Live edge wood how to#
Live edge wood full#

For example, on the coffee-table above, we had to cut down the 5 1⁄ 2 '-long slab to 4' to make it proportional to the natural shape and dimensions of our apple base. *Determine parts that must be certain dimensions-such as table height or seat width-and design the other parts in proportion to those dimensions. If you want to sculpt the ends similar to the natural edges, use carving tools or an angle grinder (using coarse, beveled abrasive wheels) followed by sanding flap wheels. Those ends usually look best when sawn smooth and perpendicular to the face.

Live edge wood full#

*Unless you're working with a full cross-section burl, most slabs will have been cut off at the ends by a chainsaw. The difference between live edge and straight edge is that a live edge slab shows off the natural outer part of the slice of tree.

Live edge wood how to#

(We'll show you how to flatten a slab later in this article.) *The face of a table, bench, or headboard might look good with a little waviness but a desktop must be flat. Now consider the following in order to match the unique characteristics of the slab to your personal tastes: With the slab in hand, you probably have a general idea of what you want to build (large table, small table, long bench, short bench, for example). When your wood arrives, let it acclimate to your shop's humidity for a week or two before doing any machining. Over 10000 unique natural edge slabs at sawmill direct. In Sources, at the bottom of the story, you'll find sites selling natural-edge slabs, even in table-size planks exotic wood species and highly figured grain patterns, such as burls. Browse our inventory of massive live edge wood slabs for the perfect slab for your next project. You might be hard-pressed to find a local retailer selling slabs with two natural edges, so look to the Internet. (For operators of Wood-Mizer brand portable bandsaw mills in your area, call 80 or go to to locate a local sawyer.) Just remember, you'll need to air-dry the slabs about one year per inch of thickness or have them kiln-dried. Just bring them your log or have a mobile mill come to you. A lot of sawyers won't mind a custom-cutting job. For details on this rewarding but labor-intensive option, see 'Tips for sawing your own natural-edge slabs' listed above. You can obtain slabs in several ways here's a list, beginning with your most affordable options: