Slab dining table

[Danny in Houston]

Here's mine, Live Oak species about 3" thick. I found the slab already smooth at a local lumber supplier. I re-did the finish, and designed the metal base and had it fabricated. Table and base weighs probably 500 pounds, rock solid. That rock solid feel is very pleasurable when I use the table.

[Danny in Houston]

Here's one currently under construction. I'm making a desk for my office. It's also live oak, but this one is curved. I'm going to add a curved monitor on top. I'm putting turquoise chips in clear epoxy in the voids.

[DonJuvet]

jteneyck said:

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Oh boy, Don Juvet will never let me visit him again. I didn't say I didn't like your work Don. It's amazing. And they look great in the homes of the folks you made them for. There just aren't many homes like those, certainly not mine.

John

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Who are you?

It's not for everyone. No worries.

coffee table. 2nd growth coastal redwood


Claro Walnut, Single slab, 52"x 10'





50"x14' Mahogany (not live edge)







Happy Trails

[ianab]

This is my humble effort.



This is the base alone. Simple, sturdy and not too "heavy" looking.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u255/...vujpbj.jpg

And an old photo from a few years back, with me thinking, this will make a table one day



At least it was nice and dry after a few years in the shed. Some of the loose knots fell out after it dried, and I filled those with resin and embedded some souvenir coins and things under the surface.

[Timberwerks]

This base could easily transfer over to a dinning table. I would narrow the width and make the top floating vs suspended.

https://www.facebook.com/126415221682/ph...e=3&theater

[Bibliophile 13]

I've not done much live-edge work, but I do think a lot about basic design and functionality.

Live edge slabs, while they look cool, are often uneven in width, and I don't know a lot of people who like to eat over a rough, uneven edge. If you could find a slab that's relatively straight, by all means keep the live edge. For a side table or a coffee table, by all means find a wild, irregular slab. But for something you're going to have your chest and/or belly up against two or three times a day, think carefully about how much unevenness you want to tolerate in an edge.

I can also say from experience that any voids, cracks, or checks are likely to get filled with dirt and grime. (My current dining table is an antique table with ill-fitting leaves, and you wouldn't believe the crud that builds up between them over the course of a month.) Inlaid butterflies are very attractive, and while they will solve the stability problem, they won't solve the dirt problem. Think carefully about how much time/effort you want to spend on filling voids. As you've seen above, there are some effective ways to deal with voids, and the results can be beautiful. So if you pick a slab with several voids, have a plan/budget for getting them filled.

[Danny in Houston]

Have you ever eaten on a live slab dining table? My live edge dining table is irregular, wider at one end, and the only comments we get is "wow this is so beautiful." It does not interfere with functionality in the slightest.

[Dave Diaman]

Danny in Houston said:

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Have you ever eaten on a live slab dining table? My live edge dining table is irregular, wider at one end, and the only comments we get is "wow this is so beautiful." It does not interfere with functionality in the slightest.

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I guess it all depends on the slab. My customer who commissioned the bubinga slab table I wanted a live edge table originally. That was until he ate at a friends house with a live edge table. He described it as one of the most uncomfortable eating experiences he ever had. It sounded like the edge of the slabs had some real irregularity do to the figure in the wood which kept poking him every time he moved.

I'm with John as far a slab furniture goes. I guess I'm just too traditional when it comes to furniture. I admire the beauty of the slabs but I see them more as a piece of art or a statement than a functional piece of furniture that will be around for 100's of years. I guess only time will tell if the style stands the test of time.

[Pink Floyd]

Dave Diaman said:

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I'm with John as far a slab furniture goes. I guess I'm just too traditional when it comes to furniture. I admire the beauty of the slabs but I see them more as a piece of art or a statement than a functional piece of furniture that will be around for 100's of years. I guess only time will tell if the style stands the test of time.

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+1 I don't care for live-edge furniture.

[DonJuvet]

Dave... "It sounded like the edge of the slabs had some real irregularity do to the figure in the wood which kept poking him every time he moved. "

Sounds like they left the stabby pokey nibs.
I take these down to a point of not irritating.
Live edge does not mean left sharp. IMO