Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
a small sampling
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
They propagate well here. Wife harvests an overloaded wheelbarrow full each fall. Gives dozens away and we still have pots full blooming during winter months. Provide the postage and I will mail you, or anyone, a few choice bulbs.
Only $2758.96 thru 1stdibs.com
Clint Searl
Go to 1stdibs.com and search on "side tables" for a zillion examples.
3 legged stool?
Ian Neuhaus
Perhaps the easiest construction is to attach the stone to the seat of a 3 legged stool.
But where's the fun in that?
Many years ago now, Woodwork Magazine had a three legged side table where the legs attached to the top using blind tenons. In your case you could use a ply false top and wedged through tenons -- round through tenons are perhaps the easiest to make.
But back to the Woodwork Magazine table, the legs were stiffened with laminated curved stretchers forming a triangle with curved sides.
or a 4 legged table like this
Nice table....I like it
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
but not for our cherry dining room of I don't know what style.
Modern cabriole?
Ellis Walentine
Bill, I recall sending you some tracings of a modern cabriole coffee table of mine that you had admired. That leg design might work for this table, and it would be strong enough without a bottom rail if you use heavy duty rails mortised soundly into the legs. I used double loose tenons on those tables of mine and they're plenty solid yet delicate looking (IMO, of course). Here's a rough idea of the concept...
One thing that concerned me with your initial post was the notion that you might be doing some cutting and/or serving on it. I think that a height of 20" off the floor is too low to do either of these things handily, and that the sideways racking forces of carving a turkey or ham would either rack the structure of the base or create tipping forces, a worry in a design that is taller than it is wide. In any event, I'd go for legs that splay out at least slightly where they meet the floor, creating a footprint that's a little wider than at the top. It has always seemed to me that this makes it harder to tip.
Anyhow, just a thought...
Ellis
And, a follow up...
Ellis Walentine
Round table tops on square bases have always bothered me a bit. Another alternative might be to make curved rails that echo the shape of the top. you could either laminate them or brick lay them like traditional demi-lune rails and veneer them. On a table this size you could probably get away with bandsawing them from heavy stock.
Ellis
Re: 3 legged stool?
Hank Knight
Probably not right for your dining room, but this one takes care of Ellis' concerns. The splayed legs make for a very stable structure, and it was fun to build.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/FozdU5]
[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/FozdU5]IMG_0087[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/158680038@N03/]Hank Knight[/url], on Flickr
top is highly irregular shape
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
I was able to find 4 orthogonal points on the top that came close to a square.
I probably misled with the carving/serving function. This rare function is currently served adequately with a 20" high wicker table from the porch. Maybe not a traditional carving station for a carving presentation but it gets the job done. (I set and table is beside chair) Carved pieces get "served" onto a platter that gets passed around. 99.999% of the table life will be as a plant stand or other low table function.
Two birds with one stone
Jesse Cloud
Maybe consider a "regular shaped" bottom with a field routed out that would accommodate the petrified wood and still leave an inch or so gap between the stone and the rest of the bottom piece.
The gap could serve as a drainage channel for carving juices or plant overwatering. Maybe even a cork for easy drainage and cleaning.
Of course, the bottom would need to be made from a waterproof material such as corian or something like that.