Carpenter Nathan Gilbert’s loss is our gain. A large red oak tree on Nathan’s Christmas tree farm has fallen and crushed some of his trees. After cleaning up the branches of the crushed conifers, he’s left with large logs that he’d like to turn into a bar top. With the help of a friend, he mills the tree into usable slabs that will be perfect for Nathan and the crew to enjoy as a bar top while having a beer.

While Nathan’s milling slabs, host Kevin O’Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, mason Mark McCullough, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, and paint expert Mauro Henrique are hard at play. The six of these lovable pros engage in a round of a headband guessing game.

Once Nathan returns from the kiln with his red oak slab, he and Tom Silva get to work turning it into the ideal bar top. First, they take a wire wheel to the live edge to remove any punk and loose wood. Then, they set to work with a belt sander to smooth it over. After that, Tom uses one of his homemade jigs to route the slab flat while Nathan builds the legs. Finally, the two assemble the table, give it an oil treatment, and polish it before hanging out with the crew to cap off the Season 21 of Ask This Old House.

How to Clear a Fallen Tree with a Portable Sawmill

To mill the lumber for the bar top, Nathan Gilbert meets with his buddy, Mike, who owns and operates a portable sawmill. Mike uses a portable bandsaw mill. Mike levels the mill by using jack legs on the trailer until it’s perfectly level.

Where to find it?

When operating a sawmill, safety gear includes:
• Over-the-ear hearing protection
• Hard hat with a face shield
• Tactical work gloves
• Work boots

Nathan received expert assistance from Mike at Peregrine White Sawmill.

Ask This Old House Plays The Headband Game

Tom, Jenn, Mauro, Mark, Richard, and Kevin enjoy some fun and games back at the shop with The Headband Game.

Build It | Bar Top

Nathan and Tom work together to build a bar top from the lumber Nathan milled from his property.

Where to find it?

Tom uses a wirewheel attachment to chip away the wood fibers on the live edge. Afterward, Tom uses a belt sander to clean the edges up.

For the top, Nathan uses an electric hand planer to get the underside of the table roughly flat. Tom takes a few passes with the belt sander to finish it up.

To fill any remaining cracks in the wood, Tom uses a 5-minute epoxy and mixes in some sawdust leftover from the belt sander to create a matching wood filler.

While the epoxy cures on the top, Tom and Nathan begin leveling the bottom using a router sled and heavy-duty three-horsepower router, and a straight cutting bit. (You could also use a planer bit.)

Nathan assembles the base by threading the pipes together with a wrench. Then Tom and Nathan secure the table legs to the holes in the bottom of the bar top with a drill.

Finally, Nathan applies an oil/wax combination finish and buffs it in with a rotary polisher.

Nathan received expert assistance from Mike at Peregrine White Sawmill.

Original Air Date: June 22, 2023, Season 21; Ep. 26 23:12

Products and services from this episode

• Expert assistance: Mike at Peregrine White Sawmill