I'm a sucker for punishment and tend to bight off more than i can chew so i suppose it was inevitable i would tackle a project of this size sooner or later.
I have been reading posts on this forum for a while and have enjoyed reading about the various projects that are happening, so now i would like to contribute to the forum and most likely entertain a few members with my amature approach.
I have a few mates that work and manage sawmills in northeast vic and they have tried to explain to me the way that slabs need to be cut and dried etc, so instead of me a communications worker sourcing the timber i left it up to them the experts to find me a slab of redgum.
So fast forward a couple of weeks and have just had delivered a redgum slab 4.2 x 1.3 at 70mm thick and are going to create a outdoor table to seat 10.
I am going to try and leave the slab as natural as i can with bark edges and filled cracks etc, will cut off ends and vee them at 45 degree angle and use them as legs with rails between.
Will post pics when i roll slab out of garage and into carport for sanding, and are hoping to finish project in a month (wishful thinking)

Cheers

Good luck emu. Be sure to take pictures and post them as you go. I haven't got the foggiest idea about making tables but I'm pretty much doing exactly what you are now and am similarly confident of the outcome.

However, lots of people here are masters at the solid stuff in furniture building, so post pics as you go because they might spot something and hone in on it and let you know before you go doing something the wrong way. All the best with it!

-Matt

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- Matt

Hey Emu

I am going along the same path over Xmas. Have got my slabs of Blue Gum from Rude at my local mill and will be undertaking my biggest project yet.

So good luck to us all .

Macca

Sounds like a delicious project! Love the Red Gum and it's plentiful enough down there.

Keep us posted and good luck!!!

Hi Matt what type of timber are you working with?, i feel like Fred Flinstone when i roll the slab out of the garage and under the carport using my primative pipe rollers.

Macca ,sounds like there's some serious table building happening around oz this xmas.

I have taken a couple of pics as delivered

redgum table 002.jpg
redgum table 003.jpg

And these pics of a wet slab
redgum table 005.jpg
redgum table 006.jpg
I will start sanding this weekend using a rubber backed grinder with a 24 grit disk and see how i go, will strip off the discolouration before filling the borer holes etc with epoxy.
At this stage i am thinking of sanding the top to a 100 grit before turning the slab over and starting on the underside, will finish the underside to a 100 grit and then cut off 750mm from each end for the legs and have them cut and glued at a 45 degree angle. then use a burnishing oil to a 300 grit finish on the whole underside and legs.
Once the underside is finished and locating pins are in place for the legs i will rally up 10 mates that can be swayed with a couple of slabs of another kindand place the table in it'e finished position before finishing the top with burnishing oil to a 500 grit? depending on the finish and how sore my arms will be by that stage.

There a pic of what i'm trying to achieve, but this tables finished way too good for beer cans and bbq's.
redgum slab.jpg

So that's the idea and the plan, and i'm sure there's a lot of thing that i have not planned for and will most likely find out the hard way but hey that's life,

Cheers

Hello all,
I had a couple of hours to spare so i gave the slab it's first sand with 24 grit
redgum table 009.jpg

Will now have to wait until next week because of weekend xmas comitments, but will be out there filling up those borer holes and cracks etc when i can whilst having a few coldie's.

Hey! There's a fair bit of character in that hunk of wood. Is it recycled?

Instead of jumping head-first at a big piece, I've decided to start off with a little coffee table. I'm glad I did because so far I've taught myself the following lessons:

1) You can't really ever plane 'too much'.
2) Don't get impatient with sanding.
3) Don't skip grits

I wouldn't like to learn that lesson on a big piece of something nice! Haha.

I'm using, of all things, jacaranda. I have always thought (and anyone would tell you) that it's rather bland, but this is a beautiful little piece I'm using.

Anyhow keep us posted emu, looks like you're going to have a bunch of fun. The reference piece looks very interesting!

- Matt

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- Matt

Looking good there emu.

I like the look you are aiming for and it should be a great centre piece in the entertainment area.

Have you decided what you will use for seating? Will you be matching the table with redgum benches?
Would look geat with miniture versions of the table as bench seats.

Good luck with your work, looking forward to seeing the end result.

Steven.

Hi Steven, at this stage i will make use of the existing chairs which are grey powdercoated steel with a mesh seat and backing, but i do like the idea of matching redgum chairs......but probably be in the too hard basket for me.

I have been using epoxy to fill those borer holes and cracks, what do you all use to tape up the underside of cracks, duct tape doesn't seem to stick that good.........might tape up then place a peice of pine against tape and lower slab on to pine.

Cheers

^^ ooh, I like Steve's idea for the seats.

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- Matt

G'day Matt, no it's not recycled it was cut down about 20yrs ago and has been sitting in a paddock next to the ovens river.
A Jacaranda table sounds interesting, is it a soft wood?
I have a tendency to be impatient but will force myself too take my time sanding

Cheers

G'Day Emu,
I've had luck with masking tape, but not necessarily doing that. Might be worth a shot. To answer your question briefly (I don't want to hijack your thread... in fact I should start my own), it's both, which is hilarious and frustrating at times hahaha. Anyhow, I'm really keen to see how this all turns out. Already you can tell it's a nice piece you've got there!
Regards,
Matt.

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- Matt

If you can pull off the table then the benches would be a piece of cake for you.

Re the finish on your table being too good for beers and BBQ's. Once you see how nice the redgum will look (even with just a varnish or oil) you will change your mind and try to get it as nice as you can. Redgum can look unbelievable with just a little extra effort than you would normally put into a piece. It's one of my favourite timbers.
I have made a couple of jewelery boxes and a mirror from it and loved working with it.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Steven.

I have used plasticine on one side of the hole. Once dry I removed the plasticine and filled that up with epoxy.


Should add that I got that suggestion from this site.

Thanks Christos, i will go and raid my daughters tub of placticine.........now which colour shall i start with.

I will wait until after new years to sand the top because of the dust that finds it's way into everything, will then dedicate a whole day of sanding.
They should have renamed redgum......... leadgum.......damn she's heavy.

Cheers