The Rough Lumber Chronicles- Exotics: An Odyssey of a Village Boy River Walker #3: Natural Edge Gabon Ebony Console.... Two Slabs and a 3" x 4"

So I’m working on a console table made from two slabs and 3” x 4” of Gabon Ebony. I am at the point where I need to decide on the joinery of the two legs to the table top and wondering which way to go.

Should I make 16” wide tenons on the top of each leg?

Should use dowels?

Maybe cut 16” groove across the end grain of each leg, attach a 2” x 2” underneath the table top that will act as a tenon and glue it up?

Could use some advice guys. I plan to finish the build, along with a Padauk console in the same style over the weekend, and glue up on monday or maybe Tuesday.

Any input is welcome and will be greatly appreciated.

I will attach photos to this blog as I progress through the build.

The Pursuit of Wicked Gorgeous Lumber, A Noble Undertaking

Village Boy~

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Step 1-

First I dug up all of the widest boards I could find and chose the board in the worst condition for the table top. This board had a giant stress crack from one end of the board to the other, likely from a combination of wind checking and subpar technique used in felling the tree.

I taped up the crack and end grains, supported by wood clamped to the board underneath the cracks and Ebony blocks at the end grains to help contain any spill out during resin treatment.

Close up of giant size crack running through the board

Step 2-

Prepare the resin and mix in mica powder and sapwood sawdust to try to match the color that the sapwood on the table will be after a finish is applied. I pour the resin in every crack or check I can see.

Step 3-