best treatment method for oak log work table

[Lewis Ehrhardt]

I've got an oak log that I'm going to use for an outside work table. It's about 35inches high and about 30inches in diameter. Any suggestion on what I can put on it to protect it but yet allow me to work on it. Thanks Lewis

[Scott T Smith]

Lewis, which portion of the log will be facing up? The end or are you going to slab it in two?

If the end, there is not much that you can do that will keep it from checking. To minimize rot, treat it with a boric acid solution such as Timbor, especially the portion that comes into contact with the ground. Expect that the sap wood on the perimeter will rot off over the next few years. If the log is white oak, it should last longer than red oak.

Other than that, I would suggest a good stain or deck treatment on the exposed end.

[Lewis Ehrhardt]

Thanks Scott, I'm going to stand it upright and dish it out a little on one side to do some metal forming and use the other side for a general solid, flat work surface. I figure if it lasts a few years, I'll have my money's worth, since it was free. I've got some water seal, I'll use that then.

[Prashun Patel]

Lewis-
Oak logs tend to split on me within weeks or days - not years. Especially if outside. If it were me, I'd maximize my chances for stability by slabbing off sections on each side of the pith, sealing them with wax and then letting them season a while.