Design Your Own - Choose your Wood 

The live edge wood slab that you choose will usually be the most expensive part of your table unless you want gold-plated legs or a tiny table!

Live edge slabs are in high demand at present and they are often advertised on Facebook and other selling pages. The price may seem attractive compared to wood shops but unless you know the moisture content of the wood then you could be buying a lot of problems when the wood begins to dry out, warp and crack..

Air Dried v Kiln Dried - What's the difference and does it matter?

A freshly sawn board is wet, really wet and is sometimes referred to as 'green' wood. More than 50% of the board's weight can be water and most of it has to evaporate before the board can be used for indoor furniture. The board shrinks as it dries and may warp or twist and develop splits. 

AIR dried wood is good for outdoor furniture like benches and tables. At 20% moisture content the wood can be called seasoned but it is still rather wet internally. Air dried wood will rarely get below 20% in our climate outside. If air dried wood is used indoors then it will shrink and may warp or split badly, deforming your table. 

KILN dried wood is dried to a moisture content of around 10% or less.  It is stable for indoor use, easy to work with and ideal for making furniture or epoxy resin projects.

If you would like to learn more about wood drying and it's importance to your project then please read our technical information here Kiln Dried v Air Dried Wood
​We care about our customers and want to ensure they are happy with their purchase for years to come. All of our 'Design Your Own', live edge furniture slabs are kiln dried to approximately 10% moisture or less before being made into your furniture.

The Wood Shop

​The images below are unfinished boards in varying states of processing on their progress through the workshop. Their unfinished appearance with saw marks and rougher surfaces disguises the true beauty of the underlying grain and character just waiting to be revealed.

Once the board is removed from the kiln it is processed as follows:
  • The surfaces are planed flat on one or both sides and the ends are trimmed to remove chainsaw marks.
  • The area where the legs are to be placed is planed flat.
  • The board is sanded through various grades of sandpaper to remove any planing or handling marks. It's a dusty and time-consuming task but the results are worth it to create a beautiful surface and enhance the wood grain.
  • Sharp edges or bark points are lighted rounded over for safety and to create an attractive profile. 
​
​The price of the board in the DYO section of the shop includes the above processes plus:
  • Recessed steel inserts are placed into the underside of your chosen slab. Stainless steel socket bolts are used to attach the legs - there are no screws to work loose over time and should you need to move the table, the legs can be removed and reattached easily. Choose your legs here DYO Legs
  • Your choice of OSMO protective finish is applied in 2 or more coats all over the board to protect and enhance the wood colour and character. See DYO Finish

DYO Live Edge Wood

DYO - Elm kiln dried board, about 3" thick, 2 of 2

£295.00

L:1230mm Avge W:400mm


Board Details

A thicker board than usual, ideal for making a chunky table or vanity unit top. One of two boards cut from the same log, they could be joined together to make a wider table or desk top. Please email if you would like further details on this option.


The pictures below show the unfinished board in our workshop. Its appearance will be completely transformed after processing to reveal the beautiful grain patterns.


The price shown is for a completely finished board:


  • Planed flat on one or both sides depending on intended use
  • Front face sanded through various grades of sandpaper to achieve a super smooth surface
  • Reverse face / underside coarse sanded
  • Live edges and board ends sanded smooth and corners lightly rounded over
  • Placement of recessed inserts and stainless steel socket bolts for leg attachment
  • Your choice of OSMO protective finish applied, raw, matt, satin or gloss hardwax oil
  • Table assembly



Description


  • Live edge elm board, one of a pair (priced separately)
  • Ideal for a coffee table or bathroom vanity unit top
  • Can be cut lengthways to make chunky live edge shelves
  • Can be joined with DYO-KD-STJ-ELM107-1 to make a wider table



Unfinished Dimensions (mm)


  • Length - 1230
  • Top width - 430
  • Middle width - 400
  • Bottom width - 380
  • Thickness - 72


Planing the board flat may reduce the stated depth of the board by up to 15mm.


Seasoning state

Kiln-dried, 8-10% moisture content. 3 years air-drying prior to kilning.


Tree Location

This board was milled from a tree that fell in St Johns in 2017.
More Info

DYO - Elm kiln dried board, about 3" thick, 1 of 2

£295.00

L:1230mm Avge W:400mm


Board Details

A thicker board than usual, ideal for making a chunky table or vanity unit top. One of two boards cut from the same log, they could be joined together to make a wider table or desk top. Please email if you would like further details on this option.


The pictures show the unfinished board in our workshop. Its appearance will be completely transformed after processing to reveal the beautiful grain patterns.


The price shown is for a completely finished board:


  • Planed flat on one or both sides depending on intended use
  • Front face sanded through various grades of sandpaper to achieve a super smooth surface
  • Reverse face / underside coarse sanded
  • Live edges and board ends sanded smooth and corners lightly rounded over
  • Placement of recessed inserts and stainless steel socket bolts for leg attachment
  • Your choice of OSMO protective finish applied, raw, matt, satin or gloss hardwax oil
  • Table assembly



Description


  • Live edge elm board, one of a pair (priced separately)
  • Ideal for a coffee table or bathroom vanity unit top
  • Can be cut lengthways to make chunky live edge shelves
  • Can be joined with DYO-KD-STJ-ELM107-2 to make a wider table



Unfinished Dimensions (mm)


  • Length - 1230
  • Top width - 430
  • Middle width - 390
  • Bottom width - 380
  • Thickness - 72


Planing the board flat may reduce the stated depth of the board by up to 15mm.


Seasoning state

Kiln-dried, 8-10% moisture content. 3 years air-drying prior to kilning.


Tree Location

This board was milled from a tree that fell in St Johns in 2017.
More Info

Elm board with epoxy resin 'lake' feature

£245.00

L:770mm Avge W:460mm


Board Details

An unusual board with a natural void formed by an old branch. This feature has been filled with clear epoxy resin to make a 'lake' feature. Satin OSMO polyx hard wax oil protects the wood and enhances the grain character and colours.



Description


  • Live edge elm board with interesting voids and grain patterns
  • Perfect for your camper van conversion
  • Ideal for a food serving/canapes board.



Dimensions (mm)


  • Length - 770
  • Top width - 450
  • Middle width - 460
  • Bottom width - 490
  • Thickness - 35



Seasoning state

Kiln-dried, 8-10%. 2 years air-drying prior to kilning.


Tree Location

This board was milled from a tree that fell in West Baldwin, Isle of Man in 2017.
More Info

DYO - Spalted Beech - Kiln Dried (board 4 of 4)

£395.00

L:990mm Avge W:630mm


Board Details

A stunning live edge, spalted beech board with a unique natural canyon or river feature! Lots of natural character features like bark pockets and splits and softer wood removed with hand chisels. This board will need these features filled with epoxy resin to stabilise the wood whilst adding decorative highlights.


The pictures show the board being prepared in our workshop. One coat of hard wax oil has started to reveal the wide colour variations and unique woos grain patterns.


The price shown is for a completely finished board:


  • Planed flat on one or both sides depending on intended use
  • Sanded through various grades of sandpaper to achieve a super smooth surface
  • Live edges and board ends sanded smooth and corners lightly rounded over
  • Placement of recessed inserts and stainless steel socket bolts for leg attachment
  • Your choice of OSMO protective finish applied, matt, satin or gloss hard wax oil
  • Table assembly (note legs are a separate product, not included in the price shown).



Description


  • Wide, deep board with great patterns and colour ranges caused by spalting*
  • Interesting bark pockets or inclusions
  • A good size board for a coffee table or your first epoxy resin project.


*Spalting is the term given to unique colouration and patterns on the wood surface caused by fungi in dead or stressed trees. The black lines are caused by competing fungi species trying to grab their share of the wood! The fungi are killed by the kilning process.



Unfinished Dimensions (mm)



  • Length - 990
  • Top width - 650
  • Middle width - 630
  • Bottom width - 630
  • Thickness - 65mm


Planing the board flat may reduce the stated depth of the board by up to 15mm.


Seasoning state

Kiln-dried, 8-10%. 4 years air-drying prior to kilning.


Tree Location

This board is from a tree that fell in St Johns in 2015. It is the last board of four cut from the same trunk.
More Info

Custom Sizing and Board Edges 

​We are happy to custom cut the board you want to your exact dimensions for example to fit an alcove. The cost will depend on how many cuts you need and the size of the board(s). For example, reducing the length of the board will not cost more than £25.00. If you want your board(s) resized, then you can either:
  1. Email or call us with the board product code (SKU) and your requirements prior to purchase or 
  2. Note your requirements in the comments box before you check out. 
Option 2 will reserve the board for you. We will advise you by email of the additional cost and send you an invoice if you wish to proceed.   
​
​Edge Choices
Most live edge slabs have two long live edges and two shorter ends that are not parallel to each other as they are determined when the tree was felled and logged by a tree surgeon.

Why might this matter?
Board ends: 
You may be planning to place the short end against a wall or in an alcove and don't want a gap where objects may fall. 
Live Edges:
If you want to place your table, bench or desk in a corner against a wall then the long live edge will not sit flush to the wall. We can create a square side by cutting a 90 degree corner on the board and removing one live edge to meet your requirements. 

Please note: The dimensions of your board will reduce from those stated in the shop to accommodate the square ends or sides. The amount of surface lost will vary for each board. 

Not Sure how it will look?
If there is a board you particularly like but are unsure of how parallel ends or a squared side will look, then we will happily send you pictures so you can see the approximate end result. Of course you are also welcome to come to our workshop and have a look at the board, see which side or face you prefer as the top and ask as many questions as you like! 
​
​The following pictures show examples of each board edge option:

Edge Options 

Original Live Edges and Board Ends
​

3-Square sides, 1 Live Edge

Square Ends, 2 Live Edges
​

No Live Edges, a rectangular board 
Edge Options and Custom Sizing costs, terms and conditions
​These options vary in cost depending on the size of the slab you purchase and the amount of work that needs to be done. Careful measurements are taken to minimise the amount of wood 'lost' when cutting to square. Typical costs would be:
Square ends only - £20.00
3 Square sides - £35.00
4 Square sides, a rectangular board - £40.00
Cutting down the length to create 2 boards  e.g. to make an epoxy resin river table - £25.00

​The sawn faces are sanded smooth to remove saw marks and the corners eased to remove sharp edges.  
Once the board has had its edges or ends changed or has been cut to size it becomes customised and is not refundable. We will endeavour to exchange the board for an alternative one depending on available stock.