More pictures here:
Background:
A few years back the family cabin, which was 80 years old at the time, partially collapsed under a heavy snow load. The family got together to salvage what they could, which included what was left of the large table that hosted plenty of large family meals and card games with friends over the decades. The top, which was just a sheet of 4×9 plywood, was damaged, but the legs were mostly intact (though they had punched through the floor).
Being the one with an interest (but not necessarily much talent) in woodworking, I was asked to see what I could do to rebuild the table, which would go in a rebuilt cabin. In addition to the table base, I salvaged a lot of lumber, including what looks to be old growth redwood flooring.
Plan:
I think rebuilding the base will be the easy part. The 1×4s that hold the legs in place will be swapped out with something new (likely oak or maple). The cross braces for the legs will need some work, as it looks like the bolts that held them to the legs basically ripped out of the bottom as the table went through the floor. I'm thinking I can use the same approach that was originally taken, which was a hole drilled through the core of the brace for the bolt, with an access hole on the bottom to get the nut on there. I'll just need to drill a deeper hole to put the nut further into the brace, where the wood is solid.
The top could be trickier, and it's here where I really need the feedback of more experienced woodworkers. The flooring I salvaged looks really cool, and it would be a way to bring some of the old cabin into the new and keep 60-80 years of family history around. My thought is to take the flooring, which is roughly 3" x 3/4" (not counting the tongue side) and attach it to a 4×9 sheet of plywood for structural support. The sides of the plywood would be hidden by extra flooring that is attached with a locking miter, and the ends would be covered by doubling up flooring and making a breadboard end. The hope is this would give the appearance that the top is made of 3"x1 1/2" boards. I'd then finish the top with a clear epoxy to protect everything.
Concerns:
My big concern is the top, and the idea of attaching the flooring to the plywood. I'm worried that I'd be attaching something that could expand to something that's stable (not sure on the method of attachment, but likely some combo of glue and screws). However, considering the flooring is over 80 years old now, and has really, really tight growth rings, maybe that concern is overblown? I'm also wondering if sealing the top in epoxy would also limit any wood movement.
Any thoughts/feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!