another table

Started by tule peak timber, September 15, 2016, 07:46:13 PM

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tule peak timber

The start of another big table; a CA white oak crotch harvested from a freeway bypass in Willits, CA. these 4 sequential  slabs will be bookmatched, end matched into a large dining table. This seems to be the year of large dining room tables. Here's what I am starting with; the four slabs with about 2-1/2" of twist after months in the kiln. My motto: tame that beast!
The finish on this is spec'd high sheen so the joinery needs to be  dead flat. I hope I can pull it off.
This photo was taken from one of my forklifts from about 15' in the air. No drones around here. Cheers Rob


 
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

WDH

Looks like a real challenge. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

thecfarm

Let the building begin!!!
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Jeff

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Just call me the midget doctor.
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Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Den Socling

That's pretty big all right but when we were installing a kiln for Pacific Rim Tonewoods, we met Bob Taylor who owns Taylor Guitar. They were drying a slab for Bob's new dining table. That slab was 34' long. But yours will be more work.

21incher

Can't wait to see how you flatten them. Thanks for sharing. :)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

69bronco


lowpolyjoe

Looking forward to following your progress  :)

Bill Gaiche

May have to park the fork lift on them for a few months. I bet you have a good plan though. bg

tule peak timber

Yes, that is literally what we do with this Cat forklift. I started flattening slabs by this method a year ago in response to market demand. In this pic the Cat is getting new brakes this morning. A little unorthodox but it works every time.  Rob

 
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

Ljohnsaw

John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Den Socling

Here's a picture of Bob's table. A lot less work than Rob's although it did take two fork trucks to lift it. I wonder if they ever got it in his house?


 

That's Bob in the "middle".

tule peak timber

 

 
After the individual slabs get sat on by the big cat, we pin them to a true table and begin filling the cracks one by one with a combination of different viscosity epoxies. This is not a fast operation and takes many days if you do it continuously. Building a single table at a time, you would go broke, so you have to have a continuous production line of tables going all the time. This method of flattening a slab is a lot like a Dr. realigning a bad break in an athlete's bone.

 
A quick view of one of the true tables with continuous in process table tops. There are tableslabs backed up in the kiln, tabletops tilted up against the walls, tabletops stacked up in the interior shop and we recently added 2 more flat working table areas outdoors to keep things moving.

 
After the reasonably flat slabs are set up, they are hand planed by a skilled person or me. At this point, we have removed very minimal material and bring the slabs to where we want them within sanding range. 

  

  

  

 
If the slabs are small enough to fit through a planer or a wide belt sander, they can be positioned on a sled that will give you one flat reference surface on the slab. Again, removing minimal amount of material. These pics are of a quick and dirty sled I built today lofting off of one of my truly flat tables. Notice in the last photo the little bit of overhang on the top piece of MDF. This is where you can shoot screws through to secure the slab. If the slabs are too big to fit through machinery, we go to belt sanding, then a monstrous orbital sander. Rob
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

azmtnman

I am not any type of real finish woodworker......yet.
So I am asking to learn here--would a floor sander work for big slabs like that?
1983 LT 30, 1990 Kubota L3750DT, 2006 Polaris 500 EFI, '03 Dodge D2500 Cummins powered 4X4 long-bed crew cab, 1961 Ford backhoe, Stihl MS250, MS311 and MS661--I cut trees for my boss who was a Jewish carpenter!

tule peak timber

Never tried one, but I don't see why not. Rent before you buy ! Also the floor sander does not give you any reference as it is meant to go on an already  flat floor. Rob
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

plowboyswr

Just an ole farm boy takin one day at a time.
Steve

Magicman

Oh Wow Rob, you are a Table Whisperer Extraordinaire' !!! 
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Ljohnsaw

Rob,
I don't quite get the MDF/foam sled in the last few pictures.  How do you use that in your flattening operation?
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

tule peak timber

I will take pics this next week of the sled in action.  Rob
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

thecfarm

Looks like you have done that a few times.  ;)    ;D
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

lowpolyjoe


21incher

Rob it seems like I learn something new from everyone of your posts. Thanks for the education. 8)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

tule peak timber

Talk about education,,,I'd like to have Lynn (Magicman) visit here and teach my milling crew how to cut wood, that's no joke !  Rob  ;)
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

red

Mr Magicman is a Legend . . . and he gets paid by the Mile
Honor the Fallen Thank the Living

WDH

Magicman.  Have Sawmill Will Travel. 

Remember Paladin?  :D   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_Gun_%E2%80%93_Will_Travel

Unlike Paladin, he just Saws Em and Leaves Em. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com