Building a slab table...

aggiewoodbutchr · Jun 11, 2008

I've been working on this a little while and it's finally near completion. This is from a water oak I milled about a year and a half ago.

Started out by flattening the slab using the mill. These aluminum beams are from a carport we took down about 20 years ago. :dizzy:

They've been in a pile in the woods all that time.

I suspended the beam over the top to get a straight cut then cut the bottom normally.

aggiewoodbutchr · Jun 11, 2008

A little off the top...

Rough slab.

Some nice ray fleck. The saw marks were taken out using a combination of grinders /w sanding disks, belt sanders and random orbit sanders.

Flattening the legs with a router...
I probably won't be using the chainsaw method again. This worked much better than I expected on this scale. The last time I did this with a router I used a bit half the size in a much smaller router. Here I used a 1" bit in a 3.25 HP router.

aggiewoodbutchr · Jun 11, 2008

Assembled base.

Inlays in the top for crack control.

aggiewoodbutchr · Jun 11, 2008

Sanded inlay. You can also see the epoxy used to fill the checks and bug holds.

The color was chemically altered with a lye solution. I try to avoid stains because most of them mask too much grain detail.

Here it is after 2 coats of oil/varnish (Waterlox).

I have several more wet sand coats to go then probably 2 final coats. I'll post pics as it progresses.

dustytools · Jun 11, 2008

Nice work Aggie!!! :clap:

Nikko · Jun 11, 2008

As a woodworker who also plays with chainsaws - I'm impressed! Very very nice work - and well documented too. Thanks for sharing - you've inspired me!

Nikko

RandyinLangley · Jun 11, 2008

Very nice table, I'd love to see the the finished product. I like the shape of the legs, I find many people ruin the overall look of slab furniture but putting conflicting legs or supports on the piece. From what I've seen you've done a great job. Please keep posting pics.

irishcountry · Jun 11, 2008

Wow as always nice work! I wished I had seen your router jig before, I just got done playing with the one I made this morning and can already see how yours would be more stable and useful!! Well never too late to change it the table can stay the same anyway. Very cool! thanks for the ideas! irishcountry

guitarborist · Jun 11, 2008

Very nice! :clap:

aquan8tor · Jun 11, 2008

Aggie, you do some good work. I'm guessing that the drops of liquid on the slabs in the sanding pics are sweat!! (just going by recent temps here....). Do you get the 95-100+ temps, 90-100% humidity all summer that we do in VA?

edit: yeah, you do. I googled your location; Hockley is near the coast!

wdchuck · Jun 11, 2008

Schweet

woodshop · Jun 11, 2008

Nikko said:
As a woodworker who also plays with chainsaws - I'm impressed! Very very nice work - and well documented too...

Couldn't have said it any better myself... as one woodworker (who also plays with chainsaws) to another, you do nice work. I was wondering when you were going to take one of the (must be hundreds at this point) slabs you been showing us you mill and do something serious with it. Thanks for posting this... interesting. Any plans to market these tables? Obviously every one will be somewhat unique, but how big is the market for rustic tables like this? Just curious.

flyinghunter · Jun 11, 2008

Niiiiiiice

VERY VERY nice work there. I hope to build a slab table this winter with some red oak I've milled..... damn, I have much to live up to now. I'd better not show my wife this.

buicken · Jun 11, 2008

nice!
I have a big redwood slab that i had to sand flat, it was to big to go in any machine sander i had access too. so i rented a belt floor sander from home depot, it was ridiculously quick, and did a great job. i think the cost, with paper, was about 50$.
what epoxy are you use using? i have a spalted wormy maple table in the works.

MJR · Jun 11, 2008

You answered the question without saying a word, "Can we see how the table will look over here?". I can't wait to see the chairs. I hope they have wooden wheels. Very cool.

rxe · Jun 11, 2008

Lovely. Help a newbie out here....how do you do the inlays so neatly? I'm guessing the "sockets" are routed out with a jig.....but what about the inserts?

Thanks!

Zodiac45 · Jun 11, 2008

Nice work Aggie,

As usual very inspiring. Can't wait too see the finished table.

PS: I'm amazed looking at the outdoor pix and seeing in the distance, all those gigundic logs awaiting their turn! What a stash! :cheers:

BobL · Jun 11, 2008

Terrific work and pics AGWB. Keep posting.
Cheers

aggiewoodbutchr · Jun 11, 2008

Thanks for the compliments folks. I'll try to answer all the questions but if I miss one let me know.

aquan8tor said:
Aggie, you do some good work. I'm guessing that the drops of liquid on the slabs in the sanding pics are sweat!! (just going by recent temps here....). Do you get the 95-100+ temps, 90-100% humidity all summer that we do in VA?

edit: yeah, you do. I googled your location; Hockley is near the coast!

LOL! Those are actually epoxy touch up spots but there is a good bit of my sweat in that wood. I hadn't decided if I should charge extra for it yet...

woodshop said:
Couldn't have said it any better myself... as one woodworker (who also plays with chainsaws) to another, you do nice work. I was wondering when you were going to take one of the (must be hundreds at this point) slabs you been showing us you mill and do something serious with it. Thanks for posting this... interesting. Any plans to market these tables? Obviously every one will be somewhat unique, but how big is the market for rustic tables like this? Just curious.

This one was commissioned by a local real estate developer. I just getting into the market of this class of table but I've had quite a bit of serious interest. I picked up a second commission last week.

buicken said:
nice!
I have a big redwood slab that i had to sand flat, it was to big to go in any machine sander i had access too. so i rented a belt floor sander from home depot, it was ridiculously quick, and did a great job. i think the cost, with paper, was about 50$.
what epoxy are you use using? i have a spalted wormy maple table in the works.

I thought about buying a used Hummel sander but didn't find a good enough deal. I may rent one and give it a try next time.

The epoxy I use is made by System Three. Woodcraft stores carry it.

aggiewoodbutchr · Jun 11, 2008

rxe said:
Lovely. Help a newbie out here....how do you do the inlays so neatly? I'm guessing the "sockets" are routed out with a jig.....but what about the inserts?

Thanks!

Missed one...

I use a Whiteside inlay kit. It has a matched bit and bushings so you use the same template for both the mortise and inlay.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=1391&wcs=20142&pcs=fam

Building a slab table...

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