Desk Update

So, I have still been making progress on my desk. The uprights and drawers have had their finish for a while, and are parked in my hallway while I finish the top. Last weekend I got my dad to help me move the top from my mom's garage to my storage room. Last night I applied the first coat to the top (which really sucked it up greedily), and a third (or was it fourth?) coat to the new trim pieces I bought. (They still need to be cut to size.) I have a bunch of photos which I haven't had time to blog, but I'm too lazy to figure out which those are right now. ;) For now, here's what the wood under the trim looks like:

That's veneer. Under trim. Now, I realize that the trim isn't original, but it's obvious that this veneer wasn't meant to be visible. First, it doesn't have the same finish as the rest of the desk, and second, there's a knot in one spot:

Does anyone have any clue as to why the makers of this desk would put veneer between the desk top and trim?

I've removed the old trim on three of the four sides. I left the fourth side as something for the top to sit on, since I'm finishing it propped up on its side in my storage locker. (Hopefully this won't cause any problems when I go to remove that piece... Perhaps I should take it off, then just set the top on it? That way I can check to make sure it's not getting glued on each time I apply a coat. (One down, at least two to go.)

The final thing I'm pondering is whether I should try to bring up and assemble the top before or after Christmas... there's not a lot of time before Christmas, but it sure would be nice to have the desk uprights out of the hall...