New Project- Wood table

Re: New Project- Wood table

Hank Knight

Wow, Bill! Where did you find that? I knew you were in the hardwoods business a long time, but not that long!

^^^LOL^^^

Re: New Project- Wood table

Joe in a Cleveland suburb

I'd be afraid of Powder Post beetles. Just kidding.

Is that heavy? Instead of 4 legs, would a pedestal type base be possible? Or would that be too top heavy?

I was thinking of the classic Shaker candle stand type of pedestal base. We have something kinda similar although it is heavy thick white Milk glass and it sits on a 3 legged base. The base is metal though.

Just a thought that popped into my head.

High angle plane or scraper?

CJ in MPLS

How do you flatten and smooth that? If I were you, I'd probably try the rare Stanley 6i. I think I recall that when used with a Möbius bench, they are quite effective.

A good thought

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

That style would better go with the space. But I will hold out for 4- legs if I can create something attractive. The top is heavy and I am concerned with stability.

Easy

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I sharpened one of my Crucible Steel CPM3V blades with diamond studded plate, discarded the blade and used the plate.

Nicely played!

Spactacular! Here's an idea

Clint Searl

Using either stripped or bark-on trunks with character of the appropriate diameter, have a foundry make the collar and stretcher out of bronze or steel for either three or four legs. The one I did is patinated bronze and eastern red cedar legs with a 60" glass top. What's the size of that beautiful specimen?

A clever idea

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

The "wood" is 16-18" across. Your design is a bit too informal for the location, but a creative idea for a cabin or den.

I have about a dozen leg models and like none of them so far. On a 20" tall leg a mere +/- 1/16" of profile makes a world of difference in appeal of shape. The next plan is to rough out some shapes from Luan door skins and do free-hand shaping on disk sander.

Re: A clever idea

Don Orr

Very cool piece of wood. How strong is it ? Does it need any support in the center? Looking forward to this build for sure.

How strong?

John K Jordan

How heavy is this slab? Will you have support in the center?

Or perhaps the stone is strong enough not to crack or shatter from some accidental impact or from a moving mishap some day.

If any doubt, maybe something like gently arched curves under the rock could both cross brace the legs and support the top in the middle. If from steel, I have a plasma torch and welders and I'm not afraid to use them. Brass might look nice, hammered steel?

Perhaps you already plan some such support.

JKJ

Edit: Ha! I see Don beat be to it while I went for another cup of coffee.

The rock can be self supporting

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Never-the-less, the legs need to be joined. I anticipate a cross brace at the top of the legs beneath the rock, and maybe a second half way down or near the floor. There is no limitation of the rock strength.

Re: A clever idea

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

If I get the leg right it will be grand. If not it will look like a high school shop project, functional but not especially attractive.

Contemplate function

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

Bill,

The slab is really the attraction of the table. Style of legs is really up to you. But if it were me, I would not get too fussy with the legs. That said, you have articulated a desired function for the table....serving and carving. That function requires people to stand up to or around the table. Legs that flair out are more likely to be trippers or obstacles to the users. You might want to consider keeping the legs tucked in a bit so as to permit better function.

T.

I'd set it INTO a service cabinet

Kneale Brownson

Have it sit proud of the top of a cabinet into which you could put drawers for things like carving knives/serving dishes. Make the cabinet maybe 20-22 inches square and have the petrified piece protrude maybe an inch from the surrounding wood top.

Some clarification

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

When we have a "full house" things like turkey(Thanksgiving) or rib roast(Christmas) don't fit on the table. The wicker table that sits on the porch gets employed to a carving table next to my chair. It is not particularly suitable.



Other times we are short of places to set plants in our sunny dining room. A table about 20" high would be handy to put plants on.

Finally, I have longed for a fine slab of petrified wood for a long time. Having found one I need to display it somewhere.

Your point is considered. Sticky-out feet will be a problem. The latest incarnation of legs do in fact tuck in at the bottom with a gentle bow out ,with inflection about 1/3 way to top.

The variables are numerous and looks sensitive to slight changes. How much to bow, location of inflection point, cross section shape and size, if and how much to taper the leg as it rises?

Another idea

Clint Searl

A variant of the Nakashima conoid style base, this one by Ru Amagasu, his grandson.

nope

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

don't like oriental

Re: New Project- Wood table

Sgian Dubh

An X underframe configuration with legs at the end of the arms, with the petrified wood slab essentially just resting on the top of the X frame has considerable potential for torsional instability. Much depends, of course, on factors such as the stoutness of the X elements and the legs to which they're joined, plus the weight of the petrified slab, the overall size of the table, and the end use.

For example, with that configuration, a fairly large dining table may show significant torsional instability in use as people attack their food, e.g., drink spillages as filled glasses or mugs wobble side to side, whereas in an essentially decorative small'ish side table that does little more than hold a few decorative items (photos, knick-knacks maybe, etc) such torsional instability may not matter at all.

I just thought I'd mention the above in case you hadn't considered it. Slainte.

Table leg ideas

Jesse Cloud

A good way to consider different options for something like this would be to google

"table leg images".

You will get a ton of them, probably most will be distasteful to you, but there may also be a gem lurking within.

If you find some you like, copy the image or save the link and print them later.

Be creative

Clint Searl

Prized piece Of Petrified wood....

Barry Irby

I looked at some of the pictures Clint posted. I have made several three legged versions similar to some of these. Tea tables, plant stands, etc. My thought was that you need to think this through and maybe do some mock-ups. If this is a highly prized specimen then the result needs to please you and not look like some sort of found object on a high school shop project base. Other than to present you with a multitude of options until something strikes your fancy, I am not sure we can help. (I still like the ones I did with a center pedestal and three feet)

I like #1

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Probably costs $10000 at the next Sotheby auction. But I still like it. Expensive tastes.

That's a lot of amarylis!

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level