Gift for my MIL

[DriveHard]

My MIL asked me to make her a gameboard about a half a year ago. She is finally able to make the trip to our house to celebrate Christmas this weekend. This is the first time in my time knowing her (over 12 years) she has ever asked for anything...so I wanted to go over the top. The first picture is what she is expecting...the second picture is what I made. That was a slice from a white willow tree I planted back in 7th grade at my parents house. The tree was taken down from the Derecho we had this summer. I also have a slice about 3x as big I want to make into a table. I'm tickled to give it to her this weekend when she arrives.

 

[Quattro Pete]

That's outstanding. Great work! I'm sure she'll love it.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Very nice.

 

[Barkleymut]

wow, yeah you went over the top. Hope you are able to fit it in her house

 

[spasm3]

Looks great! Is that an expoxy top coat?

 

[DriveHard]

Looks great! Is that an expoxy top coat?

Nope, Poly

 

[Duffyjr]

How much does it weigh compared to the top one, will she be able to lift it?

 

[DriveHard]

How much does it weigh compared to the top one, will she be able to lift it?

I'll weigh it in a bit...but I have no doubt she will be able to lift it. She is more than capable, as an old school "farm girl" that continues to work to help those around her.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

How much does it weigh compared to the top one, will she be able to lift it?

Yeah my first thought was "that needs to sit, and not be moved."

 

[BISCUT]

You killed it buddy! Excellent job! I have an office/library that has a desk, oversized leather chair, and a leather love seat. I hope to get my woodworking machinery up to snuff early this spring. I would like to make a coffee table in the same style. I love the natural slab.

 

[DriveHard]

Yeah my first thought was "that needs to sit, and not be moved."

only 17 pounds...
My MIL throws around 20+ pound bags of flour when working, so it should not be an issue.

 

[gathermewool]

Looks great!

How hard would it be to remove the bark? Do you have a large lathe to make easy work of it?
The stain is a bit dark, too.

 

[DriveHard]

Looks great!

How hard would it be to remove the bark? Do you have a large lathe to make easy work of it?
The stain is a bit dark, too.

nope, just a chainsaw and hand tools.

 

[john_pifer]

Looks great!

How hard would it be to remove the bark? Do you have a large lathe to make easy work of it?
The stain is a bit dark, too.

Personally, I like the bark, and I think the stain looks great as-is.

 

[gathermewool]

Can you post a picture of the top looking down? Maybe the stain won't look so dark at another angle.

nope, just a chainsaw and hand tools.

Then it's perfect, as-is. It truly looks like it came off a lathe.

Personally, I like the bark, and I think the stain looks great as-is.

I was only thinking of some slight weight reduction. If he had such a large lathe, he might be able to thin the entire thing out, too.

 

[DriveHard]

The bark is mandatory. Here is another picture of the game board, as well as a clock that I re-built and re-finished that she gave to my wife and I as well as a table I re-finished and is now in our living room. She and her late husband built a log cabin in the woods together, and that is 100% her style.

 

[Bobaloo22]

Very Nice!!!!

 

[MasterSolenoid]

DriveHard - Job well done.
The bark definitely has to stay .... it is after all, a tree.

How old was the tree .... I would guess 25 years.
Dendrochronology - the study of tree rings.

 

[DriveHard]

DriveHard - Job well done.
The bark definitely has to stay .... it is after all, a tree.

How old was the tree .... I would guess 25 years.
Dendrochronology - the study of tree rings.

are you asking my age ;-)

It should have been roughly 29-30 years old this year. That was just a branch of the tree, not the main trunk...
Here is a picture of the main trunk section I look to hopefully make a table out of it...apologies for the mess, my youngest dog lives to destroy her bed and toys and leaves stuffing everywhere.

 

[DriveHard]

...well either a table or an axe throwing target ;-)