What to do with a stump?

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Cowboy Billy

Cowboy Billy

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Dec 10, 2008
885
Britton MI
While talking about bore cutting while talking about leaners. Reminded me so some of the things I used bore cutting for.

One was a big box-elder the was broke off in my yard when I bought it. After I got done cutting up the broke off top I still had a lot of stem sticking up rather than flush cutting it I carved it out into a mushroom. Its getting pretty weathered now as I carved it up ten years ago. I was going to stain it but keep on forgetting to.

(broken image removed)


Then a year after I moved in a big muti stemmed mulberry blew over. And I carved that one into a chair and I use it quit often just to sit in the yard.

(broken image removed)

I also did up another fancier chair in the horse pasture. But it was poplar blown down a few years before I bought this place and its pretty well rotted now. But it was great as I could sit out with my horse but didn't have to worry about him knocking it over and getting his feet tangled up in or it blowing away.

Billy
 
I've planted trees in them. After the stump rots away it leaves a sweet looking root system exposed.

Matt
 
You see a lot of Black Birch in the woods here that sprouted on a stump or log, and now the stump or log has rotted away so you can see exposed roots. I am ashamed that my stumps are simply cut close the ground; just plain, old stumps. I now know I could've done a lot better.
 
Mine are pretty boring too. I cut them as close to flush as I can and then bore cut a tic-tac-toe board looking thing in them so they'll hold water and rot faster.
 
Well I don't carve up every stump. In fact I have only done four in 34 years. But its something to think about if you have one in the right area.

Billy
 
Cowboy Billy said:
I also did up another fancier chair in the horse pasture.
Click to expand...

thinkin I'd need a bigger stump.
 
Watch it or you might make some serious money doing that in your down time:

http://www.chainsaw-art.com/

(broken link removed to http://picasaweb.google.com/CindyKfrmWA/BearNecessitiesSculpture?feat=flashslideshow#5418164455898265490)
 

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Nice Cowboy! There's more then firewood to feed the saw!
 
My neighbors across the street had some stumps (and trees) carved by a local man and wife team wood carvers. I was surprised how quick and inexpensive they were.
This picture was taken when the wife came back for a final re-carving of one branch that the owners wanted changed from a bird nest into another bird. The nest didn't look quite right.
[Hearth.com] What to do with a stump?

Here are a few more pictures of some of their carvings.
Bears
Eagle
Owl Bear
Bear Stump
Dog/Wolf
Owl Mountain view
 
I'm actually tooling up to start carving myself. I have a huge load of white pine logs coming in a week or so, so I'll be burning a lot of pine scrap.

It's kinda intimidating seeing all the good stuff being done, and seeing as how I have no natural artistic ability. I've been talking to several experienced carvers, though, and many of them never ran a saw before they started, nor could they draw beyond stick figures (my current "Picasso" rating), but they said once they began they just started to see things in the wood as they were carving and that ability kept getting better over time. Astonishingly, a few of these folks have earnings in the six-figure range. I'll just be happy if my new hobby pays for the new toys I've been acquiring.

This specialty stuff is expensive. I am getting an electric detail saw next week. I costs $200, but the necessary mods will nearly double the cost. Carving bars alone can exceed $100 and they have a short life expectancy because of the way they are used. Saws get burned up quicker, more gas and bar oil is used, scaffolding needs to be built and used, etc. Many folks are using canola oil in place of bar oil so they don't contaminate their working grounds by constantly carving over it for years. If I can sell a small bear a week I'll be very happy. Should help feed the severe case of CAD I've recently developed. :coolsmile:
 
I used a 16" stump by the edge of the road to mount my mailbox. Don't have to worry about kids knocking it over or anyone backing into it ;-) I like the chair idea, I'll have to incorporate those. The others go bye-bye with the stump grinder on my Bobcat.
 
Battenkiller said:
Watch it or you might make some serious money doing that in your down time:

http://www.chainsaw-art.com/

(broken link removed to http://picasaweb.google.com/CindyKfrmWA/BearNecessitiesSculpture?feat=flashslideshow#5418164455898265490)
Click to expand...

Where did you get the pic of the '220' one? I know it well.....
 
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