# Live Edge Coffee Table



## kevin11mic (Apr 6, 2011)

Built this for Christmas for my fiance. Metal legs and live oak top. Slabbed the oak tree about two years ago. When we slabbed it it had been cut for about 20 years laying in my pasture. I played on the log as a kid so its kinda sentimental to me. Used the Nick Offerman style router planer. and some hand planing as well. Let me know what you think.


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## kevin11mic (Apr 6, 2011)

More Pics


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

nice work!


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## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

Very nice indeed!!! Thanks for including the history and detailed pictures along the way. Very special piece for sure.


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

Yes, very special. 
What saw did you use to make planks from the log? Looks like a jig for a chain saw.


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## ATracker (Aug 30, 2010)

Very impressive! I would also like to know what you used to slab cut your logs. I have some aged cedar logs I want to cut.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

That is some of the most creative work I have ever seen. But the fact you played on it as a kid makes it priceless! Good Work


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## fishingcacher (Mar 29, 2008)

Very nice. Thanks for sharing.


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## boltmaster (Aug 16, 2011)

Excellent


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## kevin11mic (Apr 6, 2011)

Thanks everyone it is definitely priceless. I used an Alaskan Saw mill and a STIHL MS880 with a ~40" bar. My buddy is set up to mill his own stuff so he helped me out. I have lots of future plans for the remaining wood. Dining table is next.


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## 3192 (Dec 30, 2004)

Kevin...thanks for sharing those pics!! Congrats on a awesome project and workmanship. The router/planer idea is slick. What size/type bit and how deep of cut were you using to surface the planks? Also...did you build the legs?? Again, thanks for posting. That is going to be a heirloom piece for sure! gb


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## kevin11mic (Apr 6, 2011)

galvbay said:


> Kevin...thanks for sharing those pics!! Congrats on a awesome project and workmanship. The router/planer idea is slick. What size/type bit and how deep of cut were you using to surface the planks? Also...did you build the legs?? Again, thanks for posting. That is going to be a heirloom piece for sure! gb


I used a 1/2" diameter x 2" long surfacing bit so I had plenty of reach and took about 1/8" to 1/4" depth passes until it was perfectly flat. You can set a yard stick on edge in any direction and it sits perfect. I still had to go through and sand it. I sanded up to 2000 grit before applying the lacquer. I prefer a hand plane finish without sanding but with this particular piece of wood there is lots of swirls in the crotch area that made it really hard to get a perfect finish with a hand plane without tearing out. So sanding was my only option. After the Lacquer hardens for about a year I will wet sand and polish it with a high speed orbital automotive polisher and it should look like glass. The longer you can wait before doing this step the better it will come out.

I did build the legs. 18ga 1"x3" box tubing miter cut and welded. I turned the larger one off square to the other one to be unique and also it helped support the thinner part of the slab.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*Table*

Nice work, I see potential for several more.


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## TIMBOv2 (Mar 18, 2010)

Planning on doing the same with a big pecan tree, going to use it for a bar and counter tops for outdoor cooking area


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## BGT (Mar 9, 2016)

Amazing woodworking, has me itching to fire up my shop.


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