Seeking your ideas for: A) Slab desk and B) Small Night Table

[luvmytoolz]

Part of the beauty to me is the thickness of the slab, sets it apart from common commercially made stuff.

A small thing, but for myself I'd probably round off a little more where the curves meet a straight line to remove any angles so it's a little more organic.

Sensational slab, really nice!

 

[mino]

A couple points, mindful these are my views, not necessarily the right or suitable ones for your scenario:

- the slab shape "screams" for use as a partial-live-edge corner worktable (computer use, writing, etc.), see cut lines I would go for
- a work table needs to be ideally about 6', so as wide as feasible
- routing-in (any) electronic gadgets is sacrilege
- the branches split on the left says "natural cables path" to me
- routing in shallow channels for cables guiding from the cables path to the legs is a good idea
- the thickness is a (huge) advantage, the strength and weight-induced stability it provides allows for a minimalist leg arrangement
- calls for a "free-standing" design, a couple corner legs and a small matching drawer unit (see last image)

[attachimg=1]

DISCLAIMER:
Reading on own risk. Use of suitable PPE is recommended - e.g. blind folds or welder masks. The author is not liable for any potential brain damage or other harm to the reader. All opinions are my own.

 

[smorgasbord]

Part of the beauty to me is the thickness of the slab, sets it apart from common commercially made stuff.

I'm concerned about weight. Already thinking I need it separable from the base for moving purposes. My Nakashima furniture is all 4/4 tops, just a bed headboard is thicker, but that's vertical.

With the top separable and not using metal legs, I need to figure out some kind of mechanism for assembling in the room. I could use the DF700 connectors I suppose, especially since the top is so thick. Otherwise, threaded inserts in the bottom of the top, bolted up through the base's horizontal support beams. Still need to design the base, but was thinking copying Nakashima's Minguren desk style with a slab at one side, not all the way at the end though (see pix below).

BTW, I ordered both slabs I posted above, and surprisingly the one I chose to use is the one I almost didn't buy. True, the slabs are now sanded flat so they look different, but it's interesting that even with decent photos in real life I chose differently than from the pictures.

A couple points...

Thanks much for taking the time to do this!

Going 6' would be nice, but the space we have really needs something closer to 5'. I've got a 6' desk in there now and it's too big. Where it's going isn't a corner, but has a wall at the left. So having the straight side as we've both drawn at the left works well, and as you point out, the natural split creates a place for the one power cable I have to come up. I think I'm going to leave the free edge on both front and back since the desk sticks out like a peninsula.
Yeah, I'm probably not going to put any chargers or outlets in it, but I am tempted to put a wireless charger underneath at one of the big knots to act as the "locator."
With the wall at the left and the top biggest at the left, the drawer(s) will be at the left. I'm hoping to keep the right end as open as possible, maybe even a partially cantilevered thing. And maybe not the typical drawer stack that supports the desk. But, maybe that way. Or just a drawer or two suspended from the desk and open under.

Borrowing my neighbor's track saw (a Makita) to make the initial cuts. Slept on the marks last night, but still not sure enough to commit.

 

[Packard]

I like the visual contrast between the organic shape of your slab and a minimalist steel base.

Lots of other ideas shown here:
https://www.google.com/search?clien...9bf1&sxsrf=AHTn8zqgOERHbyCxEojRIoo6AsmMvSvRfA:1738703220433&q=steel+bases+for+live+edge+tops&udm=2&fbs=ABzOT_CWdhQLP1FcmU5B0fn3xuWp5u5rQsC2YJafWTbyNSy6G3Vsi155b_IyTtSTnvQaXi85Y5LM_vI42u6_7Cc762vA1lHUymxYc02kDCNStzuIT8kWOjbDzRAm1lTLeeE43H18yZT_p6-vZpsK5K5e6QFkblH0ykrVKVlKseB4OHa3aSk_bTkzvDhrSi2s0Jd7ofNu1ZBqSEW2tx-pm_60iO7MjB3QfA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiwncue9qqLAxWwhIkEHUHqE2oQtKgLegQIChAB&biw=1203&bih=687&dpr=2

 

[smorgasbord]

I like the visual contrast between the organic shape of your slab and a minimalist steel base.

Yeah I get that, almost all of those are for dining tables, not desks, where you want the center free for your legs.

Called wife into the shop and showed her both slabs. At first, she liked the one we originally chose because it had more character, but with 3 "holes" instead of 1, and more cracks to butterfly, but for me the killer was that the crotch had more knots instead of curl. I was thinking the difference was in person vs photos, but now I think the difference is after sanding to 150 grit on their big wide drum sander.

My current plan is to use the other slab for the base components, so having a slab side works, and then cut some of the other members out, as far as I can from the remainder - and the drawer fronts. I'll need to get some 8/4 cherry as well I think.

Are there different species types within "cherry?" The cherry lumber and plywood I've purchased here in California isn't nearly as pink/red as these slabs from Indiana.

 

[smorgasbord]

First stab at a base design.
[attachimg=1]

The slab leg (47mm thick) has grain vertical, so will expand just like the top. I was thinking of using DF700 connectors to hold the top to it. Probably just a couple bolts up into inserts in the top at the right end for that block held up by the angled leg. The bridle joints should hold fine for shipping without the top attached.

And then hang a single drawer, maybe two left of center, inside the slab leg.

 

[smorgasbord]

So, fits and starts on the desk, but am pondering what to do about this knot:
[attachimg=1]

After clearing out the loose embedded bark, it's basically undercut and weak:
[attachimg=2]

The top is flat and sanded to 150 :
[attachimg=3]

I really did not want to use epoxy on this table, but I think my only other option at this point would be to break off the pennisula piece. I wouldn't mind having a hole there (Nakashima tops have that), but I'm not confident I could break it off and treat the broken edge so that it looked good/natural.

Any other ideas?

This is cherry, fwiw. No other spots need epoxy. I'd probably use clear epoxy, not black/dark since it might be cool to be able to see what's going on under there.

Thoughts/suggestions welcome. BTW, ignore the masking tape - that just indicates where the bottom stretcher will be.

 

[waho6o9]

I like boring out the knot and gluing in a dowel with contrasting or complimenting grain.
All the best in your decision. 

 

[luvmytoolz]

Inlay a giant thick butterfly?

 

[rvieceli]

Rout out a rectangle over the knot and inlay another piece of walnut in its place.

this thread will give an idea of what i mean.
https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/member-projects/walnut-lamp-project/msg661283/#msg661283

Ron

 

[Packard]

I do wonder if slab-based furniture, ten or twenty years from now, will be viewed like bellbottom pants—a style from a specific era.

I recall the pant cuffs on bellbottoms were frequently frayed and dirty.  The fad had a longer-than-otherwise lifespan because it enabled people to wear platform shoes and instantly be taller, without being obvious.

Similarly, slab furniture has some negatives—two of which come to mind.

The first being weight.  It is heavy to maneuver in the shop, heavy to lift out of the truck, and once built, heavy to move into the dwelling.

The second being that you cannot (usually) butt two pieces of slab furniture to make an effective work surface. 

Starbucks was using slab countertops for a while, but quickly abandoned them for stone or imitation stone (it is cold to the touch like stone).  They usually stick to one design for about 10 year cycles.  Abandoning the slabs was an anomaly for Starbucks.

On the plus side, they look great, make furniture with some substance, that other techniques frequently lack, and (probably) can be sanded down and refinished often enough to be multi-generational furniture. 

But I still think that woodworkers will move away from slab construction in 10 or 15 years.  That would put me in my 90s, so it is still possible to prove me wrong.

 

[smorgasbord]

Inlay a giant thick butterfly?

This seems like the best non-epoxy option. I'll have to mock something up to see what works in size versus strength, maybe even leaving some of the opening intact.

I do wonder if slab-based furniture, ten or twenty years from now, will be viewed like bellbottom pants—a style from a specific era.

Maybe, but maybe like fashion it'll go through cycles and old will become new again.

Until recently, live-edge was almost entirely a Nakashima thing. Then the reverse-live-edge-epoxy-river thing happened, and between the easy availability of epoxy and store-bought metal legs, even really bad slabs became viable.

Discerning viewers can usually tell the difference between a Nakashima table and most of the knock-offs, even the non-epoxy ones. The rounding of the top edges, the sanding of the live edge with sponge interface pads, and the thickness of the top are telltale signs, even if they copied a bridle-jointed base. Looking underneath, the use of "C" shaped metal channel is new, too. And, of course, the sense of proportion and balance.

Which is why I worried, and still do worry, about the 48mm thickness of my desk slab. Nakashima's tops are normally close to 4/4 thickness - my dining room table's top is between ⅞" and 1" thick, and that's 6' long. Ideally, I'd like my top to be closer to 35mm, but I don't have an easy way to thin it (yes, I could find a shop or build a router sled), and I'd have to check to see that the knots and cracks wouldn't create structural problems.

I'm designing this desk such that the top can be easily separated from the base, which will help with moving it around. I've not seen any Nakashima furniture setup that way - just removable drawers and sliding doors.

 

[Packard]

Ultimately, I see the weight becoming the ultimate comeuppance.  People will get tired of lifting the heavy, slab-laden pieces.

It reminds me of the elegant, expensive and heavy Italian-made baby carriages of prior to the 1970s.  They have all but disappeared because the aluminum frame and fabric folding carriages.  It was predicted that the folding carriages would diasappear, but the lower weight won the battle.

I do see some used Perego carriages for sale in the $500.00 to $2,900.00 price range.

I would find it interesting to see a desk withe the top made from end grain balsa with fiber glass skins.  That would be incredibly strong and light, and still call to mind classic wooden boat construction.  (The end grain balsa was used for boat decks.)

 

[luvmytoolz]

This seems like the best non-epoxy option. I'll have to mock something up to see what works in size versus strength, maybe even leaving some of the opening intact.

I use a lot of different sized butterflies on projects so it provides a better aesthetic as well as function.

 

[Packard]

Wall mount the slab with no legs. It makes cleaning simpler.

Cut a groove in the bottom of the slab to accept an LED lighting strip. Make the groove deep enough to make the lighting very directional and put it on a dimmer switch. It will function as a night light and will look pretty cool.

The thing to keep in mind for guests is their lack of familiarity with your house.

In addition, hall lights should be on a dimmer and the lights should be left on at night when you have guests to make it easier for them to navigate to the bathroom.

Add a second light switch for the bathroom just outside the door so that they can turn it on before groping around in the dark bathroom.

Hang a large terry cloth bathrobe on the door inside the guest room. It makes it easier to maintain modesty when exiting the guest room.

These are all things I have added over the years.

I wouldn’t know how to wire the external light switch for the bathroom, but the electrician took it all in stride. If you are incorporating a dimmer it should be on the interior switch.

 

[Steve1]

If you are concerned about the clutter of cables in your desk, consider something like this.
Hiding the PC in the desk cleans up the desk area, but mostly, I wanted the tilt capability so that I am not crawling on the floor when I need to plug/unplug cables.
The front is open so that I can reach the power switch without pulling out the slide.

 

[smorgasbord]

Cut a groove in the bottom of the slab to accept an LED lighting strip. Make the groove deep enough to make the lighting very directional and put it on a dimmer switch. It will function as a night light and will look pretty cool.

Thanks - I like that idea, even though it goes beyond the traditional Nakashima style.

Don't want it attached to the wall, although it would fun/cool to have this big slab sticking out of the wall with no other support (tied into studs behind the drywall, etc.).

Since I use a laptop (desktop/desk-under boxes are so 2 decades ago, lol) and no external monitor (yet, we'll see how my eyes hold up), not too worried about cables. For the night table, I would like to have some phone charging accommodation, but I am going to finish the desk first.

 

[onocoffee]

I know I'm late to the party, but I was able to tour Nakashima Woodworkers last Friday and found it very insightful. I've seen photos of the Conoid Desk but never thought much about it.

Conoid Desk — George Nakashima Woodworkers

A tapered, single-pedestal desk with fine joinery expressed in a single cross-legged base.

nakashimawoodworkers.com

When you arrive at Nakashima, you're directed to their Showroom where Mira Nakashima's daughter-in-law Soomi has a desk to the side of the showroom. She sits at a Conoid Desk - and as I said, I didn't think too much about it. What I did note was that it was well worn and was probably made when George Nakashima was still alive.

As I've been reflecting on my visit, the Conoid Desk has been on the mind. It was so worn and so well used - and it didn't look like anyone had thought about gingerly caring for it, or even refinishing it. It made me think of a quip I read somewhere that supposedly George Nakashima had said about his furniture - that it was meant to be used and reflect its journey - and this desk has been on a journey.

So, my only input regarding your desk is that perhaps you consider a similar design. I've come to like the idea of the built-in cabinet (especially since the leather wrapped desk I built nearly five years ago does not have a cabinet). If you look closely at the pic from the Showroom, you can see that Soomi's Conoid Desk has a thicker slab than the images on the website.

 

[smorgasbord]

Here are two photos I found: One of George at his desk:


And then Mira at what appears to be the same desk in the same spot with the same table lamp:

 

[onocoffee]

And then Mira at what appears to be the same desk in the same spot with the same table lamp:

She still sits at that desk.

As her grandson Toshi (Soomi's son) was giving us the history of Nakashima Woodworkers while we were in the Showroom before the tour, his grandmother walked in the back door and I saw her before anyone else - and I was like "Holy shit, that's Mira Nakashima!" I didn't say it out loud - I just thought it and remained cool.