thanks guys. i was being sarcastic about how the limbs looked. they did look beautiful when i got them, and they were still beautiful when i was gluing it up, but once the glue cured, they were almost black. you can see the grains but you really have to look for them.
andy i have shot it, and its quite nice if i don't say so myself. iwill have an unbiased opinion after this weekend, so i'll let you know what he thinks.