We're working on making a table-top out of a log slice taken from a large pine, about six to eight inches thick. It was cut where the tree had limbs radiating out in all directions, at the same elevation, so there are about a dozen knots showing, all around the outer edge.
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| Representative radial knot, fine-sanded and lightly rubbed with tung oil. |
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The log slice is about 4 feet in diameter, and 6 to 8 inches thick. Heavy!
Back of the pickup makes a decent work table for this project. |
Counting tree rings, it looks like the tree was about 60 years old, when felled. Pines grow fast!
So far, I've done rough-sanding on the top, with 40-grit belts. Been through 15 of them so far, but I think the rough part is mostly done. It won't be totally flat, but it should be smooth, anyway. It was cut with a chain saw, working from one side, and then the other, so there were some cut lines that had to get extra work. There's lots of resin, too, especially around the knots, so the sanding belts get pretty gummed-up. The bark is starting to fall off, so I expect the edge of the table to be bare wood, all around.
I haven't completely decided about legs. I'm thinking that I'll use some small pine-log sections, from a tree which fell next to our house. We'll probably make it a low game-table, with legs about a foot long, and have low stools to sit on. As heavy as it is, I'm reluctant to have it full height. Not sure yet how the legs will be attached; maybe mortise and tenon joints, or perhaps with anchor bolts on the leg tops, screwed into threaded inserts set in the underside of the table.
