Shopsmith Forums

I would leave the western side the way it is, that is MT shape, I would work on the East side to add length, the east side is a 90* where it borders N Dakota. I would add there, dowels or biscuit joints to add it. Of course your base would have to support it, like a frame, so the 2 pieces dont snap off, the dowels/biscuit would just hold them together, if you do that make the other piece like ND shape in a contrasting wood, like a USA wooden map puzzle.
ND is pretty much just a rectangle, East side has a bit of shape to it.

Make a panel of contrasting wood the desired size of the table you want. Center "Montana" in that panel and draw/trace the slab onto your panel. Bandsaw the shape out of the panel and replace the cutout with your slab. Lots of ways to"attach" get creative.

JMHO

rjent wrote:Make a panel of contrasting wood the desired size of the table you want. Center "Montana" in that panel and draw/trace the slab onto your panel. Bandsaw the shape out of the panel and replace the cutout with your slab. Lots of ways to"attach" get creative.

JMHO

That's one mighty big inlay!

rjent wrote:Make a panel of contrasting wood the desired size of the table you want. Center "Montana" in that panel and draw/trace the slab onto your panel. Bandsaw the shape out of the panel and replace the cutout with your slab. Lots of ways to"attach" get creative.

JMHO

I like that!!! Fill in with epoxy on the saw gap and a piece of lets say Baltic Birch base underneath for all to lay on. We are spit balling tonight!!
Or a bigger ruff cut slab of contrasting live edge to to it in, Double the Look!!
Damn, Robertson/Farmer sent that pesky fly over to me, and wont sit to get swatted
Nothing from JPG? Well he is a SS expert, not much for WW, maybe supporting the Native Americans today

BuckeyeDennis wrote:

rjent wrote:Make a panel of contrasting wood the desired size of the table you want. Center "Montana" in that panel and draw/trace the slab onto your panel. Bandsaw the shape out of the panel and replace the cutout with your slab. Lots of ways to"attach" get creative.

JMHO

That's one mighty big inlay!

Well, it IS Montana .....

Thanks to everyone for all the good ideas.

I think that I first will trace the irregular western border onto a piece of paper and then transfer that tracing to another piece of wood that I will cut to match the tracing. If that goes well, I will try to fit the slab next to the matching cutout. If I get a good fit, I can size the coffee table to to whatever dimensions I want. I realize that, even with a relatively good fit, I will have some voids to fill at that joint.

I also like Brenda's idea about using polyester resin, but that task is beyond my experience, so it is second on the list.

Thanks again for all the recommendations.

Hank

ERLover wrote: . . .
Nothing from JPG? Well he is a SS expert, not much for WW, maybe supporting the Native Americans today

JPG is 'out of town'.

'He' likes the big inlay approach with a glass top. The edges butting against all four sides of Montana can be thin veneer with some other supporting base(veneer easier to cut to irregular shape).

The indians are over the mountain in Cherokee.

rjent wrote:

BuckeyeDennis wrote:

rjent wrote:Make a panel of contrasting wood the desired size of the table you want. Center "Montana" in that panel and draw/trace the slab onto your panel. Bandsaw the shape out of the panel and replace the cutout with your slab. Lots of ways to"attach" get creative.

JMHO

That's one mighty big inlay!

Well, it IS Montana .....

And with all the forest fires we are getting around here, dark edges make it realistic! Yes it is smoke season here in Big Sky!