Beginning a new table project

[DonJuvet]

About 6 months ago a client came by the shop for a slab mantel.
Needed about 5'
Ok... Here are some 5-8' slabs to choose from.
Well, She saw a 14' long slab of Old Growth Redwood in the back of the shop.
"I like this one"
Ok
"I want the mantel from here. cut of 1 ft and take the 5' from here"
Ok
"Then build us a table with the rest"
Mantel....



Table, Hall type. Legs are live edge Redwood with Walnut.
Ebony 'Keys' (from an old piano)



The table they want needs to fit an unusual space in the kitchen/dining area. Almost Grand Piano shape.
It will also have a bench on one side.

The tough part was describing to my friends on the coast what I needed. Well, one got back to me and
He has what I want.

I will be taking the lot of 4 of these slabs. This is just one.



It's just under 8' and is going to have some cool curlie look to it. Won't be picking it up until Dec 1st ish. Or sooner if I can't wait.
LOML wants to turn it into an overnight trip to Ft Bragg

[Steve N]

Can't wait to see where it goes. I always like your work.

That pic of the one slab, it's edges are very dark. Is that from fire? I do see the curl, is that the cause of the darkness? I've never noted Maple, Oak, Walnut or Cherry with curl to look darker on the edges. Just wondering.

[jteneyck]

More nice stuff Don. A couple of questions. How was the mantel installed and who did it? It looks like it must have been installed before the stone work was done. Are those new slabs in your last photo dry? I assume no, in which case, how will you dry them and how long is that going to take? Around here something like that would take years, but not many customers want to wait more than a few months.

John

[Phil S.]

Don-

It looks like the new slabs were salvaged from a stump. I love stuff like that. When I was in California I ran into a guy who bought the rights to salvage wood from old timber sales. He'd rent a tractor and skid abandon logs out of the slash, bring in a mobile mill and start turning out lumber. Way better than letting it rot on the ground after the cream was skimmed.

Phil

[DonJuvet]

The mantel.... I installed it. I was told the stoners will be there next Wednesday.... I got it mounted while they were rocking. It has the typical hollow on the back for a mounting board. Since I was going in before rock I was able to make it a 'cut the back bottom corner off' instead of a mortise and tenon (mounting board).
ALWAYS be before stone

This was a stump from a logging operation they figure happened 100 yrs ago. The stumpage is left and the bottoms in the dirt tend to rot off. It really depends on their location. Top of hill dry, or bottom of hill bog,
It came from Manchester near Albion on the Mendocino Coast.
This particular slab, and her sisters, were milled about 5 years ago. I would call them very dry with maybe some rain wet. They covered them for me so we don't let them get wetter if it rains.
The Black.... Redwood as it oxidizes turns that black. The striping in the black is from the raised grain from milling.
With the softness of the waves in the grain, wood of different density and 'hair' oxidizes more and it shows more black. There is a chance this stump went thru a fire.
I'll know more when I get to work them.
The black will mostly go away with sanding. The curl will be HUGE and deep.

Stumpage like this is quite common out on the north coast.
Slowly the guys that get these are able to get them. Most are hard to get out or on private property.
At times when building on an old logging site, they builder will just bulldoze them into a back part of the property and or burn them.
That's happening less now.

[Mr Eddie]

Very nice Don. You must have some good sources because you come up with some great slabs. How thick is it now and will you leave it at that thickness? I'd really like to see how you handle and move such a big slab in the shop. If you have the time to post pictures, I'm sure everyone would enjoy seeing it transform to the finished product.

Lonnie

[DonJuvet]

Right now these are 3" thick.
Redwood like this isn't overly heavy. 2 guys can move these easily. Redwood burl on the other hand can be VERY dense and heavy.

The heaviest slab table top I have handled was 600# or so.
Turning it over is a chore. Built 2 long handled frames to sammich the slab. Used the long handles on one side as a lever and rolled them.
I'll post pics.