Lacking a thicknesser / planner, I had to get the wood cut for me. In general this isn’t a good idea, as wood doesn’t stay that true for gluing up over time – especially after being posted! However, I’ve had the top under weights the whole time in an attempt to keep it flat.
I did a test clamping to make sure I had a plan and then went for it. You can see some clingfilm under the piece to make sure it doesn’t’ stick to the desk.
The end result is pretty good, with the yellow middle line being mostly down to the excess glue. I’m hoping that once the top is sanded for finishing that the middle line will look a lot tidier.
I (very) roughly cut the top to shape read for gluing to the body. Purple is the current body outline. For the cutout, I decided to go with circles, as I could guarantee a clean patter (rather than trying to come up with a free hand design).