Live Edge Pine Table

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  • TheRealMikeD
    Handtools only
    • Jul 2017
    • 5
    • Agoura Hills, CA
    • Laguna Fusion

    Live Edge Pine Table

    Hi Everyone.

    We recently had a large pine tree cut down from our yard. I had the tree crew leave me the wood. There are a few sections of the trunk large enough to make some nice live edge end tables. My question is two parts: 1) Is it worth bothering with pine for this kind of a table, or should pine just be used for construction and firewood? 2) What's the best way to dry the big chunks of wood to get them ready to use? I have never worked with fresh-cut lumber before, so I don't have any experience with drying wood, especially a large piece.

    Thanks!
    -Mike D.
  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    #2
    Coat the cut ends with paint or some other sealer. That will make sure the ends dont dry out disproportionately fast and cause checking/splitting.
    Then leave it for a couple of years. Then resaw to planks.
    Or resaw to planks, seal the ends stack for even air flow and wait a year.

    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

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    • atgcpaul
      Veteran Member
      • Aug 2003
      • 4055
      • Maryland
      • Grizzly 1023SLX

      #3
      I like the look of pine after it's been finished and sitting for a few years. It gets a nice amber color. And for me, the more knots the better. Anyway, the pine will be softer but you'll have a nice story to go along with the table. I milled up a walnut tree that fell in my neighbor's yard and have been using the wood for years. Because of the retail cost of walnut, I saved money by DIY. Since pine is relatively cheap, if you mill it, it will probably only be for bragging rights/sentimental reasons which sometimes is reason enough for me.

      Anyway, I would seal the ends with Anchorseal and mill the logs into rough planks. Stack and sticker them appropriately and let them sit for a couple years. The rule of thumb is to wait 1 year per inch of thickness. My sawyer used a dehumidification kiln so mine was ready in less than 4 months. I've seen some articles on how to speed up drying by bringing them indoors and using a box fan.

      The other thing with pine is the sap. If you can't kiln dry it at above a certain temp, the sap will always run. Apparently shellac can stop it but there are also articles online on how to make a temporary kiln to cook the boards to set the sap.

      And a discussion on milling pine:

      Hi. I’m about to have several 25” diameter, 12′ long pine logs milled. The sawmill guy told me he often ”slice” the entire log from top to bottom without ever […]

      ​​​

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      • capncarl
        Veteran Member
        • Jan 2007
        • 3564
        • Leesburg Georgia USA
        • SawStop CTS

        #4
        Pine makes a wonderful table. It needs to be dried completely or it will warp, twist and cup badly. I've had the best luck cutting the boards into 3-4" widths though.if you are able to have the boards,cut in 2-3" thick slabs and are particular about the grain, the thick boards are not as prone to warp. Pine live edge does well but the bark doesn't stay on it well.

        Photo of my last pine dining room table
        Click image for larger version

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        • LCHIEN
          LCHIEN commented
          Editing a comment
          Nice table
      • TheRealMikeD
        Handtools only
        • Jul 2017
        • 5
        • Agoura Hills, CA
        • Laguna Fusion

        #5
        Thanks so much for all the replies, everyone. I probably wasn't totally clear in my original post, though. Rather than milling it into planks, I was thinking of leaving it as basically a section of trunk, about 18"-24" in diameter, with the bark intact, and making that into a live-edge table. I would just be surfacing the top and bottom, then adding clear finish.

        Is that a practical thing to do with pine? How would I go about drying a big chunk like that? I'm guessing that you would do it differently than drying rough-cut planks, right? Am I going to get perpetual problems with sap?

        Thanks!

        Comment

        • capncarl
          Veteran Member
          • Jan 2007
          • 3564
          • Leesburg Georgia USA
          • SawStop CTS

          #6
          Like others suggested, paint the ends to pr vent them from drying faster than the rest of the plank and splitting, find a nice spot,for it out of the way and support it every 12-18" with 1" thick wood strips for air circulation an let it air dry naturally. The attic would be a good place. If you think the wood has insects don't put it in your house because they can come out and infest your house.

          Do you have access to a large plane? You could go ahead and plane down the top and bottom surface, you might have to build a fixture to hold the plank flat, get it to within 3/16" of the desired surface. This would save you some drying time later, and you have to do it anyway, might as well do it while it's on your mind. Your problems with sap will probably be with clogging sandpaper. You can do the entire final surfacing with a hand plane and scraper and not use any sandpaper.

          Comment

          • TheRealMikeD
            Handtools only
            • Jul 2017
            • 5
            • Agoura Hills, CA
            • Laguna Fusion

            #7
            Thanks, capncarl. Good tips.

            I was thinking of building a router jig to flatten the top and bottom, using a bottom-cleaning surfacer bit. I do indeed have an attic space to let it dry in. Insects are a potential concern, though. Anyone know how I can tell whether there are insects living in the wood or not?

            Comment

            • capncarl
              Veteran Member
              • Jan 2007
              • 3564
              • Leesburg Georgia USA
              • SawStop CTS

              #8
              I'd leave the wood out of the house to dry for a spell before I moved in inside, probably in a wagon or across a wheelbarrow so you can occasionally pull it out in the direct sunlight, then any bugs will escape.

              Comment

              • TheRealMikeD
                Handtools only
                • Jul 2017
                • 5
                • Agoura Hills, CA
                • Laguna Fusion

                #9
                Sounds like a plan. Thanks so much.

                Comment

                • JoeyGee
                  Veteran Member
                  • Nov 2005
                  • 1509
                  • Sylvania, OH, USA.
                  • BT3100-1

                  #10
                  On a side note, when did bark become "live edge"?
                  Joe

                  Comment

                  • capncarl
                    Veteran Member
                    • Jan 2007
                    • 3564
                    • Leesburg Georgia USA
                    • SawStop CTS

                    #11
                    I understand " live edge" to be the outside part of the tree that is not cut off. Bark or no bark, it's still the outside.
                    capncarl
                    Last edited by capncarl; 07-12-2017, 09:31 PM.

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