How much money can you make building wood slab tables

Unfortunately, it may not have been dried correctly, either. I have always wanted one of these tables, absolutely stunning job! I sanded the wood up to grit and took the epoxy up to grit. Trees get cut into usable smaller pieces in three formats. Furthermore, truly spectacular slabs can cost more than that.

Step 1: Start With Your Wood Slabs.

Slab, live edge, free-form: there are lots of ways to describe a table made with large slices from a tree. This case study will explain what a slab is and where you get them, and give you some idea of what they cost. When we work with clients on live edge projects, we give them the option of choosing their own slab, or they can set a budget and we will recommend choices that will work. This post is intended to give you enough information to do it either way. What is a slab? How is it different from other kinds of solid wood? Trees get cut into usable smaller pieces in three formats.

Cost Impact of a Botched Project?

Can you build a shop if the slab is going to be larger than the wood frame building? WIthout worrying about water coming into the walls? It is pretty rainy in TN. If so, how can this be done? I already have a flat slab where a small house used to sit.

The Total Cost and Fluctuating Variable

Slab, live edge, free-form: there are lots of ways to describe a table made with large slices from a tree.

This case study will explain what a slab is and where you get them, slwb give you some idea of what they cost. When we work with clients on live edge projects, we give them the option of choosing their own slab, or they moneyy set a budget and we will recommend choices that will work. This post is intended to give you enough information to do it either way. What is a slab? How is it different from other kinds of solid wood?

Trees get cut into usable smaller pieces in three formats. This preserves the natural edge of yoj tree and yields several thick slices. Each one of these is a slab:. Slabs are lovely to look at and lovely to touch. An inherent aspect of slabs is that each is unique. After all, trees are individuals. Each one grows differently from its near neighbors and all others of its species. And, even within the set of slabs cut from a single log, there will be wide variation in size and appearance.

Look moneu at the cracks and overall shape and size of these three slabs from one tree:. As you can see, they vary buildign. Take that into account when you look for slabs. The one you fall in love with will not appear. Temper your expectations accordingly. Many of these are fly-by-night operations whose products are of unknown quality. How to choose who to do business with? What will this look like finished?

Who knows? They excel at every item on the list. There are certainly other producers out there who are just as good. If you are considering a different source, use the checklist.

When you start looking at slabs, you may experience severe sticker shock. Contributing from the supply side is the difficulty of production.

Cutting a tree into slabs is the least efficient way to use it. A given tree might produce 4 to 6 slabs, or a couple of hundred board feet of lumber, or several thousand square feet of veneer. Also, solid wood is sold by volume, not area. Thicker pieces have more material. So, the thicker the cut, the more expensive the slab will be. In addition, wood has to be dried before it can be made into furniture.

A mmake rule of thumb is that slabs of wood require a year of drying per inch of thickness. How does all of this work out in real life? Price for the slabs alone, without shipping?

The cost of a table base will be independent of the cost of the top, and the cost gow finishing is mostly driven by the wlod size of the table. Furthermore, truly spectacular slabs can cost more than. There are ways to save money when buying slabs for table tops.

They can be sorted into two groups:. For some reason, everyone is crazy for walnut these days, but there are lots of other choices, costing a lot less per square foot.

Remember, each slab is different, hwo the species is the least important driver of the appearance of the finished product. Wood is priced by volume. If you do want a thicker top, just be aware that the extra bulk is increasing your costs. As a result, accurate photos with dimensions are critical for.

Wildly curved tablws, knots, and cracks add character but also require more fabrication time and may affect the utility of the table. Most of all, get the slab that will mzke for you. This can cause lots of problems when the table is put in buildding. An air-dried slab may also have insects living it, which can cause all kinds of problems. Kiln-drying kills insects. Unfortunately, it may not have been dried correctly. Slabs are a very inefficient way to use a forest and almost always involve old growth.

And, you might qualify for local sourcing LEED points. Many slabs suffer serious distortion during the drying process and end up dished, or warped, or with severe cracks. Therefore, these pieces get heavily discounted. This type of material is not hkw for large tables. As a result, the only way to ensure that a given piece of wood is available when you need it is to buy it right away. Which can be a problem if how much money can you make building wood slab tables are only specifying a table and a budget, and not yet ready to place an order.

One would be made from a single piece of wood while the other would be made from a pair of slabs cut from the same tree. This will allow me to make a wider table, which is useful for maximizing seating. And, after a couple of dan, I ordered my slabs. First, a very nice piece of ash:. My second purchase is a pair of American Elm slabs, seen here muhc wetted to show their coloration:.

And, shipping for both of these was free. A tree cut into veneers. Lots of slices from each log! Logs cut en boule. Each is stacked with slabs in their original nuilding. Goodwin Tabpes table. Happy architect for scale. Three slabs from one tree. Note variation in cracks, knots, and shape.

Medium grade walnut slabs. Very nice Ash slab. American Elm bookmatched pair of slabs. An Introduction. Muxh List.

Client List

Then this is a different story entirely. This case study will explain what a slab is and where you get them, and give you some idea of what they cost. Drum-up some business. Turning Trees to Treasures is what we. An air-dried slab may also have insects living it, which can cause all kinds of problems. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed.