The Keystone
"The Keystone" or "Big Bookmatched Box" defines the large piece of walnut that wedges through the MDF core. This move serves to tie the project together.
The top and bottom of this piece utilize the large walnut board previously resawn by Urban Lumber composed into a beautiful bookmatch. Constructing this piece was complicated by limited thickness. Consequently, all planing and sanding had to occur after the glue-up. This process left the boards slightly warped for assembly. Since big boards bend, this minor warping was not a problem. However, the dado cut along each short edge was complicated due to the warp. My favorite detail of the entire project is pictured above where the "H" back piece meets in a tight corner. Creating this joint, which maintains grain orientation integrity while keeping the wood untrapped, took considerable time to plan and execute.
