The Woodwork thread

Litenbror

Eats Squid
So this just showed up. Blackbutt slab 2400 x 850 x 50, haven't worked with anything this big before. Going to be a table but thinking I might need to split it in half and add a bit for the width, not sure yet. Was a bit of an impulse buy off a local auction site.

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Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
If you want to keep it raw edged you could split it in the middle and add a single board of contrasting timber. That way you can make it whatever width you want. Is moisture content even? Looks like there are colour variations?
 

Litenbror

Eats Squid
If you want to keep it raw edged you could split it in the middle and add a single board of contrasting timber. That way you can make it whatever width you want. Is moisture content even? Looks like there are colour variations?
That's what I was thinking of doing, I have some 1700 x 100 x 50 redgum lengths that would work well. Not sure about moisture content tbh there wasn't any info on it with the auction place. It's been dressed pretty well so hoping there won't be too much finishing. Know of any moisture probes that won't break the bank?

Edit: the spots in the photo I'm hoping are just grease from the warehouse and moving etc. I only sprayed water on it to see the colour.
 

Litenbror

Eats Squid
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Trimmed the ends off and ripped it to make two roughly even boards. Will be about 1870mm long and 900mm wide when finished.

Looking at the two options I'm thinking rough edge on the outside?
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
I prefer raw edge outside but it works both ways if you fill the guts with epoxy. Clean any loose bark off with a nylon wheel that goes in a grinder or drill. And sand off and sharp spikes that could catch clothing when poodle walks past. You going to biscuit or dowel or (I forget the other common way...). Saw a nice base the other day of two legs running lengthways like an ironing board but without the slides slides bit. Looked really nice. No idea if it is a commercial thing or not.

Going to look awesome.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Nephew had a mate drop off a fallen limb from a red cedar that had been in his shed for a while. I grabbed a small slab to make a chair side table. Not sure on final dimensions but will leave the raw edge underneath and rout a combination chamfer on the straight sides. Probably be around 500x400 or so, nothing huge. Need to find some appropriate leggies. And the other stuff he calls 'fuzzy' bark. never heard of it. Supposedly pretty when cleaned up so we will see.

 

Litenbror

Eats Squid
Oooh, I like that! You could rout a ledge in the centre and drop a piece of smoke glass in there, set up flush. A nice finish on the table top and it would sit together nicely.
Yep smoked glass is a leading contender. Could also make a tile insert or something similar. I'm thinking of making small dowels that would discreetly go into the center and hold the insert, that way I could make anything 1200x240xdowel depth and drop it in. Would need to make sure the dowels were strong enough but shouldn't be too difficult.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Yep smoked glass is a leading contender. Could also make a tile insert or something similar. I'm thinking of making small dowels that would discreetly go into the center and hold the insert, that way I could make anything 1200x240xdowel depth and drop it in. Would need to make sure the dowels were strong enough but shouldn't be too difficult.
Just run the router around the top after the sides and ends are done and create a recess. You could do all sorts of inserts, plate of ali, glass, different timber. Change for fun.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Can recommend....but it's a slippery slope...
Buyeded one tonight. I have a router plane to set up on a bigger bench but this is for stuff the size of those bits in the pic. Have wanted to get one for ages so now I have. Spent the afternoon watching various videos and went from the cheapest to one a big further up the tree but not a huge one, just 300 ish.
 
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