Hi kp,
Funny you should ask, I was planning on posting updates today
The priming is taking a lot longer than I thought. The directions on the can say to allow 16hrs before sanding, but in the cold basement it is taking 24-30hrs. There are three coats on both sides of everything now and all I have to do is touch up a couple edges I sanded too much.
I glued and screwed on all the top pieces today also. I'm going to let the glue dry then go back with more primer to make all the joints completely flush.
In preparation for the side panels I tested some different finishes on pieces of scrap padauk. From left to right they are: Regular varnish, Spar urethane, Tung oil, Teak oil, and spray varnish. I ruled out varnishes because they don't dry properly on paduak due to the natural oil in the wood. Teak oil darkened it way too much, and spar urethane took on a yellowy hue. The large piece in the picture was done with Shellac, which I liked very much. However I can easily put scratches into it with my finger nail which I don't want. This is leads to Tung Oil as the winner.
Within the next day or two I should be able to start the black paint.