White Oak Table Bench

Fits right under our Hickory dinner table

For the longest time , two wide boards of White Oak, live edge, twisted, cupped, and stained with what I surmise to be animal urine, sat in my reclaimed wood pile, (mostly) protected by the elements. For the past couple of years, I would cut up any wood deemed unusable for woodworking to throw in the stove, ending its long life by keeping the family warm. 

My chainsaw kept passing over these two boards for some reason, maybe because I admired the character of them so much, worm holes and all. 

I brought them into the shop a few months ago to acclimate. I decided to use them to make a much needed bench for our dining room, the long board's cupping would work as a sitting relief. (I hoped)  

 I worked out straight tenons from the leg pieces, shown in the next photos

Using a draw knife to blend the leg edges to the to top live edge: 

Getting the trestle piece ready. This piece is probably Red Oak

 In this photo you can see the angled tenon in the background, which will connect with the twisted top

Wedged through tenons for the ends...

Peg top on and finished with Tung oil.....