In this article, along with the accompanying video, I'll be showing you how I built a modern cake stand from a slab of red cedar. I bought the slab from a local sawmill to ensure the wood was dry and so that I could start with a slab with two parallel faces rather than cutting the slab by hand with a chainsaw.
I always recommend buying locally, although there are also live edge slab dealers online. Typically, though, wood will be more affordable locally, plus you can inspect the pieces in person before buying them. I bought my slabs for $10 per piece.
I visited a local sawmill to get a few red cedar slabs that are approximate 20" in diameter and 3" thick.
I used a chisel to remove the outer bark to reveal a smooth, paint-ready surface.
Before pouring epoxy into any cracks and voids in the top of the slab, I used masking tape on the bottom of the slab to prevent any leaks.
I over-poured the epoxy so that I could smooth everything out with a belt sander once it was cured.
I used an 80 grit belt to remove the bulk of the material, then used a 150 grit belt to remove the sanding marks from the more aggressive belt.
I sanded the top to 400 grit with my palm sander.
I applied a coat of epoxy to the bottom of the slab. this epoxy will work into the crack and help to prevent them from getting any larger as the slab continues to cure.
Out of a second slab, I cut a circle 6.5" in diameter with my jigsaw.
I used a disk sander to smooth out my cuts, then palm sanded the base to 220 grit.
After masking the base and the top of the slab, I applied 4 light coats of satin white spray paint.
I epoxy'd the base to the center of the bottom of the slab.
After the epoxy set, I added a couple more coats of paint to blend everything.
Once the paint cured overnight, I removed all my masking tape to reveal the beautiful cedar underneath.
I used cutting board oil as a finish. it's food safe and easy to apply.
In this article, along with the accompanying video, I'll be showing you how I built a modern cake stand from a slab of red cedar. I bought the slab from a local sawmill to ensure the wood was dry and so that I could start with a slab with two parallel faces rather than cutting the slab by hand with a chainsaw. I always recommend buying locally, although there are also live edge slab dealers online. Typically, though, wood will be more affordable locally, plus you can inspect the pieces in person before buying them. I bought my slabs for $10 per piece.
I visited a local sawmill to get a few red cedar slabs that are approximate 20" in diameter and 3" thick.
I used a chisel to remove the outer bark to reveal a smooth, paint-ready surface.
Before pouring epoxy into any cracks and voids in the top of the slab, I used masking tape on the bottom of the slab to prevent any leaks.
I over-poured the epoxy so that I could smooth everything out with a belt sander once it was cured.
I used an 80 grit belt to remove the bulk of the material, then used a 150 grit belt to remove the sanding marks from the more aggressive belt.
I sanded the top to 400 grit with my palm sander.
I applied a coat of epoxy to the bottom of the slab. this epoxy will work into the crack and help to prevent them from getting any larger as the slab continues to cure.
Out of a second slab, I cut a circle 6.5" in diameter with my jigsaw.
I used a disk sander to smooth out my cuts, then palm sanded the base to 220 grit.
After masking the base and the top of the slab, I applied 4 light coats of satin white spray paint.
I epoxy'd the base to the center of the bottom of the slab.
After the epoxy set, I added a couple more coats of paint to blend everything.
Once the paint cured overnight, I removed all my masking tape to reveal the beautiful cedar underneath.
I used cutting board oil as a finish. it's food safe and easy to apply.
