Where To Buy Live Edge Slabs For Woodworking Projects
I'm a huge fan of working with live edge slabs for coffee table and dining table woodworking, but where can you buy these?
27/11/2020
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I have seen lots of projects that use live edge timber slabs, particularly when used in conjunction with epoxy resin to create a flowing 'river' coffee or dining table. The only problem with a table with a live edge is where to find such a thing. Until recently, it was almost impossible to find live edge slabs of timber unless you were willing to pay a fortune for one, but now there is a local supplier that offers live edge timber slabs for woodworking projects at a fairly reasonable cost. But before I continue, I'm sure that many of you are wondering... what is a live edge slab?
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USING A LIVE EDGE SLAB OF WOOD FOR A DINING TABLE GIVES A MORE ORGANIC FEEL TO WOOD FURNITURE.
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LIVE EDGE TIMBER SLAB
If you have sat and admired some of the woodworking projects out there that are combined with epoxy resin to create flowing rivers and streams through the centre of a table, these guys make some of these tables using what is known as a live edge slab. What this means is that one edge of the table has not been trimmed to remove any inconsistencies whatsoever and offers what the tree provides - a live edge.
In most cases, the wood you buy at a timber merchant has been trimmed or planed, with the live edge completely removed. But if you want to work with a live edge slab you can now buy this from Leroy Merlin.
While you can buy these online for delivery to areas where there is no store, it is always a far better idea to pop into the store to see the slab for yourself. You want to know what you are getting and how you can work with it.
CHOOSING THE BEST WOOD
When shopping for a live edge slab, keep in mind that most of these are going to be hardwoods, since this is the best option for a live edge slab. That's another reason why you should go into the store to see what's on offer.
You will find a variety of live edge slabs - all of hardwood and all with a very different live edge. You may even decide that you want a live edge that still has the bark attached and it will not come loose later of if treated with an interior/exterior sealer, oil or varnish. Only if you do not apply a treatment do you run the risk of losing the bark edge. Do make sure that any live edge with the bark still attached has been kiln dried to remove the sap and avoid any pieces that show signs of mould, as this is an indication that the wood is still wet.
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T FANCY THE IDEA OF WORKING WITH EPOXY RESIN, THERE IS ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY OF USING GLASS FOR A CENTRE PANEL TO HIGHLIGHT THE LIVE EDGE.
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WORKING WITH A LIVE EDGE SLAB
There are plenty of tutorials out there that inform as to various methods for working with a live edge slab, as well as even more that look at using epoxy resin in conjunction with a live edge slab for a coffee table or dining table.
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