Weldables is about to introduce weldable, heavy duty steel table leg kits – perfect for Live Edge Slabs which are usually very thick – up to 3″ and sometimes weighing thousands of pounds. Air drying live edge slabs is the best method for proper curing to reduce splitting and warpage, AND to retain the beautiful natural color. Kiln drying will wash out the colors, AND its super expensive, even if you can find a commercial kiln that will do it. For air drying lumber, They recommend 1 year per inch, so patience is key!
The live edge slabs have to be planed flat, once the slabs are dry, and suitable for woodworking – in other words, they have stopped moving from the shrinkage cause by water (moisture) loss. The typical way to plane board flat is with a planner. The problem is three fold. 1. A commercial planer is expensive and contracting this out can also be expensive. 2. Many commercial planers are not wide enough for a typical live edge slab. 3. Live Edge Slabs are heavy – so transportation can be an issue.
This is where a do it yourself jig made with a router can be a life saver. Our friends over at www.raumfurniture.com have and excellent How To Plan Live Edge Slabs on their Blogspot site. http://howtoforengineers.blogspot.com/2014/04/flatter-than-pancake.html
