Juniper Slab Entry Table

[Brandon Payne]

Hi everyone, I wanted to thank you all for inviting me to the meeting and being so welcoming. I'm really looking forward to future meetings. I'm reaching out this morning for some advice.

Yesterday, I picked up this 2.25"x18"x114" slab of Juniper (thank you Chuck for the guidance on picking out a slab!). Per the seller, it has been dried to about 13% moisture content but I haven't verified this. This was bought with the goal of creating an entry table. Here's my initial plan that I would love to hear your feedback on:

1) Run through a planer as there is currently a bow in the wood
2) Cut to the correct length with a miter saw (approx 7 ft)
3) use a circular saw to cut one edge straight and keep one live edge
4) fill in cracks and knots with either clear or black epoxy
5) sand smooth progressing from 80 -> 220 grit
6) Finish with hardwax oil
7) attach legs

Any input/suggestions on how to do this process correctly is greatly appreciated! You all are the experts and I would love the opportunity to learn from you. Thank you so much for your time.

All the best, 
Brandon

[Ryan Moeggenberg]

I have worked with juniper slabs a few times. Unless it has been kiln dried you have to watch out for grubs underneath the bark. I typically take a flap disc Sander and take all of that off and look for the holes where they might be hiding. 

Secondly, for finish I prefer helmsman's spar urethane. I typically do a minimum of four to five coats with the light sand in between. The finishing top coat should be with a very light coating of spray finish of the same brand. 

I'm actually working on my second set of shelving for a local chiropractor's office. 

If you've got any more questions you can always send me a message. 

Ryan Moeggenberg 

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[phah...@icloud.com]

Hi Brandon,

Nice piece and project! 

I assume you know the proper technique for using a planer sled to remove the warp. Hopefully the wood is not to warped and still thick enough by the end.

Maybe run a 1/8” router down the cut edge to round it off a bit.

For wax oil I prefer Rubio Monocoat with multiple coats or second place Osmo. 

Are you sure you want one straight edge? Are you putting it against the wall?

Are you going to strip off the bark, as it will break off over time?  I would also dig out the two bark pockets and sand off those edges. They would look cool with a colored epoxy accent in my opinion. A mica powder or trans tint dye. 

Depending on the thickness of the end slab it will want to shift (twist) over time. Be sure to stabilize the table slab with a good base to prevent this.

When sanding be very patient. Make sure you have completely resurfaced with each grit of sand paper before moving on to the next grit.

Epoxy is fun but a bit tricky. Be sure to mix it thoroughly for at least 3 minutes for a small amount. If you have a fair amount of experience with it, consider turning it into a river table. (You know, where you cut it up the middle and invert both sides to cut area on the outside and live edge facing inside, put it in a form and then you fill the middle with epoxy.) This is only if you have a lot of experience with epoxy. Also with the epoxy, be sure the crack or hole doesn’t go all the way through to the bottom of the table. If it does use Tyvek tape or something like it to keep the epoxy from running through.

Good luck!

I’ll be camping this weekend, but will be back on Monday if you have any questions. I love working with slabs. If you would like me to come by to discuss, I would be happy to do that.

Paul

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<Juniper.jpeg>

[Ken Fisher]

Hi Brandon,

Just wanted to drop you a note to encourage you to take Paul up on his offer to drop by and discuss your project. You will definitely benefit from having him right there to point out any concerns and to help with the overall process. There is a lot more that goes into a table like this then is typically realized. His past experience and knowledge will shorten your learning curve considerably.

Have fun and be safe,

Ken Fisher

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From: phahn2112 via Central Oregon Woodworkers (COW) <central-oregon-...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2025 8:02:47 AM
To: Brandon Payne <brandon...@gmail.com>
Cc: Central Oregon Woodworkers (COW) <central-oregon-...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Juniper Slab Entry Table

 

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[Brandon Payne]

Hi Paul, thank you so much for the guidance. I'll try to address each of your points. 

I unfortunately don't know the technique for a planer sled. Given that it's such a large piece, I am thinking I will have to cut it to the right width (12") and length (90") before planing. I will likely have to take it to DIY cave or somewhere with an industrial planer to get the job done right. I do want one straight edge because it will be against a sofa and the current width (29" at the widest) is far too big for the space. Right now, the slab is about 2.25" thick, and I anticipate at least a half inch will need to be taken off for getting it flat. 

I don't currently have a router but do plan on buying a compact router and rounding out the corners. 

I have stripped off the bark and will probably buy something like this to finish stripping and before sanding: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/tools/power-tool-accessories/cup-brushes/2329993?store=16387&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20155428902&gbraid=0AAAAADtqLJF6jxemJf09PLkiO4R8eV_Yc&gclid=CjwKCAjwtfvEBhAmEiwA-DsKjsb0RqCrFU3lwcjZgfMLsC_klBHK7GnJ9kKT3CnJw5JLmBWb7U4_zhoCEUEQAvD_BwE

I plan to sand progressing from 80 -> 800 grit before finishing per Mark's advice.

I will absolutely take you up on your offer if you're available to look at the piece sometime next week. I'm in SE Bend. Feel free to give me a text/call at (602) 689-4099. Thank you so much for your advice, Paul. 

[phah...@icloud.com]

Hi Brandon,

I have a track saw and I have a 20” planer we can cut it on. I also live in SE Bend.

If you are going to do more of this stuff, and have a little budget, I recommend you get a track saw. They work great for cutting slabs and other uses. 

I’ll shoot you a text.

Paul

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