Red Shed Designs Handmade Desk Project

During this stay at home order we have found ourselves busy completing a lot of projects we have been wanting to get to for a long time.  Jason and I never get bored our minds are always dreaming up the next Red Shed project or home improvement project.  This next project we are going to share with you is something Jason has been dreaming up for quite some time, he was inspired by the “river table” style which combines live edge wood pieces with resin, so he put his own design twist on that concept and handmade a desk out of walnut, concrete & resin and it turned out so gorgeous, the photos just don’t do it justice but we thought we would share the process with you!

Jason did a lot of research into the process, he found a shop about an hour away that had live edge wood pieces.  He found a lot of really beautiful walnut planks and decided to go with this one, the owner took a wet sponge and got the bottom half wet so he could really see the beautiful grain of the wood.

He was able to find a metal base for the desk for free (someone we know was getting rid of it) and it was perfect, he spray painted it with a black paint to give it more of an industrial look.

Next he removed the bark , filled in any cracks or holes with resin to prevent splitting when he actually cut the board in half.  Once the resin dried he then had to sand the piece so it was smooth.  He then prepared the wood to be cut evenly down the middle.

The measurements and precise layout for this took a lot of time and planning, it amazes me how Jason does this, he is a true craftsman because I could never figure it all out!  Ha ha   So he clamped down the wood, he even made a smaller piece into the keyboard tray which was so awesome.

The next part of the process was mixing the concrete with resin which takes very precise measurements to get just the right consistency. Then you pour the concrete mixture in between the boards and it flows somewhat like a river.  Then you must use a torch to heat up and remove any bubbles that you see. We enlisted Paris to help with this and she enjoyed playing with the torch for a little bit!

Next was the messy part, lots and lots of sanding!

Once the piece was smooth then he mixed up another batch of clear resin to pour over the top of it which gave it a very glossy almost glass like finish.  Again this was messy and he had to use the torch to get out any bubbles once he applied the resin.

He even added a small red shed wood piece at the end of the desk to add a little personal touch to the piece.

We let the desk cure and dry for several days and then brought it inside and attached the top to the base, also attached the keyboard tray.  Overall this was a very challenging project, it took a lot of time and patience but we are so excited with how it turned out, it is a very unique and beautiful piece that we just love. I am so impressed with Jason’s craftsmanship skills I feel like there is no limit to what he can do.  He puts time and thought into whatever project he is working on and spends time doing research to learn all about whatever he wants to make, I’m so blessed to have his beautiful pieces throughout our home.

We are both thankful for this time we get to spend at home and getting to complete these dream projects we have wanted to do for a long time.  Let us know what you think!