thanks and yes, this is a very custom piece.
and i did remember to brand it before i started applying the finish.
that doesn't always happen.
it's going to look real good when all done.
first coat kind of soaks in, 2nd and 3rd give it a nice gloss. thin coats too. not too much at once. should be dry in the AM, if so, coat #2 coming up.
i was very surprised when i learned that the man was only 44. that's pretty young. very sad.
i'm laying in bed a few mornings ago, not quite ready to get up, but awake, and i'm counting pieces of wood in my head, and figured out if i do a slight design change, i could make it out of exactly 44 pieces. so i did.
no one counts how many pieces of wood are in a cutting board or fancy box. but I do. i once did a cutting board with 252 pieces.
i think i was nuts. it was pretty.