Keep these beginner tips in mind so your project gets off to the right start. Use them as barn doors, countertops, or coffee tables. You can create some truly stunning pieces with live edge slabs. Otherwise, you’ll mark up all your hard work! Use a vacuum to remove any remaining sawdust.Įven though you might be excited to put your new slab to use, be sure to wait several days for the finish to cure. It gives the live edge slab a natural matte finish.īefore applying any finish, make sure the wood is clean.

Try one of these coatings to emphasize the natural grain of the wood. This gives the wood a simple, clean coating that enhances its resistance to scratches and water damage. A mix of shellac and lacquer gives your table a glossy finish, which looks stunning for a centerpiece table. A finish plays an important role in preserving your live edge slab. You’ll need to consider what you plan to use the wood for to determine how much to sand it.Īfter all the work you’ve put in, you want to make sure that your project lasts for years to come. Raised edges and uneven grooves are part of what makes live edge slabs so unique. Start with coarse sandpaper to remove more material, and finish off with an extra-fine one.īut if you want to maintain the original character of the wood, you might hardly want to sand it at all. In these cases, you’ll need to sand the surface until it’s smooth and flat. It might be difficult to write on a desk that has a groovy surface. Think about a dining room table-if the surface is uneven, you’ll be knocking over glasses and plates when you sit down for a meal. Follow it up by sanding the edges for a smooth finish.ĭepending on how you plan to use the live edge slab, you might need a completely flat surface. If you decide to remove it, we suggest using a rounded chisel and gently peeling it off. Maintaining and cleaning the bark can be tricky. The edges of a table, which are bumped frequently, may be best without the bark. However, if you leave the bark on, it may flake off over time. Some prefer the smooth edges that result when you remove the bark, while others prefer the natural look and keep it on.

You can use a smoothing tool to level the epoxy so it’s aligned with the surface of the wood. Then, slowly pour your mixed EcoPoxy into the opening.Īllow up to 72 hours for the EcoPoxy to dry completely. Start by taping one side of the void to seal it shut (if you’d like, you can tape the edges of the void, too). Wondering how to apply EcoPoxy ? This material is available in clear, metallic, or colored resins it is low odor and long-lasting. When you’re filling voids, you have the choice between blending them with the rest of the slab or emphasizing them with a different color. We recommend sticking with kiln-dried slabs for indoor pieces of furniture. If you want to make less work for yourself, you can purchase a slab that’s pre-dried and pre-cut. No two pieces are exactly the same take a closer look, and you’ll notice variations with the grain patterns, knots, burls, and corners of each piece of wood. Qualities that had originally been seen as flaws are part of what makes a live edge slab so alluring, from its curvy edges to its unfinished surface. Instead of perfectly right angles, they retain the original grooves and edges of the tree they came from. When you compare a live edge slab to a traditional piece of wood, the first thing you’ll notice is that the edges aren’t finished. If you’re starting a project with live edge slabs for the first time, take note of these tips for beginners: From coffee tables to floating shelves, there are all sorts of ways to utilize live edge slabs in your home decor.Īs beautiful as this wood is, it poses unique challenges when you’re working with it. You see these pieces of wood everywhere these days. In the world of woodworking, it seems that everyone has fallen head over heels for live edge slabs. Thank you to our friends at KJP Select Hardwoods for providing this article. Beginner Tips For Working With Live Edge Slabs

Live edge wood side table