another use for slabs

[shinnlinger]

Wife wanted a raised bed or two so I went out to the mill to fire it up but tripped over my slab pile and decided to to do that instead



filled it 2/3 full of wood chips and topped it with composted manure

Didn't get to run the mill but wife seemed happy so good day!

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I'm impressed! Thats a nice country look. Of course its the wife's opinion that counts.  ;D
Good job Shinn.

[thecfarm]

Looks good enough to me. What is she growing?

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

What is she growing?

OLD....thats why she's been on his case to get it done!  :D

[kelLOGg]

I wish my pine slabs were big enough to something like that. Don't want to hijack the thread but the subject is near and dear to my heart. It would cost me $350 to have them chipped, no takers (yet) on Craigslist, wrong season for outdoor boiler owners to think about firewood, termites eat too slowly and I want to get rid of them, ... any more ideas?
Bob

 

[Peter Drouin]

What's with the rebar in the logs?

[slider]

I have one.

 

[JimFX]

What is she growing?

OLD....thats why she's been on his case to get it done!  :D

and thats when the fight started ......

[drobertson]

Good looking raised bed,

[isawlogs]

What's with the rebar in the logs?

My guess is to hold up a net... then again I have been know to be way out in left field  ;D

[giant splinter]

That is a very nice looking raised bed planter,I like the idea of the raised bed design and I agree with David, it is a nice country look ...... planting maters? materhead
I try to cut my slabs to size (fireplace length) if they are red fir or tamarack then split and stack them in a wood shed, the lower btu material I size up for camping firewood and a neat pile by the mail box row that is always gone the next time I look.

[Leigh Family Farm]

Nice looking raised beds. Can you keep us updated on how the woodchips as a grow medium work? I'm interested in doing the same thing but don't have a big enough bed at the moment.

For the giant slab pile, I would rent a chipper for a 1/2 day. The local tool rental place near me rents them for 4 hour blocks. I think you could chip all that stuff in a few hours. Other than that, I would chop them into 16" lengths and bundle them as camp firewood like was mentioned before.

[Brad_bb]

I think he just used the wood chips as filler to raise it up, then put soil layer on top to plant in.  I bet as the chips decompose, the bed will sink down some.  So he'll have to add to it next year or the year after.

[isawlogs]

Wife wanted a raised bed or two so I went out to the mill to fire it up but tripped over my slab pile and decided to to do that instead

filled it 2/3 full of wood chips and topped it with composted manure

Didn't get to run the mill but wife seemed happy so good day!

[shinnlinger]

Here they are with "dirt" and a little seat to make for easy weeding.  The idea with the chips is they were handy filler but also free of weed seeds hopefully and they will compost down to good top soil some day.


and here is a little thing I welded a year ago that I like a lot.  Get a fire going and it burns hot and clear and you can roll it around while it is going but it could easily take slabs and you could burn while sawing if you threw them in as you went.  I like to clean up the cutoffs and stuff as I go with it now.  I call it my "InShinnerator".... it's a "Shinnvention"

[starbits]

What is she growing?

OLD....thats why she's been on his case to get it done!  :D

I thought this was funny and was going to show it to the wife, then the brain kicked in.  Best let sleeping tigers lie.

Starbits

[Dad2FourWI]

I love your "InShinnerator" !!!!

Mobile too..... hmmmmm 

That is bloody ShIngenious !  :D

-Dad2FourWI

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Nice job! Nice and tall too!

[davidlarson]

Those slabs look to me like eastern white pine.  My wife also wanted me to make some raised beds for her garden.  I had some white pine logs, 15 inches or so in diameter.  They had been down for some time, were beginning to have a few worm holes and so were not really useful as saw logs, and pine is not really a very good firewood.  I cut them into 12-foot lengths and attached the ends about 4 feet apart with some old 2 by 6 boards, making raised beds 4 by 12 feet, 15 inches deep.  They had the advantages of being free, and were easy to put in place with my small tractor, a boom and a chain.  They were big enough for her to be able to sit on the logs as  she worked in the garden.  Unfortunately, white pine doesn't last a long time in contact with the ground, so now, about 5 years later, they are deteriorating, and will have to be replaced in the next year or two.  Fortunately, we are surrounded by forest with many more living and dead trees, so there is no lack of free replacement materials.  I expect your slabs will need to be replaced sooner or later as well.
David L.   

[Dad2FourWI]

.... after my first reply, I left my browser up on this thread and when my wife was checking her email, she saw your slab-raised bed.... and NOW she has my weekend planned out!!!!

I was going to cut stickers this weekend but it looks like I will be pulling wood from my slab pile instead!!!

... at least she now has her own edger - so I can put her to work!!! :D

Nice job! - I like the seats on the top... adds strength too!

-Dad2FourWI

[MikeON]

The InShinnerator looks very interesting, especially since I have an old oil tank.  Can you share a few details about it?  Is the expanded metal in front placed inside as a grate?  Is there an air hole somewhere?
Thanks.

[shinnlinger]

I'm heading out the door to Maine for a few days.  Will create separate post about it when I get back.

[thecfarm]

I remember the InShinnerator,What I like about it,he towed it to where he was picking stuff up and just threw it in. I have to carry my stuff to the brush pile. He brings his fire to the piles.  ;D

[DeerMeadowFarm]

I have to carry my stuff to the brush pile. He brings his fire to the piles.  ;D

Very clever! I will be looking forward to shinnlinger's post on it!

[DeerMeadowFarm]

I'm heading out the door to Maine for a few days.  Will create separate post about it when I get back.

Are you back yet? ;)