# Cutting slab wood for a coffee table



## groundup (Mar 18, 2013)

I want to cut a few pieces of wood out of a few trees to be used for coffee table tops. My dad and uncles made some tables like this years ago and still have them. I cut firewood on a farm and would like to make something to have as a momento down the road.

I have a 30" DBH cherry that needs to come down and would like to cut a few slabs out of it, then keep the slabs until they were seasoned and eventually use it for a coffee table top. I'd leave it rough shaped and just finish the top. I have lots of oak but would prefer a wood with some more character. I have a 24" sassafras that would look nice but not sure if it would be big enough.

Any advice is appreciated.


----------



## excess650 (Mar 18, 2013)

Where in Maryland? If in reasonable driving distance I might drive down and mill the cherry for you for some of the slabs. The cherry that I've cut has been well behaved when drying.

Sassafras would look like ash or white oak. 24" is big enough for coffee table tops and slabs can be "book matched" if you want more width.


----------



## groundup (Mar 18, 2013)

excess650 said:


> Where in Maryland? If in reasonable driving distance I might drive down and mill the cherry for you for some of the slabs. The cherry that I've cut has been well behaved when drying.
> 
> Sassafras would look like ash or white oak. 24" is big enough for coffee table tops and slabs can be "book matched" if you want more width.



I am in northern Baltimore county. I figured I could do the job without a mill and just cut it with my 441. I do have access to a planer machine.

However, I do not have much experience with this type of woodworking, do I need to mill it?


----------



## excess650 (Mar 18, 2013)

An Alaskan mill will yield a parallel sided slab up to 12" thick. Freehanding takes some practice.


----------



## Dave Boyt (Mar 25, 2013)

Sounds like your best bet is to get someone with a band saw mill to slice it up for you. You could lose more wood by freehand cutting than by cutting on shares (no, excess650 doesn't pay me a commission). 30" diameter cherry is some serious wood--not something I'd use for practice. If it is solid in the center, It will keep you supplied with cherry wood for years. Sassafras is easy mill, and a light, strong wood. You'll find ways to use it, though in my opinion, it wouldn't go well with cherry in the same piece of furniture. Let us know what you decide to do, and send photos.


----------



## groundup (Mar 25, 2013)

Dave Boyt said:


> Sounds like your best bet is to get someone with a band saw mill to slice it up for you. You could lose more wood by freehand cutting than by cutting on shares (no, excess650 doesn't pay me a commission). 30" diameter cherry is some serious wood--not something I'd use for practice. If it is solid in the center, It will keep you supplied with cherry wood for years. Sassafras is easy mill, and a light, strong wood. You'll find ways to use it, though in my opinion, it wouldn't go well with cherry in the same piece of furniture. Let us know what you decide to do, and send photos.



Excess and I have been in contact :msp_wink:

As soon as the weather breaks and I have some time to get caught up on weekend work, we will be all over those trees. I will post pics and keep you updated.


----------



## Dave Boyt (Mar 26, 2013)

That's the forum at its best- exchanging advice and contacts!


----------



## Walnut33 (Mar 29, 2013)

30" Cherry. Is gold worth more or cherry? If I could get a 16" cherry here I would spend the day getting everything, down to a 2" board, out of it, while a 36" Burr Oak log lay on the ground. YEAH. Lucky duck!:msp_smile:


----------



## Sawyer Rob (Mar 29, 2013)

Cherry is my fav wood and i'm lucky to have some decent cherry here on my place,







A 30" solid cherry isn't so common these days,






I sure wouldn't waste any of a good 30" cherry by turning so much of it into sawdust with a CSM that would be boards like this,






"IF" it was milled with a bandsaw instead!

SR


----------



## Dave Boyt (Mar 29, 2013)

Nice stick of wood:msp_thumbup:. I hope you have a couple of stout friends with cant hooks! Reminds me... I've got to set up some track extensions. What are you going to do with it?


----------



## groundup (Apr 3, 2013)

*The Trees*

Below is the cherry

















and the Sassafras









I am going to knock them down this weekend and Excess and I are going to slab them up the folowing weekend if all goes accordingly.


----------



## qbilder (Apr 3, 2013)

Is that a lightening streak or does that tree have a 12' crotch? Either way, potentially fantastic slab lumber in that first pic!


----------



## groundup (Apr 3, 2013)

qbilder said:


> Is that a lightening streak or does that tree have a 12' crotch? Either way, potentially fantastic slab lumber in that first pic!



Just a long crotch


----------



## Sawyer Rob (Apr 4, 2013)

Dave Boyt said:


> Nice stick of wood:msp_thumbup:. I hope you have a couple of stout friends with cant hooks! Reminds me... I've got to set up some track extensions. What are you going to do with it?



Dave, i turned the log useing Norwoods "winch log turner", it turns logs very easily...no problem at all.

I sure got a nice pile of clear lumber out of that log, i'm sure glad i didn't waste any of it, as it's some primo stuff!






The lumber from that cherry is still on stickers, and "one of these days" i'm going to build some cabinets out of it...

SR


----------



## Matt59 (Apr 4, 2013)

Looking forward to seeing how this turns out. I took down a nice cherry last year and am getting it milled soon, my mind is spinning with ideas for what to do with it.


----------



## Dave Boyt (Apr 5, 2013)

Nice pile of lumber (and tractor). Just don't let "one of these days" turn into "one of these years". Trust me, it can happen faster than you can imagine! Take care. We'll have to get together "one of these days"-- maybe at the Ohio Paul Bunyan show.


----------



## scogar (Apr 5, 2013)

Yeah I had a lot of ideas at 29 that I knew I would get to...hit 49 and now realize history holds more for me than does the future. Trying now to focus time and efforts on getting to those things before another 10 or 20 blink by


----------



## lmbeachy (Apr 5, 2013)

groundup said:


> Just a long crotch



Hey Groundup, what part of MD do you live in. I'm in DE but we sure don't get cherry trees like that over here Lester


----------



## groundup (Apr 5, 2013)

lmbeachy said:


> Hey Groundup, what part of MD do you live in. I'm in DE but we sure don't get cherry trees like that over here Lester



Harford County, north central Maryland about 45 minutes from the DE line

I am surprised by the amount of people that do have big cherries, while we do not have tons they are as common as most big trees. This however is as big as they get.


----------



## groundup (Apr 7, 2013)

We were all up in that trees crack today. Long day.

Excess you have quite the collection of saws. That 394 tore that tree up.

I have a few pics and will post when I am able.


----------



## excess650 (Apr 8, 2013)

*cherry*

It was a long day, and I was worn out. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera, so no pics from me.

The sassafras is a bit smaller in diameter, so hopefully, will cut more quickly.


----------



## Dave Boyt (Apr 8, 2013)

Compared to cherry, sassafras cuts like butter! It is unusual to find good sassafras trees in these parts. Hope you remember your camera when you mill it.


----------



## excess650 (Apr 8, 2013)

Dave Boyt said:


> Compared to cherry, sassafras cuts like butter! It is unusual to find good sassafras trees in these parts. Hope you remember your camera when you mill it.



I think the sassafras was 24"+ across the stump, 25'+ straight trunk, and solid.


----------

