I found a place about an hour and a half from my house where they sell this type of lumber. I was so pleasantly surprised with what they had on their inventory. I had a great feeling that I would find the perfect piece of wood for my table.
AMAZING CAMPHOR COFFEE TABLE
10 Materials
$350
1 Day
Easy
I felt in love with tables made from raw tree trunks the first time I laid eyes on one. And since it was love at first sight, I started searching on the web for a place to buy one. I was soon heartbroken when I found out the prices, between $3500 and upwards of $7000!!
So, I said to myself “I guess it is time for another DIY” and build my own table.
This is where we found the perfect wood for our table.
Then it was time to decide what kind of legs we were going to use. We struggled with this for a while. We could not find anything online which wasn’t hairpin legs or any other “cookie cutter” type legs. One day while shopping at a Bed Bath and Beyond, we saw this toilette brush and stainless-steel canister and thought, that is the look I WANT! We purchased three of them ($20 each). We loved the contrast of the stainless and raw wood so we thought they would pair perfectly.
We cut them, drilled a hole in the center, then used 3/8” hanger bolts to attach them to the table.
The next step was to sand the wood. The wood was cut with a heavy duty saw, so it was pretty rough. We used 60 grain sandpaper first, then 120, and finally, 400. I wanted it to be quite smooth. Wow, the smell coming out of this camphor wood is incredible. Once sanded, we applied two coats of varnish allowing for it to dry between coats. We wanted to protect the wood and also, to accentuate the beautiful wood grain. You will notice that it darkened quite a lot when we applied the Rust-Oleum varnish, but once dried, it went back to its original color. I didn’t want shine or color; thus, I picked a clear flat varnish.
The natural fiber and holes, and the jagged edges, are what give this coffee table its character and personality. That’s why I fell in love with this particular piece.
Well, this is the final result. I have to say that we were totally satisfied with the results and to be able to say “we built it” every time someone asks where we “bought” it.
For more pictures click HERE
So, what do you think? Did you like it?Comments/suggestions welcomed.
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Robyn Garneron Jun 6, 2020Great creativity! I constructed an art piece that was similar to a coffee table and actually used trash cans from the dollar store as the legs. It won an award lol! 😎
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Nan W.on Jun 17, 2020VERY clever and looks terrific!!!
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Did you do anything to the sides of the wood to protect it from shedding bits and pieces? It's gorgeous; thanks for sharing!
I love your table, but it only has 3 legs instead of four?
Actually, 3 points (legs) are the most stable way of making something sit flat. This doesn't necessarily ensure that the top is level but 3 legs won't ever wobble or fall over. This goes back to geometry - 3 points defines a plane (flat surface).
From the Univ. of Houston:
"It's exactly the right number to define a flat surface or plane. It's impossible for a three legged table to wobble. Tables with four legs can, and often do. If the four legs are uneven, or if the floor's not flat, the table will wobble — resting first on one set of three legs, then tipping to another."
Ideas please on possible sources for wood slices like yours?