coffee table

[Lady Christina de Pond]

O.k. so we had this big ol tree cut yesterday because it was dead and it could have hit the truck so they had it cut. well there is this one peace of wood they left that my Mom fancies for a coffee table. I wonder how hard it would be to chip off the bark and varnish it and maybe put wheels on the underside  for it looks like it's gonna be a very heavy peace. if i can work on it in the evenings it might make a good christmas present but i have no clue how to start i know i need to get it off the ground and out of the woods first. alright yall any suggestions are welcome

[Auryn]

Ohhh I love those kinds of tables.
whats the diameter of the piece she likes??

How hard it will be to work depends on what kind of tree it is and if its rotted or not.
I don't know very much about wood working though I've wanted to do something similar for ages.

Got a picture ?? 

[Taffy Saltwater]

Newspaper article about an "Ike" table:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/6211394.html

Good luck w/your project!

[Lady Christina de Pond]

I haven't take a picture of it yet or measured it i just know Mom said ohh it would make a pretty coffee table and it doesn't look rotted or not

[Deckard And Zhora]

They do turn out really pretty! I remember helping my uncle with a project like this as a child. The piece of wood he had had a great big crack down one part of it. He let us place turquoise rocks down the crack. I remember that he finished/varnished it some way because the surface was kind of shiny. I was too young to really remember how he did it though, sorry!

[Lady Christina de Pond]

well i drug Dad into it an made him come look at it and asked if he thought of it. he's gonna noodle the idea for a few days then get back to me he's probley going to help me with it too. If it's not too much to take on.

[jcbanner]

if it was just jut down recently, I would let it sit for a while before working with it too much, being green, and larger diameter, if you start cutting it, it will dry out and get horrible large cracks in it.  for now, you might be best sealing the cut ends with wax and letting it sit for a while.

slowing down the drying will help prevent cracking. 

sealing with wax is easy enough, melt the wax in a double boiler, and paint it on with a disposable paint brush. 

[Lady Christina de Pond]

well I left it alone for a week or two and i noticed the center the other day looks like it is rotting away so I don't think is going to be such a good idea

[Pinn]

I think that would make it even more interesting, having the center gone.