Without a doubt, our Tree to Table project was a much bigger job than originally anticipated, but the whole process was an absolute blast. What made it even more satisfying was being able to work on it at different stages with several of my boys. This wasn’t simply just “one of dad’s projects.” It was the completion of a family table big enough to fit our larger-than-life family and a gathering place for making memories for years to come.
The idea for our farmhouse table started coming together several years ago. Amanda mentioned to me that she would like us to build a table that we could all gather around comfortably. With little experience in furniture making and even less confidence that I could put together a quality table, I nonchalantly blurted out, “I can build one.” That’s not the first time I’ve spoke without really thinking, but it may be one of the first times it turned out well.
Unexpected Supplies
Nearly all of the wood for the project was given to us by my cousin, Shane. After hearing about the table project, he told me he had a couple of red oak boards for the project. Thinking the word “couple” means two, I stopped by a few days later. To my surprise, Shane was referring to an entire red oak tree that had been rough cut and stored in one of his barns for several years. Apparently, one of his neighbors had asked to store the wood in his barn and later said he didn’t want it. Shane just wanted it gone. He is the type of guy that would give you the shirt off his back if he knew you could use it. It’s good to have friends like that in your life. It’s also good to see how the Lord provides for things in unexpected ways.
Our four oldest boys were a huge help during the milling process. My two middle sons helped set the saw guides for cutting the rough-cut boards into the appropriate dimensions. The two oldest boys focused on running all of the wood through our old planer and getting everything to a uniform thickness. This was, by far, the dirtiest part of the project. By the time the milling process was over, we were covered from head to toe in sawdust. It was great.
Time to Build
The building process started by putting together the table’s base. We used 4×6 beams we had picked up from a local saw mill for the legs and some of the 1×4’s and 2×4’s we milled for the table’s frame. In keeping with the simple, rustic theme, only simple joints and the occasional wooden dowel peg were used. Thankfully, my wife reminded me to add 12-inch extensions to each end of the table base. She had told me that she wanted to have plenty of space on the end of the table, and somehow, I had forgot. In the end, we built the table base big enough to support a top that is 51 inches wide and 120 inches in length. I know, the table is huge, but hey, we’re a family of ten.
After the base was complete, it was time to get to work on building the tabletop. As you can imagine, putting together a ten foot long tabletop comes with its set of challenges. Having a house full of strong young men came in very handy. Oak isn’t light by any stretch of the imagination, and navigating the long planks into the right position took a few extra hands. They were also a huge help in getting all of the clamps set (and there were a lot) during the gluing process. It was also during this process, that my wife suggested that I leave some live edges along the perimeter of the table, and I’m so glad she did. It really adds a unique, one-of-a-kind look to our table and I love it.
Finishing Touches
The table was given a rustic, distressed finish by first staining it with one coat of a dark gothic walnut wood stain. Once dry, the table was sanded down, allowing the dark stain to remain in the some of the grooves and chatter marks left from the planer. Holes were also filled with epoxy resin that was tinted with charcoal powder to add to the distressed look. Finally, the table was given several coats of tung oil to bring out the natural tones of the wood. The finished product was a rustic farmhouse table that looks much older than what it actually is.
In the end, our Tree to Table project was a success. We finally have a table we’ve needed (and my wife has been patiently waiting for) for quite some time. Lord willing, there will be many great meals shared and lots of wonderful memories made sitting around the table for years to come.
From start to finish, this project was so much fun. It helped me and the boys tap into a creative outlet in a way that we really haven’t explored. It was also good to see some of our kids get the woodworking bug, and I look forward to seeing what they create in the future. A special thanks as well to many of my woodworking friends who were willing to share their tips, tricks and experience with me throughout the building process. Their help made the entire process go so much smoother.
Stay tuned for future building posts. Happy Building!
Check out some more posts below!
2 thoughts on “From Tree To Table”