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Agreed, chatoyance is a challenge not a nuisance (most of the time). Here is some nicely chatoyant oak, and this back could look quite dull if it didn't shimmer in different places as you move it.

Runout is where the grain isn't perfectly parallel along the length of the board. If not, when the board face is planed or sanded this exposes some end grain, angled in the same direction as the runout. Runout is in opposite directions on a bookmatched piece, so the end grain points in different...

The guy who rejected it sells ukuleles for 4 figure sums (pounds, euros, USD). I guess the knot and resulting mismatch is why I got lucky. in my (limited) experience, chatoyance is reflection from end grain. Spruce is usually dull as it's very straight grain, so chatoyance there is mainly...

I searched, and all the examples I saw of what looks like a deliberate step bookmatch were on electric guitars, usually Les Paul style carved tops. Maybe it's a fashionable look? All the acoustics were fairly well mirror imaged. Some don't look it at first sight, but zoom in and you can see...

Here's one of my ukuleles. You can see I've got a good bookmatch, but the knot on the left has caused swirly grain on the right, which will diverge more if i thin it further. And, with finish, the runout becomes apparent, making the lower right part look darker than the lower left, and also...

Ideally all chatoyance from runout would be avoided. This would leave just the chatoyance from other figuring in the grain, so the two halves would look nearly identical. But to do this, the wood processor has to cleave billets along the grain, and then saw those billets into tops and backs...

From the luthiery side, the difference we see when bookmarking is definitely caused by runout. Unless the grain fibres are perfectly parallel to the surface, you see the cut ends of fibres from opposite directions in each half of the bookmatch, which reflect light differently. The surfaces are...

The El Cheapo option is something like this set of 4 rasps at £21.99. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tapered-Leather-Plastic-Comfort-Massage/dp/B07JMVPMWM/ I bought a set of three (which look identical to the largest three) a few years ago - they have made half a dozen instrument necks and are still...

Have fun! As a child in the 1960s I regularly re-read the section in Arthur Mee's Children's encyclopedia on making a birch bark canoe. A similar form but quite fragile I'd imagine. OTOH, you should have access to the right size of birch tree. I found a website Building the Birchbark Canoe -...

Ebony is notoriously splitty, and I suspect African Blackwood is frighteningly expensive (plus CITES listed, if you export). I'd certainly give rosewood a try. I have a well played guitar whose fretboard shows little wear after 90 years.

Please Sir, Sir, I know the answer! Get someone else to do both these for you.

You have to distinguish between trade buyers and consumer buyers. A trade buyer should understand the meaning of the spec, so would have no complaint unless there were defects. A consumer buyer will naturally put a lot of weight on the picture - I'd have to look up CE2+ to find out what it...

Understanding the real risks is hard. You have to go back to the original sources (not easy) to discover: is this a potential risk or an identified risk? Much work is via injecting substances into the skin of mice, and positive results there might translate to humans, or they might not. Dosage...

Simply, the water in the glue is swelling the wood a little. Over time, it shrinks back and changes shape. If you shape the edges too early, then the wood will carry on moving afterwards, producing the effect you describe. The solution is to wait longer before the final shaping - how long is...

Maple does that sometimes. Here's some flame maple: Birdseye also happens: Yours hasn't enough figure to be highly desirable, plus ... banana! But if you do find the good stuff, save it for something special.

A coat of shellac will highlight sanding marks. Sand them away, reapply, repeat until all gone. Then sand back to bare wood and stain. A splash of white spirit will do this too, but it evaporates fast so you have to remember where the marks were.

Inspector's strip could go on the inside. You'd screw the slats to it along the sides. At head and foot you'd have to work out how to integrate it with the two longitudinal braces - I'd probably simply rebate the longitudinal member at its top and screw/bolt it upwards to the strip, that should...

Lots of suggestions about the floor, but I think you ought to reconsider drainage (as some have already suggested). If the water isn't seeping in through the lower side, that suggests that the ground water is above the slab on the other three. If so, it will inevitably seep in. I'd dig a hole...

In the last two pics I see oak veneer which has lifted in several places. You need to glue all the lifted bits down flat, flatten and re-secure any bubbles, etc, until the surface is completely flat. Not an easy task! Then sand very, very lightly to avoid going through the veneer, then apply...

Any kind of film finish will abrade away with playing - think Telecaster fretboard. The normal finish is just a smear of oil. Light mineral oil is usual, but linseed works too. Smear a drop on, wipe it off also immediately. But it will darken the wood. This is just for appearance though, no...