I've recently made a live Edge console table from a piece of Douglas Fir bought at the National Trust Ickworth craft fair last October. They sell estate felled timber, this was felled and planked in 2016. Kept it indoors for a few weeks with no obvious movement. As with a few things, bought it with no real plan but fell into the too good to miss category.
Movement doesn't really matter as long as it doesn't bow significantly, its just 4 legs screwed to a plank. Time will tell.
Legs came from the cunningly named hairpin leg company, not cheap but good quality, mine are yellow. They sell via amazon, as do dozens of others.
Bark removed with a small wallpaper scraper, bit of hand sanding. Top sanded with my 1960 vintage black and decker vibrating sander then finally by hand. Finish was a few coats of acrylic clear 'varnish', quick dry so reduces dust worries, satin suited me. Do both sides or it will definitely bow, but of course you don't need the same fine finish underneath. Have used it before on a table and it lasts OK, one benefit is the ease of a quick fine sand and re-coat after a 2 or 3 years. I guess the choice is go with super durable like epoxy or super easy to re finish.
I only had one small knot hole, neutral wood filler and judicious use of brown and black felt tip pen.
I have a beautifully figured slab of yew waiting for the same treatment, this time for a low coffee table. Got it last month from British hardwoods in Keighley. Went in for some small oak offcuts, came out with big piece of Yew (as well, not instead).
I accept it's not fine woodworking as most people here practice, but it works.
