Live-Edge Wood Chess Table From a Milled Tree
For this project, I got to mill my very first tree at the lumberyard and then turn one of the slabs into a custom live-edge chess table. Originally, I planned to make a regular coffee table, but I discovered that the center of the slab was slightly rotten.
With help from my dad, we decided to cut out the damaged section in the middle and inlay a chessboard that we also built together. This turned a problem into a really unique woodworking project. It was one of the biggest builds I had worked on, and it took a very long time for me to finish.
This was also the first time I was trusted to use a track saw, and I learned how a milling machine works and how to operate it safely. By the end of the project, I had a one-of-a-kind wooden chess table and a lot more confidence with bigger woodworking tools. I was 6 years old when I made this.
Watch the Live-Edge Chess Table Build
Here is a sped-up and shortened video of the entire process — from milling the tree into slabs to building and inlaying the wooden chessboard into the table.