This is a concept I wanted to try after making other tessellated surfaces and cutting boards. This is essentially an end grain cutting board with three of the segments elongated to become legs.

The random shape of the surface is inspired by a a beehive.

This is a relatively straight forward project that only requires a table saw, sander, and accurate measuring tools.

You can take this project and add your spin to it by changing the size, number of legs, and orientation of hexagons.

Supplies

Materials

Wood

I used poplar for this project because it is easy to work with, and relatively inexpensive.
I ordered 8/4 poplar online from Woodworker's Source. This came surfaced on both sides and was 1 13/16 inches thick. I do not have a jointer or planer, so ordering like this was ideal. Most local lumber store will have a similar product. My piece was 9 inches wide and about 40 inches long.

Wood Glue

Tools

Table Saw

Random Orbital Sander

Calipers

Digital or dial

Angle Gauge

A digital angle gauge may work, but typically only have an accuracy or about .2 degree. I used a bevel gauge, with bevel angle setter.

Bar Clamps

I needed a capacity of 24 inches.

Step 1: Precise Hexagons

The success of this project, and ease of assembly, comes down to cutting perfectly uniform hexagons. Variation in angle or side lengths will create issues during assembly. I tried a few different ways to cut perfect hexagons and will explain what I found to be the best method.

Break Down

Break down the board into shorter, more manageable, lengths of 19 inches. Rip these to be wider than your desired hexagon. My height is 1 13/16 inches, so I ripped these to a width of 2 1/4 inches.

Blade Angle

Set the blade angle to 60 degrees. I used a bevel gauge and bevel angle setter for this, but a digital angle gauge may be accurate enough.

Ripping Hexagons

My method is detailed in the pictures. I wasn't able to set the fence and get perfect measurements in one shot. Instead, I created a stretched hexagon that was "wider" than what I wanted, and then slowly snuck up on a perfect hexagon. Use calipers to check your dimensions as you sneak up on the perfect size. All my parallel sides were within .01 inches of each other (less than 1/64 in), and I still had some alignment issues during glue up.

Once the fence was set, I could use that setup to rip all the pieces.

Save the off-cuts. These will be helpful later.

Cross Cut

Use a miter sled, to cut the hexagons to length. The table top is made from 37 pieces that are each 2.5 inches long.

The legs are each 18 inches long.

Use blue tape to minimize tear out.

Step 2: The Legs

The legs are tapers on the table saw using a jig that rides along the fence. They could also have been shaped with a hand place, tapered and round on the lathe, or even left as is.

Layout Lines

At the top end of each length, draw a line that is 2.5 inches from the top. This where the taper will start.

On the bottom end of each leg, draw a concentric hexagon that is 1/4 inch inset on each side.

Find the center of each side, and a draw a second hexagon that is inscribed, and rotated 60 degree. This will become the bottom of the leg.

The Jig

The jig is made from 3/4 inch ply wood that is 6 inches x 20 inches.

The left edge of the jig will touch the inside of the blade, and will be your reference to know where to line up the tapers.

Use your layout lines and a square to line up the where the taper begins and ends.

Glue support blocks in place to keep each leg at that angle.

Install toggle clamps to hold in place.

The Cut

It will be easiest to make each cut on all the legs before moving to the next cut as each setup is slightly different.

Begin by cutting two opposite sides on all of the legs. Save the cut offs.

Rotate the leg 60 degrees, and glue in one of the cut offs for support. Adjust toggle clamp.

For the next 4 cuts you will continue to rotate the leg 60 degrees. Add shims between the leg and the stop to keep the leg in the correct spot and secure.