pine tree to coffee table how?

[lj]

I had about a 100 year old white pine come down. It is 8 feet in circumference and about 2.5 feet in dia. I would like to make a low coffee table about 4 feet long and 4 inches thick leaving the bark on the sides. I would sand and finish the surface with the thick polyurethane like you see on bar tops. I have a sawmill friend who will cut the piece from the log. My question is how do I prepare the wood. What about the sap? how do I keep the wood from cracking? how do I keep the bark on? When can I sand it ? I know what I want , I just dont know how to get there.

[Spotted Owl]

Check this site out. Look under the milling and carving areas. They will also have links to other sites that you should be able to find the information you are looking for.

http://www.arboristsite.com/

Hope this will help.



Owl

[davel745]

Here is what I would think about.

I would try to find a person who has a band saw mill and see if they would cut your tree for you. The tree may be about 36 inches across. A band mill can cut off slabs and then you can turn the tree and slab off some more and so forth till you have sawed the whole tree up into slabs. If you plan well you may be able to get a few 4 inch thick slabs with both sides having bark on it. I don’t believe you will be able to keep the bark on. After a few years it will just fall off. However the wavy edge looks fairly good on a coffee table. Wax the ends Stick it and dry it for a year and you will be good to go.

Lots of belt sander work.

I try to make my coffee tables using a trestle type of legs cut from the same thickness as the top.

I use water based poly urethane sprayed on using a regular Blinks spray gun. Easy clean up, nice finish. I try to put on about 4 to 6 coats sanding every other coat. It is water proof for cleaning and spills and very skuff resistant. And in about 10 years it isn’t hard to but another coat on.

Best regards,

Dave

[tinknal]

There is also a thick pour on finish. You basically pour it on and it seeks it's own level. It is pretty messy and quite a bit drips off but it makes a nice finish.

[Alice In TX/MO]

It needs to dry for a LONG time. Long. Very long.

[mustangsally17]

I would love to see pictures when your project is completed. Maybe pics of the process as it goes on.

[mossywyatt]

for air drying rule of thumb is one year for every inch I have had hard wood dry faster so softwood should be quicker. But drying wood to fast can ruin it. IMO

wyatt

[motdaugrnds]

Nice idea!

I have been toying with the idea of chopping down this very old wild black cherry tree, getting it slicked and creating an entrance door from it (maybe a mantle piece). Then doing some wood carving on it.

Would really like to see your finished project.

[Beeman]

As someone stated the moisture content of the wood is very important. I had a friend that made tables from slabs using the poured method, can't remember the name of the material but it was dangerous stuff to breathe. He had problems with moisture if he didn't make the table fast enough after it was dried as it would absorb moisture again.

[PD-Riverman]

I built a bench like you are describing, but it was out of cypress. I left the bark on the edge and used 4 pieces of limbs for the legs. I sawed the slab 3" thick, let it dry about 2 years(thats just the amount of time it took to get back to this project) Then I Tenioned the limbs/legs, drilled and installed them, Turned out good.

Being your tree is app 30" wide in the middle, most band saw mills will not cut that wide, but the mill operater should be able to get you a few good slabs with bark on each edge. If you really want the 30" wide slabs You can look hard and you should be able to find a mill somewhere that can cut that wide. I would get the slabs cut(longer than you need so you can fresh cut the ends after they are dried), sticker stack them under or in a shed(so the edges don't be getting wet from blowing rain) Put ALOT of weight on top so the slabs don't warp, cup, twist so bad. I would wax or put a HEAVY coat of paint on the ends. Let dry for a year or more if possible. Its possible that the bark will stay on if you do it this way but if it does stay on you will have to be careful sanding the edges where the bark is. Then when you add the thick finish it will dry and help the bark to stay on. Good Luck!!

[texican]

Cracks add character.

I'd get it 'slabbed' into 4" thick slabs. Make a table for 'right now', knowing it's going to get all checked and cracked. Later you can 'fill' those cracks, or just live with a piece with lots of character.

Air dry the rest, and in a year or two, you can make your fancy nancy table, all prettyified, but with no character.

I've got a coffee table made out of an 18" wide eastern red cedar slab that was in the 'burn pile'. I love it. You'd never see it in a high class wood working studio, but it's character is so great, most of the time it's covered up with books or whatnot, otherwise I'd just stare at the dang thing all the time, and probably starve to death lost in all the character exuding from it...

[nc_mtn]

Originally Posted by PD-Riverman

Being your tree is app 30" wide in the middle, most band saw mills will not cut that wide, but the mill operater should be able to get you a few good slabs with bark on each edge. If you really want the 30" wide slabs You can look hard and you should be able to find a mill somewhere that can cut that wide.

I'd say there are as many that saw up to 36" as 30". At least around this part of the world... Just ask around if needed...
You're right on cutting longer - when it does dry it's nice to have extra to cut off if it cracks, after all it will (generally) start cracking on the ends, often stopping a few inches in

[TnAndy]

Here's a one log ash table and benches I made for a house warming gift for a buddy that was about 8 years building his own house.

(The two dark spots on the far end are the windows of my shop door reflections in the table finish, not a flaw )


Walnut butterfly inlays between planks:








Shouldered tenon with locking walnut peg.

[SueMc]

Boy TnAndy, you know how to give a gift! Beautiful table!

[mustangsally17]

TnAndy..Beautiful work!

[GoldenCityMuse]

That's nice!!!!!

You could make a good part time income with that skill. Or maybe you do already.

[meanwhile]

Oh my! Beautiful work on the tables - really nice.

[next1]

TnAndy, you know how to make a gift! Beautiful work.

[TnAndy]

Well, it had been quite a struggle for him to get that house built, and by the time they were to the point of moving in, there wasn't any money for furniture....they had a little dinette piece_of_junk table in the trailer they lived in that was on it's last legs, so I figured this would be a nice start on some furniture for the house.

All of it came out of one ash log I sawed on my bandmill, about 3 years ahead of time with this project in mind.

I had to clue him in on what I was doing so they wouldn't get something else.....he kept telling his wife they would have to make do with an old cable spool with a tablecloth thrown over it for a while.....so she was really surprised when I showed up with this.

Thanks for the look and comments. I'm not really a furniture builder as such, I do mostly cabinets and that type of work.

[AnnieinBC]

What a beautiful table and benches Andy....wow, I'm sure they just love it!