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The Newest Adventure

Started by Radar67, February 25, 2006, 04:48:06 PM

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Radar67

I started a project, unplanned mind you, yesterday. My Step-Father and I were walking around his place and he showed me this stump, told me how he would really like for it to be gone, but didn't have the money to get rid of it.  ;)



I told him it shouldn't be that hard to get it down since it has been sitting there rotting for the past 10 years. This thing is about 8 feet tall and 6 feet across one way, 3 feet the other. It was basically a twin trunk red oak that had been growing on the land for more than 40 years that we know of. I went and got my saw out of the truck to see just how solid this trunk was. There is plenty of punky on the outside, and as I figured, the center is rotten. There was a good bit of solid wood still in the butt. I sank my 18 inch bar in full depth in several places and met a good bit of resistance.

Ole step dad said, "I don't think you can get it down with that small saw." That was just the wrong thing to say!  ;) :D Before night fell, I had cut 18 inches deep all the way around, but the trunk was still too strong to fall. I went back out this morning and made one cut, hooked up a come-a-long and a few chains and she is laying on the ground as we speak. I started splitting her open down the middle to get her on my mill, but it started raining and I had to quit.

I'll be posting more pictures when the rain finishes and I can get back on it. I'm anxious to find out what treasure might lay inside.  ;D

Stew
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

woodbowl

Stew.
   Are you gona' split that using just your chain saw? There is a topic somewhere on here showing how they cut a pocket in the end of the log, put in a hydraulic lever jack and split er' open.
Full time custom sawing at the customers site since 1995.  WoodMizer LT40 Super Hyd.

woodbowl

Full time custom sawing at the customers site since 1995.  WoodMizer LT40 Super Hyd.

Radar67

Olen, I had been considering the jack. I saw that post a while back. I started the split with my chainsaw and I have it half way through on one side. With the way the rot runs, if I can get this thing turned over I should be able to get her into with just the saw. I've already put Mr. Logrite on her and can get her to move, just need to get someone to help me block it up to get better bites. (That means the wife doesn't want to get wet helping me turn a log. I told her she wouldn't melt, maybe lump up a little though.  :D)

This gives you a good idea of the rot.



This show some of the color that has me anxious to open her up.



This shows my split so far. That is 18 inches deep all the way up.



The rain has not let up yet, guess I'm gonna have to wait to see my gift.  :)

Stew
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

Radar67

I got my log split today and here are a few pictures of what  I found inside.













I plan to cut it up in the next couple or three days and more pictures will follow through that process. Anyone have any suggestions on what this could be used for? So far, I am considering pen blanks, bowls, plaques, clocks, and small trinket boxes.

Stew
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

Part_Timer

I think you have the right idea.  That would make some fine pens and bowl's. 
Tom
Peterson 8" ATS.
The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

Hbarker

 :o wow nice lookin wood , i may have to look closer at those big stumps i see standing around in folks yards,,  i rekon they didnt have larg enough saws to cut, treasure in them old stumps!!

Radar67

Wanted to post an update to this.

I still haven't cut this log up, but I did get a good chunck of it for playing with. I've been laid up sort of since Saturday. I had a brush fire on my property go bad Saturday evening after work and ended up getting a little too much smoke. No physical harm, just caused extreme shortness of breath, was told to take it easy for a few days until I could breath better. So, back to my post. Since I couldn't do anything too physical, I decided to play with the lathe. I had a block of wood from this oak I'm waiting to cut up, so decided it would be pretty low on the physical scale to turn it into something.

The block wasn't in too good of shape, so I had to let it decide what it wanted to be while I was turning it. I think it turned out pretty good considering it is my first turning project on the lathe, also gives me a better idea of just what I might find in that old oak. Here is the finished product:



Stew


"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

JimBuis

Stew,

"My first turning project on the lathe." ???  You are kidding right?!?   My first turning project on the lathe was a big ole pile of sawdust and a chunk of wood that wasn't fit to throw away. ::)

Maybe you could give me a few lessons using some of that old tree. ;D

Jim
Jim Buis                             Peterson 10" WPF swingmill

Dana

That spalting sure looks nice! :) Back when you first posted this, I thought you were wasteing your time, sure was wrong there. ;D
Grass-fed beef farmer, part time sawyer

Radar67

Jim, this was my first real project. I did play on a scrap to get the feel of the tools, also been watching some videos on turning. Anytime you want to drop by, I'd be glad to "see what you can do".  ;D

Dana, I thought I might be wasting my time too, at first, but once the stump hit the ground, I knew I could salvage some good wood out of it.  ;)

Stew
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

WDH

One man's rotten stump is another man's treasure.  Nice bowl Stew 8).
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

sawmilllawyer

Nice job, Stew. Have'nt tried turning yet, even though I do own a lathe. Impressive. Andy
Stihl MS-361, MS-460 mag, Poulan 2150, 2375 Wildthing.

DWM II

Thats real pretty Stew. I like these cabinet faces made from spalted sycamore. Maybe you could cut some boards for some raised panels?


Stewardship Counts!

Radar67

Thanks guys. I checked my stack of wood from this log today and it drying right nicely. It's just about ready for some rough planing. I have a few pieces I could cut up for raised panels, but it would have to be a single or double door base cabinet...maybe for a vanity or something similar.

Stew
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

LedlieLogs

It is NEVER a waste of time when Dad says "I don't think you can do it". :D
Wildlife Action, GA. A great place for kids. No lights, no phone, no motorcars, not a single luxury. Just the GREAT OUTDOORS and the reason I am learning to mill and build small log cabins.

Furby

I've got an Oak stump that I'm thinking about taking out this summer.
Stems have been off it for 12 years I think.
Multi stem trunk was cut at the forks, so its maybe 4' high or so.
I piled dirt from the pool up against one side and the other has been sending out suckers for years.
Still some solid wood there, so I'm thinking it'd be worth the effort to take it out. 8)

sawmilllawyer

Furby, now all you need is for your fathr in law to tell you it can't be done and may be a backhoe to move the dirt from the pool. Huh?  ;D
Stihl MS-361, MS-460 mag, Poulan 2150, 2375 Wildthing.

WDH

Go for it Furby.  It would be nice to make something nice out of that old stump.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

beenthere

Furby has a father-in-law?  Don't recall he ever mentioned dat............. ::)
:)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

sawmilllawyer

 :D :D :D,  Beenthere, don't know if he do or don't have a father in law.
Stihl MS-361, MS-460 mag, Poulan 2150, 2375 Wildthing.

beenthere

Might come as a surprise to him................... ;D
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Furby

It might, but then again, anything is possible! ;)

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