Three leaf table......revisited

[Jim_Rogers]

Recently a lady from down the street asked me if I could mill a log in half and then sell them both halves....... I said sure, but what do you need them for?

She said she had see these types of tables in Austria when traveling there, and wanted to create one for herself.

I asked her: "how wide a log do you want?" as the mill can only cut 24" at most, maybe 28" with some fancy foot work......
She told me two dinner plates wide, one on each half.....
I asked her what length did she want it and she told me 10' and asked me the cost, and most importantly "can you deliver?"

I suggested that they come over and pick out a log and I'd cut it in half and they could make their table.

We made an appointment and she showed up with her husband who had created a very nice drawing of what they wanted.

From that hand sketch I created this drawing:



We discussed the size they wanted. The asked how long a log could I mill? And with further discussion we decided on a three leaf table top with each leaf being 14" wide and 6" thick with round edges.
Being held up by two stumps (as they called them) with benches all around.

After considering the size and thickness, I told them that they'd never be able to move it. They said "GOOD"..... every patio table they have ever owned has blown away from their yard. He said he even made one with tile for a table top so heavy that the tile cause the table top to sag (now sure how thick the base under the tile was).

I estimated that each leaf of this "log table" would weigh 327 lbs and that the entire table would weight 1300 lbs "roughly". They said: "good that's just what we want, very rustic."

They were concerned that this table may sag, as the last one did, and wanted to know if I should create a third stump in the middle of the table.

I told them that if I put the table together, here in the sawmill yard, we could stand on top of it and see if it felt bouncy.....

I don't think it's going to need a third stump.....



Do you?

Specs are (3) 6" thick by 14" wide by 17' long leafs. Two 21" diameter x 24" tall stumps for the pedestals. 2" x 14" x 17' long bench seats with (5) 12" dia x 15" stumps under each. Two end benches have 2x14x42" seats with (2) 12" dia x 15" stumps under them.

They wanted only three stumps under the long benches but after putting one together:



It looked like a diving board to me, and for safety, I added the end stump:



I have this still set up in my yard and I'm about to call them to come over and see it.....



I hope they like it......

What do you think?

Jim Rogers

PS. Plans available upon request......

[Jim_Rogers]

She loved it.....

First thing she said was I'm going to have to have a party....

He just left, and he loves it.

Just what they wanted....

Now I just have to deliver it......

[metalspinner]

I see a few more of those in your future.

Have you tried to tip it on purpose?  Sit a few big fellas on the edge of the top and see what happens just to make sure.  You may want a wider stump holding her up.  A crotch standing upside down would give it a wider footprint if you don't have or want to use larger logs.

[jander3]

Nice.  Now that is a table.  I'm thinking, maybe, build in place.  Not sure I would want to transport that bad boy.

How did you secure the table to the stumps?  (i.e. what does it look like underneath).

That table is one-of-a-kind; it ain't going nowhere in the wind, nor, in the back of a pickup truck.

[Sprucegum]

   What's for supper? 

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

  What's for supper? 

You've got me stumped 

Herb

[maineframer]

Jim,

Nice table. You gotta love live edge.

David

[Jim_Rogers]

The customer does not want any screws or lags down from the top of the table into the cleats or stumps. Nor does he want any screws or lags down from the top of the bench seats to the stumps.

So the plan is to notch out the table stump and insert a 2by or a 3x flush with the top (of the stump) and then lag or screw up into the bottom of the table leafs.
Same procedure with the bench seats only using smaller pieces of wood.

If he runs into a tipping problem we'll have to add some thing to the base of the table stumps to make it more stable.
Right now the tops are just resting on two 2x6's that I put on top of the stumps so that I could set it up and take pictures and show them (the customers) the set up.

I was and am concerned about the top of the leafs being flush with one another at the ends of the table. They may shift and be uneven. I brought this to his attention and he may insert a 2x4 across the bottom edge of the ends, flush with the bottom surface to try and hold them all flush.

I did suggested placing a piece across the ends to make a "bread board" end but they want to see the ends of the logs and their shape. So the rejected that idea for now.

You asked: "What does it look like from underneath?"

Well in the above shot of the bench seat test next to the mill, you can see two of the three leafs next to the logs, bottom side up.

What I did was get a big diameter log and cut two opposite faces to 14" wide, 7" each side of the hearth/pith. Then cut one other face flush to take off the slab and maybe one board, to get a flat bottom. The customer asked for a flat bottom to make it easier for him to run his skil saw over the bottom to create a groove across the piece for inserting the cleat for lagging it all together.

I got two leafs and all the bench seat tops from one log, and the middle leaf piece from another log. We're going to use the odd piece from the other log as the middle so that the two outer pieces will look some what like book matched pieces.

And yes it will be assembled in place on his 40' long patio in his back yard, by him and his friends.
He said he'd have me over for dinner and I'll post pictures of it when it's done.

I'm not sure if he's going to strip the bark off the stumps now or wait and let it fall off by itself.

I have advised him that it will fall off, sooner or later....

Jim

[shinnlinger]

Very Timely Jim,  I have some slabs sitting around waiting for me to just what you did,  Nice.

[Jim_Rogers]

Well it took two trips with my flat bed trailer that I pull behind my SUV but we got the table and benches with stumps delivered this afternoon....

She showed us the spot where it's going and it looks like it will fit in just right.

Also, she thanked me for setting it up in my yard so that her husband could see how it was suppose to go all together......

We'll see how soon he calls me to ask if I can come over and help him put it together.....

[shinnlinger]

Jim how did you dado the bottom of the table top pieces to fit the 2x4 stringer?  I am thinking radial arm saw w/dado head, but maybe you have some other ideas.

[Jim_Rogers]

The customer is going to do that himself. He told me he owned a sheet metal shop and that someone there was making up a jig for him to use to guide his skil saw across the bottom of the "leafs".

I haven't seen it yet, nor have any dados been cut...yet..

I'll let you know how it comes out when I find out...

[ljmathias]

Nice work, Jim.  I love to see innovation tied to customer desires and needs- after all, they do pay the bills.

Lj

[Brad_bb]

Cool Jim.  Can you throw a couple in your truck and bring to the next conference?  Having it outside, I'd think the weather will take it's toll on the top.  Might have to plane or sand it down every few years to keep it user friendly.  Just get up there with a floor sander and in 20 minutes, you're got a fresh surface!

[Jim_Rogers]

Well, I finally got to go over and see the table all in place.

It's been almost a year since I did this job for them.

I ran into the lady one day last fall at the local UPS store and she said I could come over anytime.

Well here is how it looks now:







And my favorite:



I think it's very solid and the bark hasn't fallen off it yet.

I went over there, as a friend of theirs wants me to make them one.
I haven't called the second lady back yet, but I will shortly and see what size she wants.

Jim Rogers

[laffs]

massive table looks like a good project. nice job

[Tom]

I really like that table.  It's Spartan but solid and I'll bet it's the pride of any youth that ever sits at it.  Stuff like that is ageless.

You might recommend a coat of Johnson's Paste Wax every now and again.  It will help to seal the wood against a deep soaking, even if it's only on the top surfaces.  It will make the benches easier to keep clean too. 

[Brad_bb]

That is sweet Jim!  I was actually wondering lately how timber framers would build a picnic table.  I bet the bark won't fall off as long as it doesn't get wet.  One of my spruce trees in the barn still has some of the bark and it's on there tight now that it's dry.  I think is the repeated expansion and contraction from wet to dry that detaches bark naturally. 

Oh What type of wood is that table?

[Jim_Rogers]

Oh What type of wood is that table?

Eastern White Pine....

[Tullivor]

Very very cool table Jim.  You are inspiring, I can just imagine all the ideas running through peoples minds after seeing the pics.
I just picked up my sawmill last week and have already built one of the lumber drying skids you had plans of on you lumber storage story, and I also built a set of saw horses going somewhat by Schroeder and Sobon's plan.  My mother was pretty impressed and asked if I could make her a picnic table for their deck, I think I know where my plan will originate from!