Natural wood slabs can sometimes be found if you have a relationship with small private sawmills.  Natural wood slabs will have “raw edges” that once were the growing bark edge of the tree.  As the word “Slab” suggests, pieces usually exceed 1 inch thick.  Some pieces might be cutoffs where wood of no commercial value is removed before the “real money” sawing starts.  It is not uncommon to find knots, branch burls, rot, mineral staining or defect resulting in holes in natural wood slabs.  These defects may cause splits and cracks to appear in the surface as the wood drys.  Knots and burls are more dense than the surrounding wood.  A surface with dips and humps happen if this denser wood causes the saw blade to deflect during milling.

If you take the time to highlight the grain patterns, color and surface irregularities created by these defects, you get an unique piece of natural beauty.  All you need to do is to spend a little time sanding, use a complimenting clear finish and add some support you get a piece of furniture – usually a table.  I prefer curved support systems over a rectangular support – they just seem more natural.

A throwaway walnut branch burl

Compression grain is highlighted by a polished acrylic lacquer protective coating

Polished slab added to splayed leg support

Or you can use some big slabs and some imagination.  The legs were made from waste blocks of walnut that were cut to an arched pattern and shaped by a rasp.

The wife said if I sell this table I need to get enough to pay for the divorce.