Live Edge Slabs

[Scott Welty]

I have a client who would like me to build her a live edge slab table for behind a couch ~122" x 16" or so. I have a source for the slabs. I've never built anything with them. so ...

0. Walnut? Any particular species good or bad?
1. Preping them? Sand? planing?
2. Remove the bark? I've seen a few videos where this is removed using a draw knife.
3. Finishing? Poly? What else?

Looking forward to any other experiences the team has had with these.

Scott

[Paul Girouard]

[QUOTE=Scott Welty;2595709]I have a client who would like me to build her a live edge slab table for behind a couch ~122" x 16" or so. I have a source for the slabs. I've never built anything with them. so ...

0. Walnut? Any particular species good or bad?
1. Preping them? Sand? planing?
2. Remove the bark? I've seen a few videos where this is removed using a draw knife.
3. Finishing? Poly? What else?

Looking forward to any other experiences the team has had with these.

Scott[/QUOTE



0: Walnut's good, Big Leaf or Western Maple are big out here in Washington. Madrone , all my live edge work so far has been Madrone in fact. Hard to find big Madrone , mantel sized stuff that stable.
1: Flattening is the biggest hoop jump , there's a good article on FWW two three years ago by the actor woodworker guy Nick Offermen on making a slab flattening jig , I made one and it works well.
A) After it's flat it's normal woodworking.
B) Key ways for splits and cracks , it's easy enough to google methods to do those If you need guidance.
2: Some guys remove it , some don't. I like to leave the bark that stuck good on. Some claim ( bugs live in it) , so they lobby to remove it.
A) Draw knife , chisel , buffer wheel on a drill motor or a buffer, get a sort of stiff cloth one , and I sliced mine to make it more "flappy/ floppy " so it gets into the cracks and crevices a bit better.
It knocks the loose bark off and also polishes the live edge wood , that you don't want to sand really , but want to clean the oxidation / dirt / etc off of the wood.
3: A couple vanity tops I just oiled with Maloof's Poly / Oil.
The mantel they wanted stained so that has Minwax Dark Walnut on it .
The meteorite stand has Watco Dark Walnut , they "had to have it done and installed" for a certain date , there was no time to "fritter around" with any other finish.


Crinoid frame : Mardone , stained with Minwax.


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/image_zpsnaktastr.jpeg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/image_zpsnaktastr.jpeg.html)





http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/image_zpslezcujys.jpeg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/image_zpslezcujys.jpeg.html)



Meteorite stand: Madrone , Watco Dark Walnut. 340 lbs meteorite on a last Susan , turns 360 degrees.


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/image_zpszgqee8r6.jpeg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/image_zpszgqee8r6.jpeg.html)




http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/image_zpsbamo21xu.jpeg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/image_zpsbamo21xu.jpeg.html)

[Paul Girouard]

On the mantel I couldn't find a piece large enough so we cheated , part of the back is hollow , I router a rabbit onto the thicker piece and cut to fit a 3/4" thick piece to infill the space.



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/image_zpstmpuho2w.jpeg





(http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/image_zpstmpuho2w.jpeg.html)http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/image_zpsgh7hmpsl.jpeg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/image_zpsgh7hmpsl.jpeg.html)





Little shelve they wanted:


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/image_zpsi6ufzze3.jpeg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/image_zpsi6ufzze3.jpeg.html)



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/image_zpsfvyhsfut.jpeg


The meteorite is elevated on three steel on steel pins , we screwed the L/S to the steel plate , then thru one of the steel pin holes which we bored all the way thru the steel plate we screwed the L/S to the wood top, then installed the three steel pins , then four guys lifted the meteorite onto the steel pins.
It would be interesting to be around when ever the meteorite stand is taken apart to watch the action of the guys disassembling it to see if they figure it out ! LOL, most likely a big pry will the 'solution" ! (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/image_zpsfvyhsfut.jpeg.html)

[Paul Girouard]

Another sort of live edge: Drift wood, a old dock or some thing some fished out of Deception Pass 30 years ago and used as a book shelve for many years , I miter cut and returned into itself:



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/imagejpg1_zps8ef20ac3.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/imagejpg1_zps8ef20ac3.jpg.html)


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/imagejpg1_zps7dd0bf0b.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/imagejpg1_zps7dd0bf0b.jpg.html)


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/imagejpg1_zps7d318be1.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/imagejpg1_zps7d318be1.jpg.html)



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/imagejpg2_zps23c68ebe.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/imagejpg2_zps23c68ebe.jpg.html)


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/imagejpg8_zpsb6ebbdde.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/imagejpg8_zpsb6ebbdde.jpg.html)

[Paul Girouard]

Blind cleat:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/image_zpstmdesv8d.jpeg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/PEG688/media/image_zpstmdesv8d.jpeg.html)

[Nicholas Lingg]

This is my Dinning table! Book matched to get as much width as I could and put Butterfly's (20 on the top and 30 on the bottom) to save all the length I could get.

[Scott T Smith]

I have two pieces of advice. First, be sure that the slab is fully dry, else you will have a high likelihood of cupping once it's installed.

Second, finish both sides of the slab with the same finish, same number of coats and same thickness per coat.

[Prashun Patel]

The aesthetics of Slab tables can vary significantly. Have your client find some images they like. there is a wide range from rustic to "modern organic".

What kind of base do they want?

Last, consider a split top. They make planning for expansion a snap. They also allow the narrow halves to be processed with machines easier than a single wide slab.

If you wish to stick with a wide slab and if it is too wide for your machines to joint and thickness it, look for air dried wood and a species that works nicely with hand tools. I have had great luck in that regard with walnut.