When your wife wants a coffee table....

[freudianfloyd]

You get to play with your toys.
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Anyway, for our rustic theme in our downstairs living room, I got inspired to make this coffee table. It gave me a chance to play with my chainsaws, and tractor.

When we first moved into this house, this tree was dangerously hanging over our well. Hollow all the way up and 4' across in some spots. I cut it down, and drug it out to the field where it has been for the past few years.

Today I got the ambition up to go cut wood and thought this would make a cool coffee table. Besides my wife has been wanting one for a while, so perfect.

It measures a little over 3' across in some spots and 18" tall. The emerald ash borer beetles are the real artists.

Now the question is, what is the best way to dry it out, and seal it? Especially the porous center?

Does it need to be sealed?

 

[freudianfloyd]

Something like this.
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[protegeV]

You should do a translucent epoxy in the middle and put a light in the bottom of it.

 

[Jazz1]

This table is for deep fryin’. Old street light that fell of post about 20’ from my truck. Old cutting board for top. I’ll have to clean up the top if wife wants in the house

 

[freudianfloyd]

You should do a translucent epoxy in the middle and put a light in the bottom of it.

That could be cool

 

[freudianfloyd]

Those beetles left this log with a ton of character.

This is after some wire brushing.
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[freudianfloyd]

I think it's going to turn out pretty cool.

Here it is after more wire brushing.
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[The Cobbler]

that is going to be awesome

 

[AMFJ]

Looking awesome.

 

[Kaizen]

Epoxy is expensive. I’d seal it in all sides with epoxy but filling it would be too much. I’d cut the bulk out of the bottom to make it easy to move. Also recess some wheels. You really don’t want to have to lift it to clean or vacuum do you? A light is a cool idea but cord will always be underfoot. Think I’d take a solid core and route it in like a dutchman.


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[Justintime2]

Hollow out some of the underside to lighten it up to somewhere between weighty/solid feeling but easy enough to move for cleaning. Epoxy the center but only go deep enough to get the effect you want and not have to fill the entire void with expensive epoxy. Battery operated LED light inside that can be externally switched on and off for effect but will last a long time and not need visible cords.

 

[freudianfloyd]

I didnt think about hollowing it out underneath, that's not only practical but let's me play with my saws more.

 

[hawkeye2]

To seal it and prevent cracking, look at what they do with chain saw carvings. This may help. https://forum.woodcarvingillustrate...carving/1124420-preserving-a-chainsaw-carving

 

[moreover]

Cool. Spray foam the void and epoxy to a depth of 4" or so. I would make two pours of epoxy. You can end up with undesirable results if the epoxy flashes and gets hot enough to cloud. This happens more often with large mixed volumes. The second pour could be shallow and with a tinted epoxy to better match the wood. I'd stain the wood first to better match the color you choose to tint... Epoxy won't take stain.

Or there's always glass.

 

[freudianfloyd]

Cool. Spray foam the void and epoxy to a depth of 4" or so. I would make two pours of epoxy. You can end up with undesirable results if the epoxy flashes and gets hot enough to cloud. This happens more often with large mixed volumes. The second pour could be shallow and with a tinted epoxy to better match the wood. I'd stain the wood first to better match the color you choose to tint... Epoxy won't take stain.

Or there's always glass.

I thought about glass, my father-in-law has a glass company so I'm sure he could get me a piece fairly cheap.

 

[Tom Sestito]

For a very cool texture find some place that does stained glass and have them make you a piece of ½" thick cast glass. Router it in. For best results you create them a pattern and they cast the glass into a mold you provide. I did this with a live edge table I made and the result is outstanding.
You can get it any colour you want.

 

[harley jim]

I would hollow the piece stain and clear coat, then turn it upside down and elevate it about 1/8" on a flat surface put a perimeter around it with caulk or putty and then pour the epoxy in. Pour about 1/4" to 3/8" thick let dry turn it over and use router to trim edge, sand and polish the top. I do like the led battery light option. Jmho. Thanks, Jim

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[rsanter]

Be carefull when hollowing it out. You don’t want to weaken the structure.
I would drill a series of blind holes with a Forster bit from the bottom.
Sand the top side flat and smooth.
Put a tempered glass top on it, they are cheap,if you get the pre-done ones for coffee tables.

You could hack some battery powered HF flashlights to make the lighting for the core

 

[SlappyWhite]

I have tried this multiple times with a bunch of different species (but most were closed grain hardwoods), the drying always "stumped" me. Always ended up with huge cracks and sometimes mold. Tried drying outside, inside, bunch of different coatings, etc.

Hopefully the ash will dry out better. You will likely want to do something to make it lighter.

 

[freudianfloyd]

I have tried this multiple times with a bunch of different species (but most were closed grain hardwoods), the drying always "stumped" me. Always ended up with huge cracks and sometimes mold. Tried drying outside, inside, bunch of different coatings, etc.

Hopefully the ash will dry out better. You will likely want to do something to make it lighter.

I hope I dont have those issues. There is alot of mass to it, so it will dry slow, hopefully that helps.

 

[tarbellb]

To dry that you either need a few years (1yr per 1" in a controlled enviro) or a kiln. Like Slappywhite said, drying is tricky, expect cracking, specially if you move it into the house soon. Kilns are available, not sure what pricing would be like, take a few weeks too?

That said, I think the cracking could be cool, as long as it doesnt affect the structure. Or you can play with design details like strapping the circumference.

Like others mentioned, epoxy is expensive, and onetime shot. I would do a light coat on the outside, and glass on top. Unless you can figure out creative way to plug the hole and do a shallow pour. Keep in mind that standard 2 part epoxy doesnt pour thicker than 1/4"typically.

Hollow out somehow and do 3 legs to level, or wheels and level?

Good luck.

 

[freudianfloyd]

I dont know if it matters or not, but this tree had been dead for years and laying in a field, and was fairly dry when I cut it out. The only reason it looks so wet is because I had the kids wash the mud off and scrub it with water.

 

[RStewart]

Diresta did something very similar recently. Check it out. The end result is very cool. Of course he gets tons of free sponsor stuff, but good ideas.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

This is going to turn out great.
Keep us posted. Have you done other projects like this before?

 

[freudianfloyd]

Diresta did something very similar recently. Check it out. The end result is very cool. Of course he gets tons of free sponsor stuff, but good ideas.

I will have to look for this. Thanks

 

[freudianfloyd]

This is going to turn out great.
Keep us posted. Have you done other projects like this before?

I will do my best to keep this thread alive with updates, lets hope it doesn't actually take years to dry. And no, I have not attempted anything like this. It was a spurt of the moment thing where I got motivated to make something like this. I usually prefer to work with metal, not wood.

 

[danski0224]

A pin type moisture meter can be had for less than 50 bucks, General has several that are well reviewed.

That will sort of tell you where the wood is for moisture content.

If it was me, I'd do a little digging on how to accurately measure a chunk of wood like that.

 

[velocipede]

I've done the same thing with big eastern red cedar stumps, which weather to a beautiful silver grey and have interesting twists. Took a few years in the house for moisture to equalize. Make sure you raise the bottom somehow so air can circulate. If you set it directly on the floor it can damage the floor and some strange looking fungus might grow DAMHIKT.

 

[RStewart]

Diresta “cenote table”
Too stupid to figure out how to link it.

 

[Bretny]

A moisture meter will tell you its still wet. Dosnt matter how many years its been cut down its still wet. Its going to crack and theres pretymuch not way around that. Ash does start out prety low in moisture. Never seen a 3' across ash tree before...and prob never will simce the EAB.

 

[freudianfloyd]

Diresta “cenote table”
Too stupid to figure out how to link it.

Wow, those look pretty cool, but way beyond my skill set

 

[freudianfloyd]

A moisture meter will tell you its still wet. Dosnt matter how many years its been cut down its still wet. Its going to crack and theres pretymuch not way around that. Ash does start out prety low in moisture. Never seen a 3' across ash tree before...and prob never will simce the EAB.

It's possible it isn't ash, but that's what I was told it was. I don't know my tree species.

 

[DeeDubz]

Very nice OP

 

[bonneyman]

Epoxy is expensive. I’d seal it in all sides with epoxy but filling it would be too much. I’d cut the bulk out of the bottom to make it easy to move. Also recess some wheels. You really don’t want to have to lift it to clean or vacuum do you? A light is a cool idea but cord will always be underfoot. Think I’d take a solid core and route it in like a dutchman.


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LED bulbs don't draw much power. Put some colored LED's in there and rig up an unused cordless drill battery or something.

 

[freudianfloyd]

Well it's still not completely dry, and I haven't put a finish on it yet, but we have a Christmas party Saturday so my wife atleast wanted it in place for now.

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Now to keep the dogs from chewing on it.

 

[bonneyman]

Well it's still not completely dry, and I haven't put a finish on it yet, but we have a Christmas party Saturday so my wife atleast wanted it in place for now.

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Now to keep the dogs from chewing on it.

Neat!

 

[Kaizen]

Well it's still not completely dry, and I haven't put a finish on it yet, but we have a Christmas party Saturday so my wife atleast wanted it in place for now.

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Now to keep the dogs from chewing on it.

When they do it becomes performance art


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[velocipede]

If you don't put an imitation squirrel, or some other critter in there, rigged to pop out on command, you're really missing a good time. Reach for the snacks...out pops the SQUIRREL!!

 

[Kaizen]

If you don't put an imitation squirrel, or some other critter in there, rigged to pop out on command, you're really missing a good time. Reach for the snacks...out pops the SQUIRREL!!

Even just something that makes a rustling noise will clear the room fast lol


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[harley jim]

Even just something that makes a rustling noise will clear the room fast lol


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Like the squirrel in the christmas tree in chevy chase's christmas vacation

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