Hi all, making a desk for myself. It'll be walnut and Id like the aesthetic of a 2" top but I really dont care if its actually solid 2". Theres the cost of 8 or 10/4 walnut which is a factor, but truthfully it feels unnecessary for such a thick top. Anyway, if Im going to approach the design differently, where should I start and are there any 'gotchas' with different approaches. Some ideas:
3/4" ply 'core' with walnut boxing all-round. Id get 2" overall, which I like, and I can miter the edges to get face-grain and waterfall-ish look on the perimeter, but how would I responsibly adhere the walnut to the ply to allow for movement, which the ply will have little of comparatively? is that a concern?
I could just do a 1" or thinner (after dressing 4/4 probably .75-.85", a full 1-1.15" on 5/4) and then do the same mitered face-grain approach and skip the core above but end up with a 2" edge/banding. Sort of the same as above just skipping the 'core' idea.
I'd like to skip laminating, just because it seems wasteful. Id also like to skip thin veneers.
Thats what Im chewing on at the moment. How would you guys construct a top like that?