Live edge butternut desk

Maritime

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Grabbed 2 pieces of 2" thick butternut to make a desk top from for the family room. They are trimmed and ruff sanded waiting for a router bit I ordered to true the glue edge. They will get clamped and glued then finished sanded and trimmed to about 7'. Ordered some file bases and legs from Ikea to support the top. Going to be nice I think.

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If this is going in the family room I strongly recommend table epoxy (cheap) after stain / oil. Goes on thick, you can do multiple layers. It looks great and almost indestructible and easily fixed if you scratch it. I have in on the table in my boat and it gets used as a work bench. 6 years later still looks great. has not gone yellow either and I live in the caribbean
 
Popeye SXM said:
If this is going in the family room I strongly recommend table epoxy (cheap) after stain / oil. Goes on thick, you can do multiple layers. It looks great and almost indestructible and easily fixed if you scratch it. I have in on the table in my boat and it gets used as a work bench. 6 years later still looks great. has not gone yellow either and I live in the caribbean

Thanks for the idea, what is the brand name so I can look for it? I've used the rustoleum stuff in our camper but it is super glossy and I don't want a high gloss, looking for more of a semi-gloss. Usually use good ol Varathane on these types and have stuff that's 20+ years old with heavy use that are still great, but it does yellow a little with age so the non yellow on this is appealing. It doesn't have any yellow in it, it's like a white walnut and I want to preserve that.
 
Nice, thats a couple of good looking slabs. You going to run the router along a straight edge to cut the edges?
 
Yeah, the boards are 2" thick and I had to use the small side of the skill saw guide to trim one edge on each so it isn't clean. It was hard to keep it level and against the straight edge. I only had a 1" straight bit so a 2 1/2" is on order, when it arrives I'll clamp a straight edge to each and router a flat clean edge for gluing on each and then glue and clamp em up.

I should have taken a before pic with the other live edge and before the couple hours of sanding the saw marks off.
 
That's going to be really nice. I wish I had the patience for wood projects.

My father in law had a table very similar to this in their flat before they sold it, although it was probably closer to 4" thick. I think they paid like $3,000 for it. Beautiful table but they were afraid to use it, though after a while they got over that.
 
I think I used table epoxy from west system. It is what they use in bars. Sometimes you see coins epoxied into the table top. You can put other finishes on top, I used a 2 pack high UV varnish on top for some outside timber, that has started to flake but the table epoxy still good
 
Spar varnish for topcoat if you use epoxy. They sell cheaper stuff for tables but West System is the best, marine grade.
 
This finally shipped! When it comes, more progress will be made.
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I can't find a biscuit joiner but I have 3 different rabbet bits I can use to cut 3-4 slots and insert some strips of wood to keep everything lined up and Kosher when gluing up the top. I just need to see what the best off the shelf wood size before I do it. I'm thinking the 1/4" bit and a strip of same size plywood will be best for dimensional stability.
 
The bases and leg arrived today at the terminal too. So I will assemble those and get them ready for the top.
 
Maritime said:
This finally shipped! When it comes, more progress will be made.
31xdstBr8UL.jpg


I can't find a biscuit joiner but I have 3 different rabbet bits I can use to cut 3-4 slots and insert some strips of wood to keep everything lined up and Kosher when gluing up the top. I just need to see what the best off the shelf wood size before I do it. I'm thinking the 1/4" bit and a strip of same size plywood will be best for dimensional stability.

Not sure this will be the same for your lumber there but if it comes from China the 1/4" ply will be about 1mm or so shy of a true quarter. I ran into this while making the cabinet doors and had to use a few different combos of blades on the slot cutter to get a perfectly tight fit.
 
advCo said:
Not sure this will be the same for your lumber there but if it comes from China the 1/4" ply will be about 1mm or so shy of a true quarter. I ran into this while making the cabinet doors and had to use a few different combos of blades on the slot cutter to get a perfectly tight fit.
You can cut a 1/4" tongue on it so the rabbet is on the rear side as long as it's stain grade ply. If I'm getting the situation correct.
 
irk miller said:
You can cut a 1/4" tongue on it so the rabbet is on the rear side as long as it's stain grade ply. If I'm getting the situation correct.

I cut a centered groove on the edge of the rails and stiles for the 1/4" sheet. It also doubled as a groove for tongue and groove for the stiles to fit into the rails.
 
I know, I have run into the same. the bits have not kept up with the reduction in plywood sizes. 4x8 sheets are not 4X8 anymore as well. Luckily I have some really old pieces of 1/4 made in Canada I can use. they are bits I have kept around for shimming things etc. LOL.

Irk, I am going to route a groove in each side then rip a stip like a long biscuit and glue it in both and glue the flats to keep it all level until it sets. Not going all the way to the ends so you won't see it as well. probably do 3-4 6-8" strips along the length.

Like this:

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