The Forestry Forum

A week ago Sunday I milled three cedar logs so I could build my mother a raised planter bed for her strawberries. She is 83 years old and still works a pretty decent sized vegetable garden and several flower beds for her age. She loves to do it but it's getting harder and harder for her to keep it all weed free and looking top notch like she has always kept it.
Because I know how much she enjoys it I offered to build her a raised planter bed so she could start a new strawberry patch this fall.
Long story short I milled way more ERC than I needed for her new 4' x 12' x 22" tall planter. Sooooo I ended up hauling the rest of the lumber home and built these two picnic tables this last weekend out of the leftover material. I put the last of the finishing coats on them just tonight.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/43417/IMG_0326.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1502761749)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/43417/IMG_0328.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1502761867)

I left all of the wood rough sawn because I think it adds a lot of character to the final product and gives it a real rustic look under the finish coat. As you can see one table was made out of a good quality mostly red heartwood log. It has 3 coats of gloss spar varnish on it with medium to fine sanding between each coat.
The other table top was from a much lower grade pasture tree with a lot of marbeling of the red heartwood and white sapwood throughout the log. It has 6 coats of satin finish wipe on polyurethane with medium to fine sanding between each coat.
When I started this build I had no intent to apply finish to these tables but I just couldn't help myself. Kinda glad I decided to go ahead and spend the extra time to finish them.
What do you guys think?
Sorry I completely forgot to take any photos of the finished raised planter bed.

I really like the look of that rough sawn table.  Im going to have to try that on one of my next projects.

Good on you for doing for Mom.   Those are a nice side benefit.  Looking great!

I like em. Not sure how to get one sent my way. I think the guy in the brown truck could squeeze one in a truck.   I like the rustic finish

Thanks

Buck