Live edge table legs: how to choose legs for a slab

A live edge table keeps the natural edge of the tree. That gives you three things a sawn board doesn’t have: an uneven width, a lot of weight and more movement as the wood takes up and loses moisture. The slab, in other words, still has opinions. Each of them changes how you choose and fix the legs.

1 Frame legs or a base?

• Frame legs at the ends (X-shaped or rectangular) are the classic choice for long dining slabs and desks. They carry a heavy slab well and leave the middle free for chairs. See X-shaped legs or a rectangular frame such as Square.
• A centre base (cross, star or spider) suits round and short slabs, and cookie-style rounds cut across the trunk. See pedestal and round table bases.
• Low L-shaped legs suit live edge coffee tables and benches. See bench and coffee table legs.

2 Width: measure the narrowest point

A slab is wider in some places than others. Measure its width at each end, where the legs will sit, and take the smaller figure. Choose legs 10–20 cm narrower than that, so the frame stays under the slab and never peeks out past the edge.

3 Height: subtract the slab

Slabs are thick, so the usual leg heights can end up too tall. Leg height = table height − slab thickness:

More on heights: dining table height, desk height.

4 Weight

Walnut and elm are a little lighter, but still heavy. Choose a frame or base made for a dining table rather than light hairpin-style legs, and set the legs 20–40 cm in from the ends so a heavy overhang can’t tip the table. Tell us the slab size and the wood when you order, and we’ll tell you which legs suit it.

5 Prepare the slab

• Dry wood only. Kiln- or air-dried to about 8–12% moisture before it becomes furniture. Wet slabs crack and twist after the legs are on.
• Flatten the underside where the legs sit, so the mounting plates bear evenly.
• Remove loose bark and stabilise cracks before finishing. Many makers fill large cracks with epoxy or butterfly keys.
• Finish both sides with oil or hardwax oil, so the slab takes up moisture evenly.

6 Fix the legs so the wood can move

Solid wood swells and shrinks across its width through the year; a wide slab can move several millimetres. Screw the legs on through the mounting plate. If the plate has slotted holes, put the screws in the middle of the slots, so the wood has room both ways.

For legs you want to take off when you move house, fit threaded inserts into the slab and use machine screws.

Live edge coffee tables and benches

A coffee table usually stands 40–45 cm high with the top on and looks right at about two-thirds of the sofa’s length. Our L-shaped bench and coffee table legs Lshape 2 and Big Lshape are 40 cm high, so with a 4–5 cm slab the table lands at 44–45 cm. The same legs make a bench at seat height.

For a round slice of trunk, a low coffee table base sits under the centre.

Live edge desks

Check the slab’s narrowest point once more: below about 60 cm deep there is no room for a monitor at arm’s length. Leave the back edge clear for a monitor arm clamp, and drill any cable hole before you finish the wood. The desk building guide covers the rest.

How thick should the slab be?

Dining slabs are usually 5–8 cm thick; thinner slabs can cup across their width. Coffee table and bench slabs are often 4–6 cm. Thicker looks heavier and more dramatic, but every extra centimetre is more weight on the legs and a centimetre less leg height.

Which finish for the legs?

Black steel lets the grain do the talking and suits almost any wood. White works with pale woods and light rooms. Anodic gold and chrome make a lighter, more decorative contrast, especially under dark woods such as walnut.

Questions