Thread: Building a large table

Hi and welcome to the forums.

What size is the slab and are you intending to keep a natural edge or cut it straight? A photo would be good too to help get the ideas flowing.

Cheers,
Af.

Hi Afro Boy

Thanks for responding

The dimensions are:
2400mm LONG X 850mm WIDE X 50mm

I've attached a picture

PK

Should come up nicely once you've got it flattened, etc. Are you thinking of cutting a straight edge around that? I'd worry about those pieces sticking out on the sides.

Here are a few "refectory" designs I found online. They might help give you some ideas to get started.

http://www.camerondesigns.com.au/ima...tory_table.jpg
http://www.easynetpresence.com.au/im...es/59/tab3.JPG
http://www.camerondesigns.com.au/ima...a%20dining.jpg

Cheers,
Af.

I'd like to have the natural contours but smooth it out so to speak

Thanks for the pictures, the refectory style would work although I'm not sure I have the skills to do something so professional. Do you think something more rustic (basic) would work

It can be "rustic" looking too. All you really need is two pieces near each end and a long piece to go between them. There are a few skills involved but nothing beyond someone who is willing to put a bit of time in.

Perhaps other here might have some ideas too?

Originally Posted by Afro Boy

Perhaps other here might have some ideas too?

I thought you were doing quite well on your own. The 'refectory' style works well for slab tables IMO. Trying to put four legs and aprons on a natural edge table would just be weird.

Peter - don't be put off by the shiny finish. A professional look is as much about taking your time, and putting in the hard yards finishing it, as it is about woodworking skills. If you look at the construction of Afro's first link, it's an incredibly simple design - I count about 8 pieces to make the entire base, with simple joinery and no complex cutting. You can then extend/embellish that to fill your ability/imagination.

That is one very pretty piece of timber you've scored there, too.

Take some inspiration from the master of slab furniture.

http://www.nakashimawoodworker.com

Hi PeterK

Is that huon pine?

I think smoothing around those jagged bits is the
way to go , have you thought about the ends, my
thoughts are a slight curvature there rather than
a straight cut across, whatever base you decide to make
you can always redo in the future if you're not happy
with it, just make sure you support the slab along it's
length and width to maintain all the work you do to the top.

Thanks for all the ideas, links and feed back.
I was really taken with the Nakashima Conoid Table but it's probably too ambitious for me
I've started sanding it and I don't think it's Huon Pine, maybe Hoop Pine but don't really know enough to say
Would a log like that be milled with a band saw. There are vertical cut marks
I'll post some pics once I have it sanded and get some more advice on what to do with the edges
PK

Hi Peter,

I was contemplating bidding on that slab on ebay a couple of weeks ago, you must have been the winning bidder! Might not be huon but Hoop is just as stunning I reckon,

Good luck

After spending a couple of hours doing battle with an orbital sander, why didn't YOU bid