How to mill diameter...& is this wood any good?

[Douggg]

I had the tree felling company save me a slice of the trunk of this copper beach, maybe 6 inch thick. (i'll have to measure exactly) I have a couple questions.

1) do you think the wood is a good specimen? or is copper beach not really beautiful wood

2) i was thinking to make a table top out of it. but don't know best way to cut it. i watched one video showing someone routing layer after layer to get it even. seems like it would take forever. also if it is even possible, and can be split in two, if someone wants to do it i'd certainly give them half. thanks

Beech Stump1

• Douggg
• Jan 15, 2020

 

[buzz sawyer]

I flattened a big piece of Koa using a power planer, belt sander and a long straightedge. After I got one side flat, I flipped it over and using the bottom edge as a guide, flattened the bottom. You will almost certainly get considerable cracking on that piece but it may not show up for a year or so - but that's not a bad thing. I can't see how much surface variation you have, might be better to start with a chainsaw. I don't think you want to split it - at least until it's real dry so you can see for sure how variation there is in the surface. I would paint the surfaces to slow drying. You could also start applying PEG - polyethylene glycol. That will help stabilize the wood.

 

[kimosawboy]

Router sled, then PEG the crap out of it + patients. The sled will take an hour each side, sanding 1 hour each side, PEG 20 days or so...
But still no guarantee of checking.

 

[csmillingnoob]

I thought you basically have to soak wood in PEG for it to work. Gonna take a lot for that cookie.

Kid's inflatable swimming pool?

 

[buzz sawyer]

I thought you basically have to soak wood in PEG for it to work. Gonna take a lot for that cookie.

Kid's inflatable swimming pool?

That's how I did it. I used a heating coil as well. Yes, will take a lot.

 

[Douggg]

since the piece is super heavy, can i keep it on the ground, then create some frame for the router sled, and make angle/slope for the sled the same angle that the piece is tilted on the ground. do you think that is possible?

for the PEG, how would i apply? thinly with paintbrush, or as thick as possible, how many applications, etc. so the steps are cut the wood first, then PEG it?

right now, the piece is not evenly thick. it is like 8-9 inches thick on one side, and maybe 5-6 on thinnest. but again i have to measure it. shall i draw a line and try to make the thickness more even with a chainsaw?