Flame Birch- Need Ideas

[sugarlady1980]

I need some inspiration you all. My dad gave me some 50 x 12 x 1 flame birch slabs. Think it would be a waste to use them for floating shelves? I wanted to do a skinny table for our hall but Im lazy and don't want to make legs and the hairpin things would be too big. Otherwise I guess I'll make a chest or something out of them.

 

[DLJeffs]

Figured boards that size, and I assume relatively flat, are nice to have for larger projects such as furniture. If I had them and didn't have a specific project in mind right now, I'd sticker them and save them until I did.

 

[sugarlady1980]

Ah well that makes sense. I have 4 of them and he said he had more back at home. Looks like I need to build my first piece of furniture!

 

[Nature Man]

Nothing wrong with using figured wood for furniture. @Mike1950 has made some extraordinary pieces of furniture from highly figured wood. Chuck

 

[DLJeffs]

Ah well that makes sense. I have 4 of them and he said he had more back at home. Looks like I need to build my first piece of furniture!

Were it me - I'd see if I could talk your dad out of 6 more boards just like those and make a blanket chest roughly 40x24 x 20 deep. I'd try to make it look like a solid block of flamed birch, so I'd miter the corners, bind the top so no end grain shows, do my absolute best to make my joints invisible. Get some aromatic red cedar to line the inside. And make a drop in shelf. I'd even try to hide the hinges if I could.