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Thread: Rustic bark edge coffee table

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Cincinnati, OH
    Posts
    924

    Rustic bark edge coffee table

    Just in time for the holidays and the family who will be here tomorrow. Big challenges for me were the through tenons on an angle and cutting the tenons on the top of the legs. Not usually a problem but the legs are cupped without a flat spot on them. It is also my first attempt at rustic furniture.

    The table is 47 x 16 x 16 with a Waterlox finish. Hopefully, the bark will stay intact over the years. It will be in our family room and we have 2 grandchildren who are 3 and 1-1/2 years old who live nearby.

    Also pictured is the other end of this board that I used to make a entry way table top for my nephew and his wife. It is the one with 5 butterflies. The board contained the pith so it required ripping and jointing. Not a problem except I wanted to disguise the joint as much as possible. Comments are welcomed!

    Thanks,
    David

    Coffee table 1.jpgCoffee table 2.jpgCoffee table 3.jpgCoffee table 4.jpgKelley's top.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Rustic? Well, no. That was not my intention!

  2. I like the look. The bark however will not stay on.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    3,222
    Well done. Regarding the bark, I’d say typically Jessica is correct. However, I have a live edge mantle that is going on near 10 years and the bark has remained perfectly in place.

  4. But this is a table at knee height. People will brush against it, bump into it, or objects will bump into it. I know from experience it will slowly wear. And cleaning it is a pain in the bum as well. There's a very good reason why a table with a live edge normally has the bark removed.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Cincinnati, OH
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    924
    It is likely to have a life of hard knocks - maybe for a few generations. I have read on the Turners Forum that bark sticks to the sap wood when trees are harvested at certain times of the year. IIRC, it is winter. As with many of my efforts, this one is part experiment and, more largely, enjoyment.

    Thanks for your comments.
    Rustic? Well, no. That was not my intention!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,694
    David, that's a really nice table. As to the bark...yea, "most likely" it will not last, but you can certainly hedge and enjoy it as it is. If it does comes loose in the future, it's just a "refinishing" task that shouldn't be too much trouble for you.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Cincinnati, OH
    Posts
    924
    Thanks for the comments. It survived the holiday houseful we had. One other difficulty with the project was cutting the mortises in the pith wood. The wood was brittle and, with the irregular grain, there was tendency for tear out.
    Rustic? Well, no. That was not my intention!

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