Finishing Ernest: Waxing, Buffing, and Future Work

Waxing this guy felt counter intuitive. Didn't I just spend months cleaning wax and dirt off to now put it back on?

A Convo with Tom Smitley eased my fears, as he assured me, the wax & dirt was what i wanted off.
Now I wanted to put a coat of protective wax on less the dirt.

When waxing one cannot put too much on. Apply sparingly with no regard to the grain of the wood. Then, allowing to dry over night, with a soft cloth, (old t shirt, cheese cloth, etc) buff with the grain of the wood.

Let's just call this a really good shoulder and upper back workout.
(As my roommate teased and sassed me with "Wax on, wax off, Danielson")


Enter Ernest, so named because he was a project done in earnest:

 

Just remember, that he went from this:

to this:

Must say that it cleaned up rather nicely, and is usable in the way that I will neither destroy my things nor the desk.
After the jump are things that are going to have to be completed by a professional. However, for all intents and purposes, Ernest is done. (Insert appropriate emoticon here)
To be Professionally Finished:
The missing piece:
Were I more skilled, I could probably trace, cut, bore, stain, and fit a new piece myself.
However, this is a job for someone more skilled.



The Veneer:
Now I had visions about getting leather and gold leafing to make a writing pad.
With the addition of some simple mahogany  veneer as a frame, I would turn this:

into something like this:

Surface Gouges:

I was right in thinking that this piece was previously restored. As I was cleaning the dark dark dirty wax off of the top, I uncovered wax filled gouges, dents, and scars from a previous life. Also the pasty white cancer look from the before picture covered some pretty pock marked wood. While these cleaned and shined well, they are all the more noticeable. When the veneer gets replaced and the side cracks splined, these can probably get fixed too.

Grandma Knobs:

So, the knobs. Mmmm... I like them for their brilliance, tactile hardness, and the way they catch the light.
The flowery look? Not so much. 
This may just have to be a set aside until I find something better. But at least for now, they work.

 

Also, need to touch up the finish above, but it can wait.... maybe one sunday from now...