Building Our Live Edge Dining Table
A walnut slab, steel legs and a lot of sanding. The biggest thing I have ever built, start to finish.
- Time
- Two months of Saturdays
- Cost
- $600-$850
- Skill
- Call a friend
- Posted
I wanted a table big enough for every holiday and sturdy enough for homework, crafts, and whatever else happens around it. I couldn't find one I could afford, so I built it.
This took me two months of Saturdays. Most of that was sanding.
Materials
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| 1 | Live edge walnut slab, about 8 ft |
| 1 set | Steel trapezoid table legs |
| 1 kit | Clear epoxy for cracks |
| 1 can | Hardwax oil finish |
| 1 pack | Sandpaper, 80 to 220 grit |
How I did it
Find a slab
Look for a local sawmill. Ask how long it has dried. You want it dry, or it will move after you build it.
Flatten it
Most slabs are cupped. A router sled or a local shop with a wide planer will flatten it.
Fill the cracks
Tape the bottom, pour clear epoxy, and let it cure for a few days.
Sand forever
80, 120, 180, 220. Then do it again. This is most of the project.
Finish and attach legs
Hardwax oil in two thin coats, then the legs with threaded inserts so it can come apart to move.
Along the way
What I'd do differently
- Pay a shop to flatten the slab. I spent three Saturdays doing what their planer does in ten minutes.
- Wear a respirator while sanding walnut. The dust is no joke.
