The top for the project is a superb piece of flame Maple, bookmatched and roughly the right sort of dimensions that I purchased from North Ridge Hardwoods USA. The above image shows how it arrived as a set. The final overall depth of the top is 13mm when finished and this set is only slightly over, so it is close enough to get to the right size sanding by hand. However, it does not fit side by side properly as there are minor gaps, so it will need the edges sanding for a tight fit.
However, the figuring in the grain look terrific.
To get the bookmatch to fit perfectly, I guess I could have taken the set to a professional joinery company and have them run it through a bench cutter to shave a fraction off the insides, but as this set was very close, it was a simple job to sand them by hand to make them match up properly.
To do this, I tipped my workbench to 90 degrees and taped a strip of sand paper along the back edge. Then, holding the sections flat on the bed, sliding them back and forth to take off any high spots.
Below, you can see how the high spot on this piece was toward the centre by the residue on the sandpaper strip.
Keep working at it carefully, checking every few strokes to see how the joint looks. The end result should be a sharp edge that matches perfectly with it's bookmatched twin.
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