Walnut coffee table

[Brooks Kieffer]

My wife purchased a slab of walnut and wants me to turn it into a coffee table top. My past experience has been with reclaimed heart pine so I need some advice with this new material. The slab is about 20"x36"x2 1/2". Three questions: What is the best way to fill small checks and holes? What is the best way to remove the old cambium? And what finish will give me a deep, durable finish and show off the wood best?
Thanks in advance for your help!

[Jim Becker]

When I use similar slabs for Nakashima style pieces, I don't fill any holes or voids and only remove the bark and sharp edges. (The latter usually with my Rotex) If I were to fill, it would likely be with epoxy or with an inlay, such as a butterfly if structure was necessary to strengthen the piece.

My finish for walnut is generally shellac (sometimes with BLO first) followed by an appropriate top coat for the use of the piece. Sometimes that's just shellac. If I need something "durable", I spray Target Coatings USL water borne acrylic.

You can see what this looks like in my Walnut Bench thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=42271)...specifically in this picture (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=49997&d=1163379579).