Walnut Slab Table

[Craig D Peltier]

Just finished this table. Finish was a sprayed on Catalyzed Varnish. Crotch split and other cracks I used stewart mc donalds slow setting black epoxy , recommended on and older post on here. The crotch opening on the end I used a clear epoxy since it was a bit brittle. Theres a few dowels on the underside to hold cracks closed on the edges along with epoxy The dowels just kept it from opening anymore. The piece is 52-46 x 109 x 1.75 thick. The tree was 114 years old brought to Washington state in a bucket by the US postmaster in 1898 from Indiana. Luckily the slabs was really flat and only needed to send it through a 52 inch wide belt sander. I sent it to a kiln after one year of drying. The kiln was just heated and vented with fans, not sure what that type is called. It stayed flat other than one large knot cracked.

It was a lot of fun making it.


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[kevin nee]

Nice job! George Nakashima is smiling.

[Dale Osowski]

Looks great, fantastic color!

[Steve Friedman]

Just finished this table. Finish was a sprayed on Catalyzed Varnish. Crotch split and other cracks I used stewart mc donalds slow setting black epoxy , recommended on and older post on here. The crotch opening on the end I used a clear epoxy since it was a bit brittle. Theres a few dowels on the underside to hold cracks closed on the edges along with epoxy The dowels just kept it from opening anymore.

Love it! A couple of questions.

1. I don't really understand how you used dowels to keep the cracks closed. Do you have pictures of that?
2. Can you explain why you used two different kinds of epoxy? I assume one was for filling cracks and the other to stabilize the cracks that you left open.
3. What was the other epoxy you used?

Many thanks.

Steve

[Craig D Peltier]

I drilled holes on the underside for some side cracks. I first clamped the crack slightly, I dont feel like if I tightly clamped it and then let the glue harden around the dowel that it would hold over a long period of time.Then I drilled for it, then inserted dowel and let it dry as well as getting glue in cracks then I epoxied in black.

I used 2 different epoxies because one was to fill large gaps and cracks and still compliment the natural colors of the table. The other was a Devcon clear 2 part hardware store bought for the crotch end, there was still some bark left ( not the outer bark , the brown underside bark) , it was flaky if hit ,so I figured with cleaning and such it would have made a mess, so I hardened it with the devcon. I also filled a couple dents with clear on the edges.


Love it! A couple of questions.

1. I don't really understand how you used dowels to keep the cracks closed. Do you have pictures of that?
2. Can you explain why you used two different kinds of epoxy? I assume one was for filling cracks and the other to stabilize the cracks that you left open.
3. What was the other epoxy you used?

Many thanks.

Steve

[Craig D Peltier]

Also for the edges I peeled any bark that was left over off. Then used a Sand-O-Flex wheel with electric drill to sand it , then finished it up with a festool orbital sander. I dont think I needed the sand o flex but it worked well.

[Mark Valsi]

BEAUTIFUL !!!

and the history makes it even better

[Jim Becker]

Craig, I really love this piece!

[Mike Wilkins]

Really beautiful treatment of a nice walnut slab. Did you fill the grain or sand between coats to fill the pores??

[Craig D Peltier]

Craig, I really love this piece! Thanks Jim!


Really beautiful treatment of a nice walnut slab. Did you fill the grain or sand between coats to fill the pores??
Yes in between each coat was sanded. Also the sap wood was more porous so the edges had heavier spray on them the whole table had to be pretty heavily sprayed on then sanded twice as far as heavy coats to make it smooth.

[Hans Braul]

Great piece Craig! I am sitting on the fence on live edge - I have yet to take that plunge, but pieces like yours nudge me ever closer to that line!

Hans

[Karl Card]

First of all beautiful piece of wood. Second of all I am so glad that you posted what you did. I have 4 beautiful Cherry Crotches that I want to make coffee table and end tables out of and now I know how I am going to do it.. I too have been worried about live edge. Mine are 2+ inches thick and have been drying for about 4 years now but still have some edge on them.

[Steve Kohn]

I love this table. Like others on this thread I've never worked with live edge design, but would like to acquire some cherry and make a small piece. I'm especially interested in how you made the legs this table is on. Can you share more detail and pictures of that part?

[Craig D Peltier]

Craig, I really love this piece!


I love this table. Like others on this thread I've never worked with live edge design, but would like to acquire some cherry and make a small piece. I'm especially interested in how you made the legs this table is on. Can you share more detail and pictures of that part?

I only took one picture of the legs, I attached it below. They were 3 inch chunks. I beveled the inside edge 15 degreees on the table saw. Then I made that top plate and splined it together. Then bolted 4 large lag bolts to hold the plate to the legs through the top and glued . I made it so the plate overhung the legs blocks enough that I could drill into it. Then attach it to the table with some smaller lag bolts. Its was very sturdy. Thanks for the compliment.
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