Really nice, Mike! Love the looks of that spalted maple, although it can be a bear to work with. Were there any "spongy" areas you needed to epoxy or how did you finish it?
Ps....do you have a chainsaw mill or a buddy with one...or how did you make those big slabs?
My buddy has a chainsaw mill and cuts the slabs. You have to use a ripping chain.
After much trial and error, my finishes are always the same:
1. Sand to 220 grit.
2. Two coats of the most expensive Tung Oil I can find.
3. Sand lightly.
4. Finish with three coat of the best polyurethane I can find. Sand between each application. I like a high gloss finish and my wife likes the softer satin finish.
5. The key is to pay $5 more for pure tung oil, which I order on line.
One last thing: to keep the "live edge" on the slab (like the walnut bench) for some reason the tree must be felled in the dead of winter for the bark to stay on.
Those are some neat finished projects, Mike. Thanks for letting us see them.
Years ago I stayed in a resort on Lake Of The Woods that had cut down a dozen or so big pine trees around 18" in diameter. They cut the trunks about 40" above the ground, then at around 15 -16" of the ground they cut horizontal, sloping slightly down toward the back about 2/3 of the way across. At that point they cut vertically at a slight angle back from the top down to the horizontal cut. End result being rooted natural chairs with sloped seats and backs on the ridge overlooking the lake. Neat looking! I never got back to see how long they lasted before the roots rotted away and they tipped over, though, but they were cool!
Here are a few updated photos of the 11'x4' sugar maple dining room table. After orbital sanding with 220 grit I applied one coat of high quality pure Tung oil (9 more to go). The small hole in the third picture is from a 50+ year sugar tap.
Nice work Mike. I used tung oil early in my doings and after 50years some pieces still retain a nice color and luster. Found that Johnson's paste wax is a good finish as well and seals nicely. I use lemon oil to freshen up pieces from time to time.
Those are some neat finished projects, Mike. Thanks for letting us see them.
