On 10/12/2016 13:03, newshound wrote:
On 12/10/2016 10:50 AM, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Xmas tree trunk is too big to fit my stand. Ways of reducing the
diameter,
please. Tree is too big to clamp in my vice so will have to be done
outside freehand, as it were. Not really used to working with raw timber,
and don't possess an axe. Just the usual workshop wood working tools.


Whilst not ideal on damp timber, the good old fashioned angle grinder
(with a coarse sanding disk of course) removes material pretty quickly
and safely.

When I had that problem last year, I cut the base as square as feasible
and stood it on a circle of 18mm ply, screwed through from the bottom
with a few big screws, intending to use wedges to adjust for any
deviation from vertical (which proved unnecessary). A couple of arris
rail brackets were also added for good measure.
The ply fitted into a bucket, which was filled with MOT to give it some
ballast (no doubt sand etc would do fine), then the whole lot was hidden
with Xmas paper etc.

It held fine and, importantly, nobody (ie SWMBO) saw it as an unsightly
bodge.....