If I was coerced into making "one" of these,

..... I have used several methods in the past for attaching slabs to a base to allow for wood movement,..... 

movement, other than physical re-location, would be the last thing I'd need to worry about,

SWMBO's shoe collection is my justification for my Fe$tool collection.

If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD