Planing a big chunk of wood

Was hoping that someone could point me in the right direction.

I have a chunk of an Oak log that I’d like to turn into the top of an end table. I don’t have a lot of wood working experience so I don’t know how to go about getting this wood flat. It was cut off the end of an oak log with a chain saw so it’s not very flat. It’s about 33″ in diameter and about 3-4″ thick. I got the wood a couple weeks after it was cut and I painted the cut surfaces. It checked a little in the center but that adds character too it. Also, how long should i let the wood dry before working it? I’d hate to put a bunch of work into it just to have it split. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jake

I don’t know anyone that personally owns a planer that big. But if you’re relatively close to the metro call Youngblood Lumber in Minneapolis. The sell and mill quality hard woods and might be able to let you know how long to leave it dry or maybe would even kiln dry and mill it for you for a fee. Worth checking out though.

Alot of bigger cabinet shops should have a large belt sander that works the same way a planer works. You feed it in one end and you catch it on the other and send it through multiple times while adjusting desired thickness. Make a few calls and see what they say.

Try getting a power hand planer…We build log homes and use them everyday. It will get it flat enough for you to take a belt or random orbital sander to it to finish it off. Then seal it on both sides with a 2 part epoxy finish. or laminate the bottom side with some sort of cheap countertop laminate. This will keep it from cracking or splitting in two. (Use contact glue on both the log and the laminate, let them dry until they are just barely tacky and slap them together. Roll it down very good with a roller if you have one. The thin laminate can be sanded or filed down around the edges so you should never see it. After that finish the top) Klear Kote is a good brand and very easy finish to use. It can be bought at menards or most hardware stores. Otherwise there are a few places online that sells stuff like that. It can be high gloss or to give it a matte finish, sand it down when it is dry with 800-1000 grit sand paper along with a little water on top. Dry it off and then buff it out with some good car wax. Any questions, let me know.

Troy

Find a sawmill/planing mill, there’s a few planing mills within 45 min. of you. That’s where I would start. Should only take a few minutes and come out as smooth as glass.

BIRDDOG

I’d say call this guy!

Quote:

---

Try getting a power hand planer…We build log homes and use them everyday. It will get it flat enough for you to take a belt or random orbital sander to it to finish it off. Then seal it on both sides with a 2 part epoxy finish. or laminate the bottom side with some sort of cheap countertop laminate. This will keep it from cracking or splitting in two. (Use contact glue on both the log and the laminate, let them dry until they are just barely tacky and slap them together. Roll it down very good with a roller if you have one. The thin laminate can be sanded or filed down around the edges so you should never see it. After that finish the top) Klear Kote is a good brand and very easy finish to use. It can be bought at menards or most hardware stores. Otherwise there are a few places online that sells stuff like that. It can be high gloss or to give it a matte finish, sand it down when it is dry with 800-1000 grit sand paper along with a little water on top. Dry it off and then buff it out with some good car wax. Any questions, let me know.

Troy

---

Give it a few years to dry in a protected space. The rule of thumb for drying wood outside is 1″ per year in natural type conditions. It will dry faster inside or with forced heat & circulation.

Quote:

---

Give it a few years to dry in a protected space. The rule of thumb for drying wood outside is 1″ per year in natural type conditions. It will dry faster inside or with forced heat & circulation.

---

He’s right, however make sure if you are drying it, you have blocks underneath it, and between it and any other wood. The ideal moisture content is about 8%.

Check out this for some good information about drying, and working with wood. I would love to see some pictures of the slab. I love the look of a nice slab of raw wood