How to Make a Lady Swear!!!!!

The bar counter for The Leaky Cauldron has been glaring at me for a while now. It was a basic whitewood piece that I purchased on Ebay. I cut it down to size, removed the plain top and added a thick piece of painted and distressed balsa. The top was supposed to look like a solid wood counter roughened with wear and use.

Ever since I put the top on I have hated it! Balsa wood is fabulous to use but the thicker pieces have a horrible edge that soaks up paint and is resistant to all my very basic tools. I haven't been able to get the colour right and the nasty edge is all I notice every time I put it in place. 

 So, with a hundred and one other tasks to complete, I removed the top and sanded all the glue off.

 My idea was to make a new top with a framing edge. This new edging will hold slate tiles and I can stain it all up nicely. Much cleaner look, nowhere near so dominant.

I found a left over piece of banister rail which proved perfect as I could just slide the top along the pieces of balsa.

Mmmmm.....am I the only one to whom moulding measurements and angles are a complete mystery. I measure, I plan the angle, I cut and I never seem to have the right angle or my lengths are all wrong. So I try again and again. 

 Eventually cutting of little bits at a time I manage quite a decent corner and even get the longer length of the front of the bar sorted.

Gosh, looking good and very chuffed with my carpentry skills I reach for the remainder of my banister rail.......

 ......the whole inch I have left!!! Why, oh why does this always happen! There are am feeling very pleased with myself and I have even saved money by using a left over piece and now I have to buy another piece of rail, travel to the shop and in the meantime forget how I managed to cut and angle the thing!! 

Swear?! I am surprised none of you heard me!!!