I am Stumped !!

[Magicman]

Yup, I am completely Cypress Stumped.


From the base looking "up".


Top view.


Another top view.


A side view.



From the other side.

I have been watching this stump for over 5 years, wanting it, and wondering if I might ever have an opportunity to get it.  Well, get it I did, so now I am stumped.

The top is about 33' X 36" and it is 30" tall.  The top and bottom will need chainsaw squaring and then it will get pressure washed to remove all of the bark.  

This will make a whopping pedestal table.

[SwampDonkey]

That sure is a wild stump with all the crevasses and folds. 

Cypress Stump Project. 

[Magicman]

Yes, like ERC, Cypress is known for fluted butts.  Since I will not be sawing, I may pressure wash that monster tomorrow.  

All that I have is a 25" chainsaw bar....wish that I had a 50".

[Magicman]

I may pressure wash that monster tomorrow. 

Nope, I ain't getting out in 33° (now 31°) weather with a ~15mph wind and pressure washing anything. 

[GRANITEstateMP]

Magicman,

We've been waiting for a day that it gets UP to that temp to do a bit of pressure washing!

[Big_eddy]

Yes, like ERC, Cypress is known for fluted butts.  Since I will not be sawing, I may pressure wash that monster tomorrow. 

All that I have is a 25" chainsaw bar....wish that I had a 50".

Can't you mount it on the mill to square the top and bottom? Like trimming bench legs or cutting cookies?

[Magicman]

Oh no, this is much too large.  The height would be OK, but my blade guides will only go 26" wide.  I could remove the blade guides but I suspect that it would still be too large.

I can easily see where this stump may go upside down for a table pedestal, but even that thought is still too far into the future.



I do have a tree service friend that has one of these.      

[Ljohnsaw]

I would put the darker, larger looking end up. More interesting to look at under a glass top? That would leave more toe space if this is going to be a dining table.

For leveling, maybe do a router sled? Could do both ends in an hour, maybe less?

[Magicman]

Yes, the bottom has much more character and would look much better on top.  Ditto the leg room. 

Then if the top needed some legs, etc. for support on the bottom, that would be a small matter.

[Ljohnsaw]

Also, if you do a sled, you would be able to route out the middle leaving a ring-like foot to support the bottom and make it more stable, especially if placed on a carpeted surface.

[Magicman]

I understand but I am still thinking some sort of legs.  A close look will show sapwood decay in the top which will become the bottom. 

[Ljohnsaw]

Penetrating epoxy first?

[Magicman]

I will know more when I get it squared which will be after pressure washing.  I am confident that the bottom will become the top.   

I saw one done that way once and it was striking.  I have a picture of it somewhere.....but ??  It was in a sawing customer's home.

[Magicman]

I found it:




It's much more open than I remembered.  This one is roots, mine is a stump and will be very different.

I can only imagine how much that round glass top would cost. 

[SwampDonkey]

If it is tempered like stove glass, a small fortune. 

[Ljohnsaw]

I see them free on CL quite often and others cheap on FB Marketplace. Keep the glass, toss the base.

[Ianab]

Router sled for the final squaring up. Chainsaw will get you close, but basically impossible to get perfect, and nothing will be worse than the base or the glass top rocking. 

If you need some "feet" to make it more stable, maybe some fake "buttress roots" set into the bottom, and extending out a little in 4 directions. Bit of an S shape to blend in?

[rusticretreater]

Think this is doable?

In the center of the stump, affix a large suction cup on a threaded shaft.  Sit the glass on that and then screw the entire table top into the stump. You will need a hollowed out section in the center for the suction cup to fit into.  But when fully screwed in, the table surface should rest on the stump.

You can also use a hand planer to remove high spots.  Or make high spots or raised pads in a circle to support the table top as well.  Make the raised pads adjustable too, so you can fine tune the level of the table.  I know, engineering overkill.

[Magicman]

I am thinking that 'chainsaw square' on the top which will become the bottom will be ample.  It will get 4 feet to raise it above the (ceramic tile) floor.  I can get some Cypress knees which will be along the lines that Ian was describing above.

The bottom which will become the top can be easily leveled by sawing, planing, sanding, & polishing.

All of the above will be after pressure washing and then taking it's place behind sawmilling.

[Magicman]

I got da stump debarked and pressure washed this morning:


Looks a bit different from before:




It's still hard to comprehend how that bottom is fluted.

Next I'll need help to turn it on it's side for chainsawing the top and bottom.

[Wlmedley]

MM, I think that is going to be a nice project. Like a fella I used to work with always said no matter what we were working on " take your time and have fun with it "

[Magicman]

We rolled er over on it's side today so the chainsaw is next.  Hopefully tomorrow.

[Magicman]

I chainsawed the top, which will become the bottom, off this morning.  I intend to do some plunge, wedge, etc. cuts into the center to remove some weight and lighten this monster up a bit.

I hope to find a couple of (small) Cypress Knees to split and make some legs/feet.  They would only extend about an inch below the stump. 

[Magicman]

I did a bit of chainsawing but the juice was not worth the squeeze toward removing weight.  I doubt that what I got out weighed 5 lbs.


This is the bottom which will be the top.  Left to right measures 43", and far to near measures 52".  The right side is 2" higher so I have much leveling to do.  Maybe chainsaw....maybe not.

[SwampDonkey]

That old girl is making you work for it.