Let me guide you through the process if you consider building a live-edge table. I’m a self-taught, award-winning furniture maker based in Nashville, TN, known for my natural, live-edge furniture designs. Before diving into the building steps, let’s clarify what a live-edge table is.
A live edge table showcases the wood’s natural edge, emphasizing its organic beauty and character. This style not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of a space but also brings a sense of nature indoors, making it a popular choice for many homeowners. The variety of wood species used can enhance the table’s uniqueness and fit in various decor styles.
Build a live edge wood table
Choosing the right wood species is crucial for creating a beautiful and durable live edge table. Consider local options and ensure ethical sourcing practices. Maintaining a moisture content of around 10% is crucial for the stability and durability of live edge slabs, whether they’re kiln-dried or air-dried. This practice helps prevent warping and cracking, ensuring your furniture lasts for years. Old-growth Redwood is the most stable choice, but black walnut, Claro walnut, Oaks, and maple are also great alternatives.
With many wood yards to select from, Redwood Burl stands out. Hands down, they have the largest selection of live edge redwood, but you can also find a vast selection of hardwoods. They also have the largest selection of air-dried live edge wood slabs in the United States.
Along with a dry, straight wood slab, you will need it to be flat to build a table. Many wood yards offer this service for a fee, or you can do the job yourself with a DIY router sled. Remember, you will lose a quarter of an inch to one inch of thickness of your live edge wood slab in the flattening process.
I ruff cut my project to save preparation time. This approach also helps when I need to fill checks or holes in the slab with epoxy. Always remember to remove the bark! While the bark often falls off during the drying process, if it doesn’t, you can remove it using a wood chisel and coarse grit sandpaper.
Depending on the live edge wood slab and its final use, voids, checks, or holes my need to be filled. A fast cure works great for small voids but a for larger holes and check a deep pour will do the trick
Why are live edge tables so expensive?
The cost of building a live edge table involves multiple factors, including wood species, slab size, and table base design. Understanding these elements helps you make a more informed decision when comparing options. The rarity and dimensions of the slab significantly impact its value, so it’s essential to consider all aspects when shopping.
You may have noticed prices range from under a couple of thousand dollars and up. Pricing a live edge table is complex, and you must compare apples with apples and understand what you are buying. As stated earlier, lumbers sold by the board foot. Prices differ from one wood species to another. Also, in the live edge wood slab world size of the wood slab has a factor in the price. For example, a Northern California Walnut 4′ wide 12′ long 3″ thick is rarer than 2′ wide 12′ long 3″ thick. Thus, the larger wood slab is more valuable. Wood species also have a factor in the cost of a live edge table. But not all trees make great live edge furniture. While the debate between kiln dried of air-dried how live edge woods cut, stored, and dried makes a difference.
Which woods make the best table?
Building a rustic table
Building a live edge table is a great DIY project. But finding quality wood can be difficult but not impossible. Air-dried wood takes 1 year per inch for most softwood species and longer for hardwood species. Kiln drying will speed this up, but the moisture should be around 16% before it is placed in a kiln. To date, I have been unable to find proof that one is better than the other. As a custom rustic furniture maker, my preference is air-dried wood. Building a live edge table, whether a coffee table or dining table, one of the key tips starts with quality wood, sand, and sand some more…..
Custom Rustic Furniture designs
Also, remember quality finish is not just in a can but rather a process. Woodworking, in general, is a process with many paths, as a custom furniture maker that specializes in rustic furniture and live edge furniture. Yes, these are basically the same style and use the same skill set. A live edge table’s also known as a rustic table, natural wood table, or burl wood table. Although a live edge table must have a living edge and the others, do not have that requirement. Besides a live edge table, we also use these ethically sourced live edge wood slabs in our wood countertops and our rustic vanity designs. We welcome visitors at our Nashville, TN, studio/gallery.
Live edge furniture maker
Since 2001 Kelly Maxwell has built custom furniture using logs and live edge wood in his designs. He has a DVD teaching how to build a log bed. He welcomes the opportunity to teach and encourage other woodworkers, whether professional or DIY artisans. A little-known fact he also sells unfinished air-dried wood slabs native to the Pacific Northwest.
I have inherited a live edge redwood living room table. Maybe from 1970s to 1980s. It’s glued to a huge redwood root base that is not finished and it’s cracking and trying to break off in large pieces. Is there anything I can do to preserve the base?
Thank you!
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Picture of table
During the 1970s and 80s, some furniture was made poorly. Typically the only option is to fill, sand, and refinish.
You can cut the top off the base to save the base.
Great information, thank you. I have a question. I’m going to be building a Farmhouse style dining table keeping with the obviously rustic theme.
On the bread board ends I’m going to use live edges. I wanted to use Doug fir but find having to drive 1/2 a day or more to get it takes the joy out of making the table top.
What species of wood would you recommend instead. Baring in mind Doug fir was the shade in color I was after. And a wood I could easily put many many coats of a satin clear coat to and not have to bother staining or dying it.
Thanks in advance,
Neal in Western NC
At a quick thought, black oak and even white oak would give you a similar color tone, but they both have a different wood grain then Doug fir.
Hope this helps