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River Table Build

Started by boonesyard, June 26, 2020, 03:58:02 PM

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boonesyard

I've done some work for a local client that just built a new lake home. Great customer, great people! Finished up a large mantle project for them, but in the mean time, they wanted a large table made from a red oak they took down on their property for the home build. I really get a kick out of taking the project from log, all the way to finished product. This one is a pretty big project for us with some non-standard requests, but I've never been very good at saying no so I took it on.

They wanted an epoxy river table with the traditional blue color. Also, they wanted the exterior to remain live edge so building a full size mold for containment would not work. This would be particularly challenging due to it's size at 50"x 120". The next challenge would be that this table will be in an outdoor environment. It will have a roof over it, but it would be exposed to some sun and moisture so finishing for outdoor environments just adds another twist. Also, they wanted the ability to light up the river but without corded power. No problem  8).

We cut and dried the slabs last fall.


Cut the slabs close to size and flattened.



Flattened slabs laid out on a sheet of HDPE. Bulkheads and caulking were installed. 



Slabs weighted down and epoxy resin poured. The air bubbles all released, looked perfect when we went to bed.



This is what we found the next morning. The spider had come from overhead and landed perfectly in the middle of the epoxy. He was "frozen in time" about 1/2" deep  smiley_cry. 



Re-flattening the table.



Top sanding complete, ready to turn over to mount legs, install lighting and finish.



The biggest time eater on this project has been the epoxy filling of all the holes and cracks and of course the sanding. Will post more pics as we progress.

LT50 wide
Riehl Steel Edger
iDRY Standard kiln
BMS 250/BMT 250
JD 4520 w/FEL
Cat TH255 Telehandler
lots of support equipment and not enough time

"I ain't here for a long time, I'm here for a good time"

WDH

The dark blue is very nice.  Well done.  I sell a lot of wood for river tables but have not tackled one myself.
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

Larry

Looks good.  I have a guy that wants me to make him one as big or bigger.  Lake house with a million dollar view and he wants what he calls a "statement table".  I think that means something to show guests he has lots of money!

How much epoxy went into the void and what kind did you use?

Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

boonesyard

The big void (river) is Ecopoxy deep cast. 6 colors were mixed to get the blue, 36 liters. We've got a ton of work into this table filling all of the small voids and cracks. For that we used West System epoxy and colored it with a dark coffee color for contrast. We've used that system for a number of other projects and really like it. 
LT50 wide
Riehl Steel Edger
iDRY Standard kiln
BMS 250/BMT 250
JD 4520 w/FEL
Cat TH255 Telehandler
lots of support equipment and not enough time

"I ain't here for a long time, I'm here for a good time"

Nebraska

I'm still struggling  with  leaks on my little
pours I have attempted.  How did you get it sealed so well?

Sedgehammer

I think it's really neat and you're doing a great job. I've seen some of these before. While they aren't my style, I'm glad that you  guyz have the skills to do them. Usually they bring good coinage. 
Necessity is the engine of drive

DWyatt

Quote from: Nebraska on June 27, 2020, 08:24:37 AM
I'm still struggling  with  leaks on my little
pours I have attempted.  How did you get it sealed so well?
When I am doing crack repairs, I sand down the cracks on one side of the slab to get a smooth surface for the tape to bond to, and I use frog tape (painter's tape) to tape the sanded cracks. Then pour from the opposite side until everything is filled. Flip the piece over, remove the tape, and pour from the other side until filled. On bigger pours, I think the trick is to use caulk, but I have not had any pours large enough to warrant that practice though.

boonesyard

Quote from: Nebraska on June 27, 2020, 08:24:37 AM
I'm still struggling  with  leaks on my little
pours I have attempted.  How did you get it sealed so well?
Leaks are a BIG deal. I can tell you that from a lot of trial and error (lots of error). The right tape as DWyatt stated for the back side on small cracks and holes is important. For large pours, it works best if you have all straight sides so that you can build a form around the entire project. I use melamine and completely cover it with a Tyvek like tape which allows the mold to release from the epoxy easier. You then caulk all seams of the mold prior to laying the project into it. I've had very good luck with this procedure.
The project above created some different issues in that we could not build a mold around it because the client wanted the live edge on the table. We had to pay close attention to making the pouring table very flat, then we laid a large, single sheet of HDPE poly on the table. The bottom of the project has to be flattened, then we caulked along the river edge and laid the project on the caulking. For assurance, we also caulked along the inside of the river edge with clear caulk for double insurance. We built a taped bulkhead on the ends and caulked them as well. No leaks  8). 
LT50 wide
Riehl Steel Edger
iDRY Standard kiln
BMS 250/BMT 250
JD 4520 w/FEL
Cat TH255 Telehandler
lots of support equipment and not enough time

"I ain't here for a long time, I'm here for a good time"

boonesyard

Fit-up of the legs, rails and battey box. Watco Teak oil was applied, it's had 4 days of drying. Next I'll remove the hardware, spray 3 coats of General Finishes 450 exterior, remount hardware, install lighting and flip it over for top finish. The assembled table weighs in at about 445 lbs.  :o

LT50 wide
Riehl Steel Edger
iDRY Standard kiln
BMS 250/BMT 250
JD 4520 w/FEL
Cat TH255 Telehandler
lots of support equipment and not enough time

"I ain't here for a long time, I'm here for a good time"

Walnut Beast

Quote from: boonesyard on July 01, 2020, 11:33:22 AM
Fit-up of the legs, rails and battey box. Watco Teak oil was applied, it's had 4 days of drying. Next I'll remove the hardware, spray 3 coats of General Finishes 450 exterior, remount hardware, install lighting and flip it over for top finish. The assembled table weighs in at about 445 lbs.  :o.


Looks pretty nice👍. Are the legs attached just by sitting in the  routerd out area and then the square tubing anchored over the top? I see the battery box. What kind of lighting are you using and how are you mounting it. Thanks. Great job so far 👍

boonesyard

The legs are mounted with 8 inserts and flat head screws. The lights are LED strips mounted to the inside of the rails on both sides.
LT50 wide
Riehl Steel Edger
iDRY Standard kiln
BMS 250/BMT 250
JD 4520 w/FEL
Cat TH255 Telehandler
lots of support equipment and not enough time

"I ain't here for a long time, I'm here for a good time"

Brad_bb

So, the obvious question, did the spider remain?  Or did he get machined out?  I can't believe no one asked that question.
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

btulloh

Thanks for raising that question Brad.  I've been wondering.

The spider inspired me and I had a GREAT (??) idea:  Embed a few little fish of appropriate species in every river table pour.  Any insects that happen to get embedded overnight are a bonus instead of a problem.  If no insects fall in, oh well - the fish still belong there.   ;D
HM126

alan gage

I saw someone advertising one the other day with embedded jigheads.

I'd be a little worried with what might happen to the fish over time. Will they dessicate/wrinkle/shrivel at all once encapsulated?

Alan
Timberking B-16, a few chainsaws from small to large, and a Bobcat 873 Skidloader.

btulloh

Quote from: alan gage on July 03, 2020, 04:20:25 PM
I saw someone advertising one the other day with embedded jigheads.

I'd be a little worried with what might happen to the fish over time. Will they dessicate/wrinkle/shrivel at all once encapsulated?

Alan
I think they need to be from the plastic department  to maintain their appearance. 
HM126

WDH

I have found that the plastic one don't bite very well and are very hard to catch :).
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

Brad_bb

I have embedded the cicada exoskeletons that they leave on the tree trunk when they molt, and an actual adult cicada that was dried out.  I pre-filled the exoskeletons to reduce chance of air bubbles.  I positioned them in a little scene in a void and used clear epoxy.  I put that slab back in the barn.  Not sure where it is but I'll find it one of these days when I go to move my wood.  I save different things to try putting in epoxy - wasp nest, a dragon fly, a very large horned beetle, robin egg shells, walnut half shells and acorns....  I like filling a void in a brace with the nuts to look like a squirrel cashe.
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

petefrom bearswamp

Very nice table .
A crass question and doesn't need to be answered if you don't desire to.
How many hours in the build so far and gulp, how much will it cost.
The reason I ask is I made 2 very nice live edge Cherry benches 3 years ago using leg rite legs.
One bark on the other off.
Many hours in them and i couldnt get even a nibble at $500 each.
One now resides in my granddaughter's house and the other is a gift to my daughter and new (as of the 25th of this month) husband
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

Bill Gaiche

Do U build your own legs? bg

boonesyard

Quote from: Brad_bb on July 03, 2020, 09:40:09 AM
So, the obvious question, did the spider remain?  Or did he get machined out?  I can't believe no one asked that question.
Brad,
The spider did not remain, it was machined out. I have gotten this question many times, and more people say they would have left it. It has been an interesting project.
LT50 wide
Riehl Steel Edger
iDRY Standard kiln
BMS 250/BMT 250
JD 4520 w/FEL
Cat TH255 Telehandler
lots of support equipment and not enough time

"I ain't here for a long time, I'm here for a good time"

boonesyard

Quote from: petefrom bearswamp on July 04, 2020, 04:33:46 PM
Very nice table .
A crass question and doesn't need to be answered if you don't desire to.
How many hours in the build so far and gulp, how much will it cost.
The reason I ask is I made 2 very nice live edge Cherry benches 3 years ago using leg rite legs.
One bark on the other off.
Many hours in them and i couldnt get even a nibble at $500 each.
One now resides in my granddaughter's house and the other is a gift to my daughter and new (as of the 25th of this month) husband
We're approaching 200 hrs on the project and our material cost is just south of $2,000. This does not include the slabs because they were the customer's.  
LT50 wide
Riehl Steel Edger
iDRY Standard kiln
BMS 250/BMT 250
JD 4520 w/FEL
Cat TH255 Telehandler
lots of support equipment and not enough time

"I ain't here for a long time, I'm here for a good time"

boonesyard

Quote from: Bill Gaiche on July 04, 2020, 10:54:47 PM
Do U build your own legs? bg
A blacksmith in Canada built them, they did a great job.
LT50 wide
Riehl Steel Edger
iDRY Standard kiln
BMS 250/BMT 250
JD 4520 w/FEL
Cat TH255 Telehandler
lots of support equipment and not enough time

"I ain't here for a long time, I'm here for a good time"

alan gage

Quote from: boonesyard on July 07, 2020, 10:01:43 AM

We're approaching 200 hrs on the project and our material cost is just south of $2,000. This does not include the slabs because they were the customer's.  
Thanks for sharing that. It reinforces my belief that I don't want to do one of these. Every time I see one that's really nicely done my mind starts to spin when I think of the time, effort, and skill to take rough sawn slabs and turn them into something like this.
Nice work!
Alan
Timberking B-16, a few chainsaws from small to large, and a Bobcat 873 Skidloader.

firefighter ontheside

I love  the table.  I have some walnut slabs in the drying shed right now that are going to become a river desk for my son.  Gotta get a white oak table done first though.
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

boonesyard

Just thought I'd wrap this up with a few pics of the final product. We finished up the project and delivered the table in an enclosed trailer. The customer had plenty of help to unload and get it in to place. It was a big job with many challenges, but very satisfying. 





Happy customers and it's new home.
LT50 wide
Riehl Steel Edger
iDRY Standard kiln
BMS 250/BMT 250
JD 4520 w/FEL
Cat TH255 Telehandler
lots of support equipment and not enough time

"I ain't here for a long time, I'm here for a good time"

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