The tables descended to life somewhat by coincidence
. My wife and I were browsing through a regional hardwood supply shop selecting wood for some now forgotten project. We took our time to select through and be crazy about the elegant woods racked and strewn about the store. Hidden behind an unruly disorderly stack of long board my wife rolled out two irregular slabs of horse chestnut. The about thirty inch abnormal slices had been cut just below the base of the tree as they had limp rough bark and small rootlets about the side. The wood was compact, grained, strong and milky color. The slabs were three inches broad and have a number of punky (rotten) spots. These spots causing the price down to an affordable level. I had a laboratory treatment in mind to steady the punky wood, join the surface and provide a nice finish. A random orbit sander offered a free from roughness surface upon which to apply the finish. The method worked out successfully and remains my secret.
The slabs were each mounted on a trestle leg base cut from one and one half inch popular wood stock. I selected milky popular as this planks can be pretty green in color. Each of the tables was provided two trestles, a matching stretcher and wedges in contrasting walnut. One of the slabs was soirregular that I couldn't imagine construction as is my usual path and so I had to construct a full mock up in throwaway framing lumber. With bark removed, and rootlets safe, the tables each sit in a living room, possible keeping fashionable magazines. The first living room furniture table sold on eBay and was shipped to an MD in Cape Cod. The next resides on its trestles in the living room of dear friends who work with stain glass and pottery.