way past your blue jeaned guitar. SR

I just realized this afternoon, after roughly a year of working on this thing that the top surface of many of the branches, are going to be so hidden as to be invisible when the top is glued on. Doh! I wonder how may hours I have spent working on that area? SR

So last weekend I'm in the garage as usual and sanding on this thing as usual and a young man comes a round looking like he is canvassing the neighborhood. This is normally when I like to be invisible, so as to avoid a sales pitch. But with my garage door open and me sitting in the opening working on this tree, and blues sweetly filling my garage and driveway, it's hard to pull off invisible. I've got my best don't fuck with me face on and it's working mostly, then the dude executes a double take and asks permission to comne take a look. How can I resist.....even knowing it is a perfect opening to launch the sales pitch. He asked If I was carving a tree and said it made him think of the tree in The Karate Kid. I said YES, the bonsai, that's exactly the looking I'm working for! Then he tried to sell me a solar energy plan and I sent him on his way. Still confirmation from an unexpected source is great. Say your seven year daughter brings home a picture she did in art class and tells you to guess what it is. You think it vaguely looks like a mama cow suckling her calf. She says it's you changing the flat tire on your bicycle last week. If you'd have guessed the cow thing, she'd have felt like I did. Work continues. SR

The cavity looks like a peanut....where is Mr. Peanut when you need him? Don't get me wrong. That is as efficient a cavity as I've ever seen. SR

You have gotten good enough that you don't need my encouragement....but you certainly deserve my appreciation! SR

I'm with Mike, BC Rich's don't make me salivate either, but that one is really looking nice. Very clean and classy--something I'd never thought I'd say about the style. Perfect finish for it. Super well done! SR