I have always loved the look of live edge furniture, especially when it is juxtaposed with the clean lines of a modern style. Here I found a slab at a company called Mississippi Wood Trader (http://mswoodtrader.tumblr.com/) which reclaims wood from sources throughout the southeast. The hickory that I selected was milled from a tree that fell during the tornado that ravaged through the nearby Cabbagetown neighborhood in the Winter of 2008: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/15/cabbagetown.sidebar/index.html?eref=rss_latest
I remember the storm well. The same tornado touched down in downtown Atlanta and left buildings damaged that took years to restore. Also, I have a lot of close friends in Cabbagetown and have always loved the historic district and it meant a lot to me that this piece that I selected had a story, and was going to be put to good use.
Nature did the work of making the wood beautiful. Here is how I finished and hung the piece:
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- First I measured the slab and found the best section.
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- The slab was around 2.5 inches thick – about the maximum that my circular saw could get through.
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- There was some discoloration from the effect of the light on the place where the wood was stored for the last few years. I cut this section off.
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- I set up outside on a lovely Spring Atlanta day
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- And used this crimped wire grinder to clean up and smooth out the edges
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- Next came sanding. I went from 80 to 120 to 220 grit. I sanded until my arms hurt and my fingers were dry. But I still left a few nicks and crevasses which only add to the personality.
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- I used tung oil, rubbing a single layer in front and back, and wiping off the excess with a suede rag. In this picture, a single layer of oil is applied on the bottom part of the wood.
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- Nature left an amazing topographical pattern in the surface.
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- After four applications of tung oil and a lot of drying time, it was ready to hang. I used a french cleat on the back and a stud finder to ensure I was screwing into the frame of the house.
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- Next I need to get a bigger bed!
diyatlantamodern 