I am building a bar style table for my deck. I am intending to build the top out of a 10 foot long live-edge slab of cedar, thinking I will finish it to about 18 to 20 inches deep. I am a bit concerned about how to build the base though. The bar will be placed against the deck rail so we can sit and enjoy the view and I would like to design it such that we can move the stools under the bar when not in use. I have seen designs like the bench picture below where the stretcher is up against the top of the piece but am wondering if this design would scale up to 10 feet long, 20 inches deep, and 40 inches tall and remain stable.
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My other consideration, and why I want to be able to tuck the stools away, is that we get about 70 inches of rain and about 90 inches of snow per year (I know, why bother with a deck in that weather?). I know I can leave the cedar unfinished and just let it grey, but would rather attempt to retain the color over time. I assume this means I need to oil it annually but am curious if a bartop epoxy finish would hold up to near constant moisture and frequent freeze and thaw. Probably a question for the finishing section of the forum though.
Thanks!