Keel Fine Woodwork

Live edge dining table

5/19/2016

This project was quite thoroughly documented with images to capture the progress. S0 this post is more of a visual retrospective of that process.

The farmhouse style table for my sister, Terri, started in February with two large walnut slabs that were obtained from a sawyer in Lapeer County. He cut the slabs sequentially from the same log and I laid them open like the pages of a book to get mirror images of the grain patterns... thus the term "book matched"

After precisely cutting off the inside edge of each slab the pieces may then be set side by side and prepared for glue-up.

This was a crucial part of the process as any gaps would be quite obvious in the finished piece.

After glue-up the process of flattening the table began. This was the most time consuming part of the entire build as the 7' length of the table resulted in great variation along the length of the boards

The large natural cracks are filled with epoxy resin that is dyed black. The 3/4" thick butterflies or "dutchmen" are laid out and cut by hand then inset into the wood so that they span the crack. These are functional pieces that prevent the crack from spreading but are also considered by some to be an attractive decorative element. If Terri had not wanted to see these, they still would have been done but on the underside of the top.

Getting the correct size, shape, and aesthetic balance of these took several attempts. I didn't realize until burning my scrap bucket how many I had discarded!

Several times throughout the process I have to admit to being quite anxious to see the final product. (That's true of most projects that take quite a bit of time to complete). One way to visualize what the final color and grain will look like is to wet the surface of the wood with mineral spirits which evaporates quickly without damaging the wood. It provides a quick but dramatic glimpse into the patterns that will eventually come to full life. This also helped me to determine how much of the cracked wood to leave on the end of the table. It was a balance of dealing with the crack and leaving the awesome grain.

The 5" thick Red Oak legs were purchased on-line. But the assembly of these into a base was still required. Some table makers use metal hardware to join the legs to the apron but I prefer the traditional mortise and tenon joinery for it's strength and traditional appeal.
Additional strength was achieved in the assembly of these as pins were used to draw the aprons tightly into the legs, a process known as draw boring. These pins are visible in the finished table

The aprons needed to be thick enough to carry the weight of the table but yet allow for comfortable seating. An ogee curve provide for a full 5" tenon at the leg but also allowing for the knee clearance required around the perimeter of the table. A fare curve is obtained mathematically and necessitated a template that could be used on all 8 joints. I think this may have been the first time I've use my high school geometry!

One of the subtle details of this table is the edge treatment. The end grain of this wood was so dramatic that I wanted to make sure it was very obvious. To that end I cut the edge with a 20 degree back bevel. This actually does three things; First there is slightly more surface area and thus more grain to see, Second, it catches the light more effectively, Finally, it's angled up and more visible from above.

The finishing of the table top turned out to be more challenging than expected but the final result was worth the effort. It's 4' wide and 6.5' long and the top is coated with boiled linseed oil to add contrast or "pop" to the grain. It's then sealed with 6 coats of oil based polyurethane that will withstand years of use before needing to be touched up. She chose a reddish stain for the base that matches other furniture in the room quite well.
I'm very grateful for having had the opportunity to build this keepsake table for my sister's new home.

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