How to Choose the Right Olive Wood Slab or Cookie for Your Project

The right olive wood slab or cookie starts with your project, not the prettiest slab on the rack. Size, thickness, cracks, and figure all change how a piece works in a resin table, a wall clock, or a charcuterie board.

Every cookie we sell at Desert Hardwoods is one of a kind, and the photo on each listing is the exact piece you'll receive. That makes choosing easier, as long as you know what to look for. Here's how we'd walk you through it if you visited the shop.

Start with what you're building

Decide on the finished piece first, then shop for the slab or cookie that fits it. Here's a quick starting point for the most common projects our customers build.

These are guidelines, not rules. Plenty of customers turn a "coffee table" cookie into a stunning piece of wall art.

Get the size and thickness right

Measure your space and buy a cookie slightly larger than the finished size you want. Flattening, trimming the edge, and sanding all take some material away.

•       Plan for flattening. Most rough cookies lose about 1/4" of thickness when you surface them with a router sled or planer.

•       Thicker is more stable. For tables, a cookie 2" or thicker resists cupping and feels substantial. Thin cookies are perfect for clocks and wall pieces, where weight matters.

•       Think about weight. Olive is dense. A large, thick cookie can be heavy enough that you'll want a helper and a sturdy base.

•       Leave room for resin. If you plan to pour around the cookie, measure the cookie plus the resin border you want.

Read the cracks, voids, and bark

Cracks and voids aren't automatically flaws. In olive wood, they're often what makes a piece special. The question is whether they suit your project.

•       Radial checks (cracks running from the center outward) are normal in cookies. For a resin table they're a feature you can fill with clear or pigmented epoxy. For a cutting board, avoid cookies with checks through the working surface.

•       Voids and pockets from the rootball look incredible filled with resin. If you don't want to pour epoxy, choose a more solid cookie.

•       Bark inclusions add character but can loosen over time. Stabilize them with thin CA glue or epoxy, or pick them out before finishing.

•       Through cracks that split the cookie nearly in two need a bowtie (butterfly key) or a resin fill to stay together. They can look great, but plan for the extra work.

Zoom in on the listing photos. Since you're getting the exact piece pictured, what you see is what you'll be working with.

Choose your figure: rootball or trunk

Where the cookie came from on the tree changes its look more than anything else.

•       Rootball cookies are cut from the base of the tree where the roots spread out. They have wild, swirling grain, burl figure, irregular outlines, and natural voids. They're the showpieces for coffee tables, resin tables, and wall art.

•       Trunk cookies are rounder, more solid, and more predictable. The growth rings and olive's dark streaks stand out beautifully, and they're easier to work for boards and side tables.

Olive's color also shifts after finishing. Raw wood looks pale and dusty; a coat of oil brings out the deep browns and contrast you see in finished pieces. Our finishes post covers which products bring out the most color.

Check moisture before you pour

Wood that's too wet will keep moving after you finish it, and epoxy poured over wet wood can cloud or fail to bond. A cheap pin moisture meter is one of the best tools you can buy for this hobby.

•       For resin projects, most makers aim for about 12% moisture content or lower. Check a few spots, including near the center.

•       For indoor furniture, let the cookie sit in the room where it'll live for a week or two so it can adjust before you build.

•       Expect small new checks as any cookie finishes acclimating. That's normal wood behavior, not a defect.

Not sure about a piece? Ask us. We're happy to tell you where a cookie is in the drying process before you buy.

Quick checklist before you buy

•       ☐ I know the finished size and added room for flattening and trimming

•       ☐ The thickness fits my project (thin for wall pieces, 2"+ for tables)

•       ☐ I've decided whether cracks and voids are a feature or a problem

•       ☐ I've chosen rootball figure or a more solid trunk cookie

•       ☐ I have a plan for checking moisture before finishing or pouring

Find your cookie

Browse our olive wood cookies, or go straight to large cookies 24"+, thin cookies, thick cookies, and charcuterie board stock. Planning a dining table? Our pre-cut kits take the guesswork out.

Still deciding? Send us a message with what you're building and we'll point you to a few pieces that fit.