Live edge coffee table

[Brian Harnett]

A customer gave me this cutoff to make a table he had in his garage for over 20 years, moisture check was around 10 percent it was a sugar maple. I rough flattened with a chainsaw then surfaced on the bot.

As I was surfacing I saw old tap bores several show on the top.
Did through mortises for the legs the top is 3-1/2 inches thick.

For the mortises and tenons I used a 5/8 dado bit mounted in 1/2 drill rod. A inexpensive way to make a long bit.

Rubbed it down with a coat on linseed last night will rub several coats of thinned poly satin with a rag next. Decided not to spray it, I think a thin rubbed finish will look better on this piece.

http://i.imgur.com/eO8cb4s.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/K45QxIC.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UtCexyV.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/S8zE22p.jpg

[Brian Harnett]

Some more pictures the legs are red Oak.

http://i.imgur.com/xf2Jt2n.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/L21bdZ0.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/BOVrX0N.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MpRP8Nh.jpg

[scottp55]

WOW Factor is high, and the tapping history provides a good history read:)
Had to search a little for through tenons in the finish pic....Excellent!
Should last a couple centuries, but would Hate to move it around much:)
What thickness slab, and a guess at how much it weighs?
Your typical "Good Feeling" workpiece!
Lucky man to choose you to do it:)
Congrats Brian!
scott

[Brian Harnett]

Its a good shin banger I guess it weighs around 75 lbs or more. I like the fact the tenons do not jump out on this one, a lot to discover on this top.

[dmidkiff]

What Scott said.

[guitarwes]

Beautiful. Can you give us the tip on the process to make that long bit?

A friend of mine has an "oak cookie" about that size that he was commissioned to build a coffee table from. It came from a tree that was 100+ years old that blew down in a storm. He had it milled down flat to about 2" thick with an Alaskan chainsaw mill. He routed out most of the rotted bottom to replace/stabilize with 3/4 plywood and to mount the metal legs to.

[Brian Harnett]

I bore out the drill rod on a metal lathe a very nice tool to have in the shop. clean all oil out of the hole with a bit of acetone and compressed air.

I scratch up the shank of the bit I use a 1/4 shank bit with some sandpaper and glue it in with Cyanoacrylate glue Been doing this for many years have never had one come out.

If you chip or damage the bit some heat from a torch will pop it out to reuse the shank. Just soak it in acetone to dissolve any remaining glue.

[guitarwes]

Handy tip. Will definitely try that. Thanks.

On the thru tenons on your live edge furniture, do you cut them proud and then sand or cut them off flat on top of the piece or do it some other way? That's some great stuff.

[James M]

The pictures suggest that the tenons are proud. Do you cut the tenons off and then rout the tenons to the same level as the table? It would save some sanding?

I like the finish. It pops the wood texture.

Nice work, it will be a nice conversation piece in someone's home.

J

[Brian Harnett]

I did make a jig for my hand router though these tenons were not that high so I just zipped off the wedges with a oscillating saw and sanded them down with my angle grinder and bosh 6" random orbital.

The top itself is hard as a rock took more time to sand out the router bit marks.

[Brian Harnett]

Finished it up a little more glossy than I would like, the finish is oil base poly wiped on with a rag thinned out 50 percent the last few coats I wet sanded with 600. Smooth as glass.

http://i.imgur.com/Wtvrym9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xDekB1Q.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fX5cPmw.jpg

[myxpykalix]

Sorry...but that is not woodwork.......it's ARTWORK! Beautiful work Brian (as usual)

[scottp55]

Beautiful history chunk of wood you made Brian!!! :)
LOVE the "Maple Taps"!
You did Mother Nature Proud! :)
scott
I don't see any Critters...you must be busy.
Hope solar is working well the last couple days!

[guitarwes]

A thing of beauty. Will be here for a long long long time.

[cowboy1296]

Man you set the curve ball kind of high on that one, how are the rest of us supposed to keep up.

[VanIslanddan]

Beautiful work. Thank you for the tip on making extensions for bits, that is a tip I use some day.