Some Suggestions for a Slab Wood Project

[Chuck Darney]

I have a slab of black oak taken from a tree 6 or 8 years ago. It has been sitting protected since then. It's about 45" by 28" in an irregular shape and is about 6 " thick. Fortunately the piece is relatively flat and I should be able to "plane" it completely flat with a router and sled. I was thinking of resawing the piece to half its thickness. One of the pieces would be made into a coffee table. The other piece would be sawn in half to make two "matching" end tables.

I want to leave the edge live (except where the end table pieces are cut). Before I start working with this piece I have some questions about working with the slab.

1. Should the bark be left on or removed? It seems pretty stable but I wouldn't want it coming off after the project is completed. Is there a way to stabilize or treat the bark in some way to keep that from happening?

2. If I need to remove the bark, how is that done so that the edge isn't made "too good"?

I hope I'm not tackling too much of a project here. Any suggestions from folks who have worked with slabs like this or perhaps point me to some good resources would be very helpful.

Thanks...Chuck

[Bob Glenn]

The August issue of Fine Woodworking has an article about using slab wood for projects. Maybe it would answer some of your questions. Good luck.

[Jamie Buxton]

..Is there a way to stabilize or treat the bark in some way to keep that from happening?..

Do you have an air compressor? You can blast the bark with the high-pressure air. If it stays attached to the slab, it is likely to stay attached for a long time. If it comes off, well, you're better off doing it now than later.

One issue with air-dryed wood is wood-eating bugs. Inspect the slab very carefully for little exit holes. If it has been sitting in one spot for years, you can sometimes see little frass piles or streaks. If you see evidence of bugs, there are still some inside the wood. You should deal with them before you turn the wood into furniture.

[Chuck Darney]

The August issue of Fine Woodworking has an article about using slab wood for projects. Maybe it would answer some of your questions. Good luck.



I went right out and bought the issue. It does have a lot of good information.

One issue with air-dryed wood is wood-eating bugs. Inspect the slab very carefully for little exit holes. If it has been sitting in one spot for years, you can sometimes see little frass piles or streaks. If you see evidence of bugs, there are still some inside the wood. You should deal with them before you turn the wood into furniture.


What needs to be done to deal with the bugs? I would suspect that there are critters living the wood.

[andy Needles]

For bugs in the wood, you need to treat it with Timbor- a borate solution. It needs to settle in there for a while if you have insect exit holes. Look for them esp. in the sapwood, and near the bark.