Need help with out door wood carving

[Robert Long]

A wood carving friend has asked me to mill a 40" dia. piece of stump wood to repair his wood carving he has had at his front door for the past 20 years.  You see it's rotting at the base and is soon to fall over.  It stands about 7 ft. tall and will come crashing down if it is not rebuilt at the base.  I feel a large 40" round 10" thick will only rot quickly and most likely split in the weather as the end grain will soak up moisture as well.   My thoughts are to mill 4 - 10"x10"x40" blocks and have them pre cut on a band saw into a round then glued up to form the round he is looking for, is there suggestions to better help him out and save his carving?

Robert

[beenthere]

Robert
Do you have a pic of the wood carving?

Not really following what you are asking regards the cut and glue fix. Hard to glue blocks as they will shrink when they dry out, and pull the glue joints apart.   True, the solid block will split from drying too.

What species are you talking?

[Robert Long]

beenthere

I wish I have a pic but I will have to go out to his place and take a picture.  It's a 7 ft. (with the base) full size carving of a sailor holding a lantern.  His name is Bud Labranche and his works have been articled in carving magazine.

It's the 40" dia. base that has deteriorated and in need of restoration.

I was thinking of using reclaimed timbers like white oak or a soft wood like a utility pole to help prevent your point on glue ups from happening and we, Bud and I thought of running steel rods through the new base would help to keep it together.

We still haven't figured out how to attach the base to the carving  ???

Robert

[DanG]

I just love these kinds of challenges, especially these that stimulate cogitation without any threat of having to actually do anything about them. ;D 8) 8)

Information is sketchy so far, but I'm wondering if there isn't some solid wood left in that base that might be of help in attaching the new base.  What I have in mind is possibly using some of that wood to make a tenon that would fit into a mortise in the new base.  This would give you something to attach the new base to without disrupting the carving itself.  You could even use it to create a temporary base while you come up with just the right piece to make a permanent one.

[Robert Long]

DanG ;)

Thanks for the info and yes, we plan to have a good look at the bottom when we turn it on it's side and if possible we will try to keep good wood   :-\

Robert

[Don_Papenburg]

You might look into some wood restoration epoxy for rot stabaliation.

[woodbowl]

I feel a large 40" round 10" thick will only rot quickly and most likely split in the weather as the end grain will soak up moisture as well.   

What ever type of wood you use, you can go to your local paint store, pick up a gallon of copper naphthenate and brush it on. It's like wood treatment in a can. Keep some around for your shovels, hoes and ax handles as well.  ;)

[isawlogs]

Robert ,
to attache or re-attache the statue to the new base .. I would epoxie some 1" threaded rod , you can get them in many variaty , ( stailess galvanised , tempered  what ever nocks your socks ... ) put a 3/8 plate recessed into the base , pre drill for the rods I dont know the size at base of statue but four rods will hold a two ton winch  ;)
  We put the sheaves in the Museum of Civilisation in Hull into ciment with epoxie , We got ours from the Hilti dealer , it came in glass tubes that you droped into the hole and pounded the rod in .... ya tried to get it right the first time .   

  Now I would be game to try poly-urathan glue in there ... that stuff will stick and hold to anything .

[Dale Hatfield]

LAG BOLTS
All wood carvings without a airgap  between carving base and ground(concrete/soil ) will rot away . Concrete holds moisture and the carving will wick it up.
Complete sealing of base with a varnish will cause dryrot.  The base needs a protective coating/logoil  whatever product of choice.
Place 4 lags in the base srew them in to the end of the threads or close to it. Then you have an air gap and a self leveling device built in.

[Robert Long]

Thanks everybody for all the advice I do like the lag bolt idea and epoxy is in the skeem of things!
I posted the pictures of the carving and the base but it did not upload to this thread.  You can see them on my photo album if you like to see what we are trying to save.

Thanks again for all your suggestions!

Robert

[SwampDonkey]

Here's Robert's outdoor carving pictures.

[woodbowl]

Whoever did the carving, they are good! Who is the artist?

[Tom]

That must have been tough, carving tht wood lamp. 

Who's the old man holding it?

[Robert Long]

Thanks SwampDonkey ;)

The carving is a sailor named 'Sphenson' and is carved from one log and is quite old!  The carver is a good friend Bud LaBranche and he has been carving for some years now as well as teaching carving.

You can see how the rot has eaten the lower base of the carving and now the carving is in danger of collapsing if not repaired soon.

You all have great points and we will heed all your concerns and suggestions when we take on the repair.

I will keep this thread going until the carving is back in it's place

Robert