I have a large live edge slab of wood that I've been wanting to turn into a table for ages. I got it for free about ten years ago, and it's been in my shed with weights on it to try and flatten out the twist. Unfortunately, it's still quite warped, being about 12 inches off across a 10-foot length. I really love the thick piece, and I want to avoid milling it down too much because I'd lose valuable surface area. Recently, I've been watching some videos about using steam to form wood, and I thought maybe I could use that technique to flatten the slab permanently. I'm looking to create an outdoor table, and I'm willing to build a steam chamber if it helps. Has anyone tried this before, or do you have any advice?
1 Answer
I’m not really sure about using steaming for this situation—it might work short-term, but I worry about how stable it'll stay long-term. Wood tends to warp back to its original shape, especially after all that twisting. If you want a flat table without losing too much of the slab, maybe cut it into smaller sections, flatten them, and then rejoin them? You could create a really unique design that way!”},{