# Elm slab table, live edge



## Steve1066 (8 Dec 2015)

So Christmas is coming and we need a new dinning room table, so instead of doing the easy thing of buying one. 
" that's alright sweaty I will make you one " off to the timber mill we go and much to my delight they have just taken out of the Kilme some Beautiful Elm slabs.





Time to sharpen up the planes. Started with the no6 fore on to the no5 jack then the no62 low angle.
Gave is a wash with some linseed oil so I could see how we were looking. 
If you look at the photo you can see some tear out were the timber is quarter sawn as the slad is from the centre of the tree.




I then left it for a couple of days for the oil to evaporate and to decide on the finished size,cleaning up the edges and filling the shake down the middle of the board with some liquid glass which is basically a epoxy resin. 
Then a bit more planing no62 low angle, no4 smother. And a cabinet scraper, two more coats of linseed oil let it rest for another two days then started with the sanding 240grit 320grit finishing with 500grit.
It now on it 5 coat of Coloroll finishing oil. 




Now it's time to go back to the timber mill and get some nice Oak for the legs.
Hope you like it so far 
Many thanks Steve


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## Racers (8 Dec 2015)

Very nice, I hope you get it done in time!


Pete


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## themackay (8 Dec 2015)

Watching with intrest I have a slab waiting conversion to a table


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## xraymtb (8 Dec 2015)

Looking really good. Did you feel it needed sanding after planing?


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## Steve1066 (8 Dec 2015)

Not after planing. But between the linseed oil and the Coloroll finishing oil. I will all so sand between every third coat or so with some 800 grit. 
Many thanks Steve


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## BearTricks (8 Dec 2015)

Don't let the other half catch you calling her sweaty. 

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk


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## Racers (9 Dec 2015)

Are you going to do a Nakashima style base?

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=nakas ... 80&bih=890

Pete


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## Steve1066 (9 Dec 2015)

Hi Peter after much discussion with the wife we have decided to go with simple straight legs. The idea being not to distract from the top of the table. funnily enough I milling the legs as we type.



Putting a plain square edge on before useing the rail saw so to square up the other two faces, I was going to do it all by hand but I'm just so busy at the moment I would not have the time to get it done by Christmas


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## andersonec (11 Dec 2015)

For goodness sake Steve, don't call her 'sweaty' call her 'sweetie' or else you will be sleeping in the shed.

Andy


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## Steve1066 (12 Dec 2015)

andersonec":uyhuoy4n said:


> For goodness sake Steve, don't call her 'sweaty' call her 'sweetie' or else you will be sleeping in the shed.
> 
> Andy


Living on the edge


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## Steve1066 (13 Dec 2015)

A little up date. The legs are on 



The metal plate our temporary. 
I will be fixing the top down with wooden buttons That will hook in to a rebate on the skirt.


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## Racers (13 Dec 2015)

I think you might have put the legs on the wrong side.

:wink:  

Pete

Looking good!


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## John15 (13 Dec 2015)

Looking really good Steve. I love the live edged top. Only 2 weeks to the dead-line. I think you'll get there OK.

John


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## WoodMangler (14 Dec 2015)

Racers":2pod6fn7 said:


> I think you might have put the legs on the wrong side.


No problem, sell it to an Aussie... :wink:


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## mseries (14 Dec 2015)

have you soaked them in cuprinol too ?


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## Steve1066 (14 Dec 2015)

mseries":3p0paam5 said:


> have you soaked them in cuprinol too ?


No cuprionl here. Just Linseed and Tung oil ?


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## Racers (14 Dec 2015)

Steve1066":2o5gt6ip said:


> mseries":2o5gt6ip said:
> 
> 
> > have you soaked them in cuprinol too ?
> ...




I think he is referring to the greenish tinge the oak has, looks like the white balance has been fooled by the mixed lighting.

Pete


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## Steve1066 (14 Dec 2015)

Racers":2bjch2ja said:


> Steve1066":2bjch2ja said:
> 
> 
> > mseries":2bjch2ja said:
> ...


 You could be right, but it was late and dark and I don't own a digital camera any more, so it was the phone or the Pentax 67 and some chrome.
The phone won.


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## beganasatree (15 Dec 2015)

Hi Steve,
Thanks for this post.The top is looking good(understatement) I have an ash dinning set and have a notion to replace the top with a slab of Ash and strip the legs,chairs,ect.,and recover the chairs.Thank you for the motivation.

Peter.


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## Racers (15 Dec 2015)

Steve1066":3adquimw said:


> You could be right, but it was late and dark and I don't own a digital camera any more, so it was the phone or the Pentax 67 and some chrome.
> The phone won.




Wow a Pentax 67! that's a beast!

Pete


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## mseries (15 Dec 2015)

Racers":3iakwhur said:


> Steve1066":3iakwhur said:
> 
> 
> > mseries":3iakwhur said:
> ...



yep, they look green. I realise it's just a trick of the light :lol:


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## Steve1066 (15 Dec 2015)

Racers":z3b5wa5m said:


> Steve1066":z3b5wa5m said:
> 
> 
> > You could be right, but it was late and dark and I don't own a digital camera any more, so it was the phone or the Pentax 67 and some chrome.
> ...


My baby's


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## Steve1066 (15 Dec 2015)

beganasatree":hzr29vza said:


> Hi Steve,
> Thanks for this post.The top is looking good(understatement) I have an ash dinning set and have a notion to replace the top with a slab of Ash and strip the legs,chairs,ect.,and recover the chairs.Thank you for the motivation.
> 
> Peter.


I imagine the timber mill in Scotland have some lovely slabs in all sorts of wonderfully local woods.
I was quite lucky in the Elm tree that my slab came from was brought down in the storms a couple of years ago in the next town over, it wel over 300 hundred years old. It's nice to know a bit of the history of such a old tree, and it wasn't just cut down for no good reason.


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## Racers (15 Dec 2015)

Steve1066":3fu7d1j8 said:


> Racers":3fu7d1j8 said:
> 
> 
> > Steve1066":3fu7d1j8 said:
> ...




Drool....


Pete


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## Steve1066 (18 Dec 2015)

Well it all done and I am quite happy with the way it turned out.
Finished in Coloroll finishing polish and then waxed 



And the grain in the oak base is gorgeous.




And as a little bones this turned up to day.  Stanley rules and level co. No 7 corrugated jack plane


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## Woodchips2 (18 Dec 2015)

Looks lovely but are you planning to try out that No.7 on the top :lol: 

Regards Keith


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## Steve1066 (19 Dec 2015)

Woodchips2":2hdqkd5v said:


> Looks lovely but are you planning to try out that No.7 on the top :lol:
> 
> Regards Keith


Not this side of Christmas :wink:


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## Racers (19 Dec 2015)

Lovely table, and nice plane. 

I made a table just before Christmas and a year later 4 chairs, then a couple of years later another two. 

Pete


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## Steve1066 (19 Dec 2015)

Racers":3mo7e1ef said:


> Lovely table, and nice plane.
> 
> I made a table just before Christmas and a year later 4 chairs, then a couple of years later another two.
> 
> Pete


Thank Pete, the chairs are planed for the new year,
Have you got any photos I would be interested to see what you did.


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## Racers (19 Dec 2015)

Here you go Steve

Table
http://ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopi ... xmas+table

Chairs
xmas-chairs-t28568.html?hilit=Xmas%20chairs

Pete


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## Steve1066 (31 Jan 2016)

Racers":3vgb3dbu said:


> Are you going to do a Nakashima style base?
> 
> https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=nakas ... 80&bih=890
> 
> Pete


I had some Eml left over and a Ash log so with a bit of inspiration from your post and doing some research in to Mr Nakashima I came up with this.



Thank Pete


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## Racers (1 Feb 2016)

Nice one Steve.

Pete


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## will1983 (2 Feb 2016)

How did you go about treating the live edge?

I ask because I have a number of nice air dried slabs of sycamore to build some floating shelves from but want to keep the live edge.

Will


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## Fitzroy (2 Feb 2016)

will1983":1smpu64z said:


> How did you go about treating the live edge?
> 
> I ask because I have a number of nice air dried slabs of sycamore to build some floating shelves from but want to keep the live edge.
> 
> Will



Second that request for a little more info on the live edge prep, I have a slab of sycamore flattened for a coffee table but wondering how to do the edges.

F.


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## Racers (3 Feb 2016)

Peel off the bark and a light sand, if its a burr and had fluffy stuff a good wire brush will get into the pips and polish up the edge.

Pete


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## will1983 (3 Feb 2016)

thanks Pete


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## Steve1066 (3 Feb 2016)

Fitzroy":1yaq4jpy said:


> will1983":1yaq4jpy said:
> 
> 
> > How did you go about treating the live edge?
> ...


Spockshave , chisel, block plane , wier brush, darwe knife. I just sort of fill my way. Take it slow little bit at a time till your happy that it stable enough to take a finish. In my case linseed oil and wax.


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## Steve1066 (3 Feb 2016)

On this bit a manager to save some of the bark.


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