re: The wall

 Are the bricks as rough as they look or was that all done with paint? 
I didn't sand too much, I think the mahogany went thru the drum sander at 80 grit. 

The top and base got finer sanding.

You don't always get what you go after,but you do get what you wouldn't have got if you didn't go after what you didn't get. Blaze Foley