A Peek Into The Sausage Factory

One of the projects in the pipeline is a Civil War reproduction folding camp table.  The plans are in the October 2013 issue of Woodworker's Journal.  The build is quick and very straightforward.

Above is the top with the skirt screwed on.  The short ends are meant to support the collapsible legs (not installed yet).  The original plan called for a simple butt joint at the corners, which would mean the legs are supported by the screws only.  I opted instead for a single dovetail at the corners to strengthen the joint.  The dovetail may be overkill, but it is my design choice.

Unfortunately, my dovetails still suck:

Gappy Dovetail

 The table top is made of white oak.  The center strip is padauk flanked by two narrow strips of mahogany.  I'm open to finishing options to keep the red/brown/orange look of the padauk; post your suggestions below.