I recently brought down the remains of a mostly-rotted tree from my
yard. It had snapped during the winter in a windstorm.

Cutting it down was pretty easy. I sawed very low to the ground just
using a bow saw, then a strong friend and I were able to push the trunk
over, snapping it at the cut.

What to do now with the stump? I don't want to pay a stump remover if I
can avoid it. Money (probably $75) isn't the big issue; the big issue
is that they'll then make a massive hole and dirt spot in my
otherwise-immaculate front yard, and that spot will be a bear to get to
look nice.

A few ideas I've had:

a) Flood the stump remains with water and just attack it with a hatchet
or a wedge and sledge hammer.

b) Perhaps put some gasoline or charcoal lighter on it, and burn it.

c) Just let it slowly rot over years.

The roots aren't an issue. The tree had been dying for years before it
snapped, and the roots are well underground. The remaining stump is
maybe ten inches in diameter, and extends to a maximum of two inches
above the surface of the lawn. I just want to remove it for safety
reasons (don't want kids to be playing around it and fall and bang their
heads, or to trip over it) and esthetics (I have a large green lawn,
with this whitish-yellow "spot" on it where the stump is).

Ideas?

Go to the Carolwrightgifts website and you can order some stuff that you
pour into the stump. This stuff will dissolve it somewhat so you can just
dig it out.

Injun Ear

"trader-of-some-jacks" wrote in message
...
I recently brought down the remains of a mostly-rotted tree from my
yard. It had snapped during the winter in a windstorm.

Cutting it down was pretty easy. I sawed very low to the ground just
using a bow saw, then a strong friend and I were able to push the trunk
over, snapping it at the cut.

What to do now with the stump? I don't want to pay a stump remover if I
can avoid it. Money (probably $75) isn't the big issue; the big issue
is that they'll then make a massive hole and dirt spot in my
otherwise-immaculate front yard, and that spot will be a bear to get to
look nice.

A few ideas I've had:

a) Flood the stump remains with water and just attack it with a hatchet
or a wedge and sledge hammer.

b) Perhaps put some gasoline or charcoal lighter on it, and burn it.

c) Just let it slowly rot over years.

The roots aren't an issue. The tree had been dying for years before it
snapped, and the roots are well underground. The remaining stump is
maybe ten inches in diameter, and extends to a maximum of two inches
above the surface of the lawn. I just want to remove it for safety
reasons (don't want kids to be playing around it and fall and bang their
heads, or to trip over it) and esthetics (I have a large green lawn,
with this whitish-yellow "spot" on it where the stump is).

Ideas?

trader-of-some-jacks wrote:
I recently brought down the remains of a mostly-rotted tree from my
yard. It had snapped during the winter in a windstorm.

Cutting it down was pretty easy. I sawed very low to the ground just
using a bow saw, then a strong friend and I were able to push the trunk
over, snapping it at the cut.

What to do now with the stump? I don't want to pay a stump remover if I
can avoid it. Money (probably $75) isn't the big issue; the big issue
is that they'll then make a massive hole and dirt spot in my
otherwise-immaculate front yard, and that spot will be a bear to get to
look nice.

A few ideas I've had:

a) Flood the stump remains with water and just attack it with a hatchet
or a wedge and sledge hammer.

b) Perhaps put some gasoline or charcoal lighter on it, and burn it.

c) Just let it slowly rot over years.

The roots aren't an issue. The tree had been dying for years before it
snapped, and the roots are well underground. The remaining stump is
maybe ten inches in diameter, and extends to a maximum of two inches
above the surface of the lawn. I just want to remove it for safety
reasons (don't want kids to be playing around it and fall and bang their
heads, or to trip over it) and esthetics (I have a large green lawn,
with this whitish-yellow "spot" on it where the stump is).

Ideas?
In the old days we would use a brace and bit to bore 1 inch holes in the
stump. These would be filled with sodium nitrate (aka "saltpeter").
Several months later, the stump could be burned out.

I once had a stump I wanted out and got the idea to drill holes in it and
fill the holes with muriatic acid. This stuff is available at any swimming
pool supply and it worked faster than the chemical stump removers found at
garden centers. These methods can be slow though.

Another method I tried with success is to dig around the stump maybe 6 or 8
inches deep and cut it with a chain saw. Very fast and it worked very well.
Filled in over the stump and threw a little grass seed over it an all was
well. No harmful chemicals.


"trader-of-some-jacks" wrote in message
...
I recently brought down the remains of a mostly-rotted tree from my
yard. It had snapped during the winter in a windstorm.

Cutting it down was pretty easy. I sawed very low to the ground just
using a bow saw, then a strong friend and I were able to push the trunk
over, snapping it at the cut.

What to do now with the stump? I don't want to pay a stump remover if I
can avoid it. Money (probably $75) isn't the big issue; the big issue
is that they'll then make a massive hole and dirt spot in my
otherwise-immaculate front yard, and that spot will be a bear to get to
look nice.

A few ideas I've had:

a) Flood the stump remains with water and just attack it with a hatchet
or a wedge and sledge hammer.

b) Perhaps put some gasoline or charcoal lighter on it, and burn it.

c) Just let it slowly rot over years.

The roots aren't an issue. The tree had been dying for years before it
snapped, and the roots are well underground. The remaining stump is
maybe ten inches in diameter, and extends to a maximum of two inches
above the surface of the lawn. I just want to remove it for safety
reasons (don't want kids to be playing around it and fall and bang their
heads, or to trip over it) and esthetics (I have a large green lawn,
with this whitish-yellow "spot" on it where the stump is).

Ideas?

"trader-of-some-jacks" wrote in message
...
I recently brought down the remains of a mostly-rotted tree from my
yard. It had snapped during the winter in a windstorm.

Cutting it down was pretty easy. I sawed very low to the ground just
using a bow saw, then a strong friend and I were able to push the trunk
over, snapping it at the cut.

What to do now with the stump? I don't want to pay a stump remover if I
can avoid it. Money (probably $75) isn't the big issue; the big issue
is that they'll then make a massive hole and dirt spot in my
otherwise-immaculate front yard, and that spot will be a bear to get to
look nice.

A few ideas I've had:

a) Flood the stump remains with water and just attack it with a hatchet
or a wedge and sledge hammer.

b) Perhaps put some gasoline or charcoal lighter on it, and burn it.

c) Just let it slowly rot over years.

The roots aren't an issue. The tree had been dying for years before it
snapped, and the roots are well underground. The remaining stump is
maybe ten inches in diameter, and extends to a maximum of two inches
above the surface of the lawn. I just want to remove it for safety
reasons (don't want kids to be playing around it and fall and bang their
heads, or to trip over it) and esthetics (I have a large green lawn,
with this whitish-yellow "spot" on it where the stump is).

Ideas?

In an otherwise pristine front yard I would either chop it out with an axe
or let it rot out.

As I posted in another thread in this group, covered with dirt and kept
moist this guy should rot out in about 3 years. Maybe a small berm with
annual flowers planted and well watered????


Colbyt

trader-of-some-jacks wrote:
I recently brought down the remains of a mostly-rotted tree from my yard.
It had snapped during the winter in a windstorm.

Cutting it down was pretty easy. I sawed very low to the ground just
using a bow saw, then a strong friend and I were able to push the trunk
over, snapping it at the cut.

What to do now with the stump? I don't want to pay a stump remover if I
can avoid it. Money (probably $75) isn't the big issue; the big issue is
that they'll then make a massive hole and dirt spot in my
otherwise-immaculate front yard, and that spot will be a bear to get to
look nice.


I have taken out two big stumps. I started by putting a comealong on it and
getting a bind. Then started digging. But I used a very large vacuum to
remove loose soil. It helped to see where the roots were. I just dug, and
when I found another root, cut it. Cutting with a chain saw doesn't do
anything but ruin the saw.

It is work, but you will start to get the thing to move. If you have a good
bind on it by hooking it to something solid, this will help you get it
moving. If you have a 4wd truck, you can jerk on it a bit, but be careful.

Any way you look at it, there is no easy way.

Steve

"trader-of-some-jacks" wrote in message
c) Just let it slowly rot over years.


Be careful of this down the road. It may rot out and you cover it with
dirt. Then a few years later, it will rot some more and you step into a deep
hole. Once it does rot some it gets easier to remove though.

trader-of-some-jacks wrote:
I recently brought down the remains of a mostly-rotted tree from my
yard. It had snapped during the winter in a windstorm.

Cutting it down was pretty easy. I sawed very low to the ground just
using a bow saw, then a strong friend and I were able to push the trunk
over, snapping it at the cut.

What to do now with the stump? I don't want to pay a stump remover if I
can avoid it. Money (probably $75) isn't the big issue; the big issue
is that they'll then make a massive hole and dirt spot in my
otherwise-immaculate front yard, and that spot will be a bear to get to
look nice.

A few ideas I've had:

a) Flood the stump remains with water and just attack it with a hatchet
or a wedge and sledge hammer.

b) Perhaps put some gasoline or charcoal lighter on it, and burn it.

c) Just let it slowly rot over years.

The roots aren't an issue. The tree had been dying for years before it
snapped, and the roots are well underground. The remaining stump is
maybe ten inches in diameter, and extends to a maximum of two inches
above the surface of the lawn. I just want to remove it for safety
reasons (don't want kids to be playing around it and fall and bang their
heads, or to trip over it) and esthetics (I have a large green lawn,
with this whitish-yellow "spot" on it where the stump is).

Ideas?
Hi,
I'd just grind it up. Can rent a machine from rental outfit.
Tony

What to do now with the stump? .. the big issue
is that they'll then make a massive hole and dirt spot in my
otherwise-immaculate front yard, and that spot will be a bear to get to
look nice.

Same nice yard... dug around the stump..cut it off below grade with a
chainsaw.
After that, backfilled the hole, put plastic sheet down and sat a large
glassine type 4' high black lavarock on the stump (think IO needle) and
landscaped/ptl 2X4 frame around it 5' X5' with smaller lavarock covering the
rest of the plastic, then 'bonsai' type pine trees and a couple of Lo volt
"spots" which shined on the rock at night. Got lots of compliments on it.

R

"just cut it"... how?

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"SteveB" wrote in message
news:Ilwge.30304$fI.26053@fed1read05...


I have taken out two big stumps. I started by putting a comealong on it and
getting a bind. Then started digging. But I used a very large vacuum to
remove loose soil. It helped to see where the roots were. I just dug, and
when I found another root, cut it. Cutting with a chain saw doesn't do
anything but ruin the saw.

It is work, but you will start to get the thing to move. If you have a good
bind on it by hooking it to something solid, this will help you get it
moving. If you have a 4wd truck, you can jerk on it a bit, but be careful.

Any way you look at it, there is no easy way.

Steve

I've heard of boreholes, and packing in powdered milk. I don't know if that
helps.

Saltpeter is potassium nitrate. Though, they are very similar in their
effect.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"William W. Plummer" wrote in message
...

In the old days we would use a brace and bit to bore 1 inch holes in the
stump. These would be filled with sodium nitrate (aka "saltpeter").
Several months later, the stump could be burned out.

Roots usually contain dirt and sand. They dull a saw chain unbelievably
fast. This, I know from experience.

It is possible to pull a stump with a sawzall and a LOT of replacement
blades. This, also from experience.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"Ed" wrote in message
...
I once had a stump I wanted out and got the idea to drill holes in it and
fill the holes with muriatic acid. This stuff is available at any swimming
pool supply and it worked faster than the chemical stump removers found at
garden centers. These methods can be slow though.

Another method I tried with success is to dig around the stump maybe 6 or 8
inches deep and cut it with a chain saw. Very fast and it worked very well.
Filled in over the stump and threw a little grass seed over it an all was
well. No harmful chemicals.

Can you put a saw blade onto and angle grinder and just hack away at
it? 20 minutes and I bet you'd be below grass level.

Dean

"trader-of-some-jacks" wrote in message
...
I recently brought down the remains of a mostly-rotted tree from my
yard. It had snapped during the winter in a windstorm.

Cutting it down was pretty easy. I sawed very low to the ground just
using a bow saw, then a strong friend and I were able to push the trunk
over, snapping it at the cut.

What to do now with the stump? I don't want to pay a stump remover if I
can avoid it. Money (probably $75) isn't the big issue; the big issue
is that they'll then make a massive hole and dirt spot in my
otherwise-immaculate front yard, and that spot will be a bear to get to
look nice.

A few ideas I've had:

a) Flood the stump remains with water and just attack it with a hatchet
or a wedge and sledge hammer.

b) Perhaps put some gasoline or charcoal lighter on it, and burn it.

c) Just let it slowly rot over years.

The roots aren't an issue. The tree had been dying for years before it
snapped, and the roots are well underground. The remaining stump is
maybe ten inches in diameter, and extends to a maximum of two inches
above the surface of the lawn. I just want to remove it for safety
reasons (don't want kids to be playing around it and fall and bang their
heads, or to trip over it) and esthetics (I have a large green lawn,
with this whitish-yellow "spot" on it where the stump is).

Ideas?

Next time ( if possible ) leave about 10 feet of the tree attached to the
stump, and pull it over with a 4wd pickup or winch or something, uprooting
the stump in the process--acts as a counter balance and if the guys are
attached up ten feet gives you a tremendous mechanical advantage.

As to the use of nitrates, this always speeds the composting of woody
vegetation, and also helps if you chose to burn it at a later time....if
your gonna burn, then suggest add diesel to the nitrate-soaked bore-holes
few days prior to torching the mess....pretty sure what you REALLY want is
urea, IIRC 44-0-0, though that's probly not commonly available these days.

--

SVL

John‰]* ************************************************** ************* wrote:

Punch or drill a bunch of holes in the side of an empty coffee can.
Once it is full of holes, remove the other lid. Place this "chimney"
on the stump, fill with charcoal and ignite with your favorite method.

I can picture this with a 55 gallon drum and a blower :-)

Nick

we got some maple stumps still here,but rotting , after 15 years. a
10 inch stump shouldnt be hard to deal with, weve drilled holes in em
and poured in different kinds of acid , or poured nothing in at all and
in about 3 years its loose enough to chop out. just try somehing and it
should help. lucas

Stormin,

I've never heard of the powdered milk method, but it cannot be
similar to the methods using saltpeter (or any other nitrate).
When allowed to soak in well over the coarse of a few months,
the saltpeter basically turns the entire stump into a very low
grade gunpowder. It certainly isn't going to deflagrate ("explode"),
but it will burn very easily now since the smoldering wood
continually heats the imbedded nitrates, which release oxygen.
An application of kerosene (fuel oil) an hour of so before ignition
helps tremendously.

Powdered milk cannot behave that way. The powdered milk
should be used in conjunction with an application of some nitrogen
source (compost, manure, any high nitrogen fertilizer). The
combination of the two will greatly accelerate the decomposition
process, which is fine if the homeowner can live with the resulting
mushrooms that will grow off the decomposing stump and roots.

Gideon

=======


Stormin Mormon wrote in message ...
I've heard of boreholes, and packing in powdered milk. I don't know if that
helps.

Saltpeter is potassium nitrate. Though, they are very similar in their
effect.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"William W. Plummer" wrote in message
...

In the old days we would use a brace and bit to bore 1 inch holes in the
stump. These would be filled with sodium nitrate (aka "saltpeter").
Several months later, the stump could be burned out.

"trader-of-some-jacks" wrote in message
...
I recently brought down the remains of a mostly-rotted tree from my
yard. It had snapped during the winter in a windstorm.

Cutting it down was pretty easy. I sawed very low to the ground just
using a bow saw, then a strong friend and I were able to push the trunk
over, snapping it at the cut.

What to do now with the stump?

The last one I removed, I dug underneath the (reversed) saddle of the roots,
slid a plywood board underneath it, slid my floor jack between the plywood
and the stump, and jacked it out of the ground. Jack till it starts to lean
too much, re-position the jack to work more on the resisting side, add
blocks as needed to get more motion.

Bob

trader-of-some-jacks wrote:
I recently brought down the remains of a mostly-rotted tree from my
yard. It had snapped during the winter in a windstorm.
snip
What to do now with the stump? I don't want to pay a stump remover if I
can avoid it. Money (probably $75) isn't the big issue; the big issue
is that they'll then make a massive hole and dirt spot in my
otherwise-immaculate front yard, and that spot will be a bear to get to
look nice.

Your otherwise immaculate front yard had a dead and rotting tree in it.
Rent a stump grinder, grid it down, then spend you effort on fixing up the
lawn: stumpgrinders don't leave a hole really: it's still filled with the
dirt and wood chips that were there. A bit of topsoil and a bit of new
turf and you're back in business.

Everything else you're going to try will only make a bigger eyesore for
longer.


John
--
Remove the dead poet to e-mail, tho CC'd posts are unwelcome.
Mean People Suck - It takes two deviations to get cool.
Ask me about joining the NRA.

If you have a very nice lawn, then you are going to be rather disappointed
if you do not remove the stump and all of the main roots that branch out
below the lawn.

Mushrooms are the scavengers of the plant world. They cannot grow
unless there is dead and decaying material around for them to scavenge
for growth and energy materials. If you allow the stump and roots to rot
in your lawn, you will get to observe this process first hand on a large scale
beginning 1-3 years after you cut down the tree and lasting for a decade
or more after the mushrooms start to appear.

Your lawnmower will not cut low enough to remove them. And some of
the mushroom varieties are as hard as wood and they leave a large divot
in the lawn when you pull them out.

It is common to notice a circle of mushrooms in some guys lawn, along
with several lines of mushrooms branching out radially from that circle.
These mushrooms define the location of a former tree and its main branches
and they will continue to do so for many years.

If you are concerned about your lawn, then:
1) Grind the stump down as far as reasonable, but at least 8".
2) "Chase" the main roots with the grinder and grind them out completely,
don't just shave off the top of them.
3) Remove as much of the chipped wood as possible from the dug up areas.
Raking is a minimal step, but screening the soil/chip mix is better.
Very
fine bits of wood are ok, but significant chips will feed mushrooms.
4) Reseed the areas.

You need to consider how fussy you are about your lawn and how much effort
and money you put into it each year. Then consider the cost of having the
stump and roots removed versus the hassle of mushrooms for a decade or so.

I spent hundreds removing the stump and chasing the roots of a 70' maple
that I had removed from my front yard several years ago. I'll do the same
in the next year or so for the second 70' maple which I now want to remove.
I consider it money well spent. Some of my neighbors think that is wasteful
and they are content to live with their mushrooms or remove them weekly.
None of us are "right or wrong", its just that we view the situation
differently
and have different priorities.

If you want to conserve money but still get rid of the stump and some of
the roots very close to it, then I'd recommend the saltpeter (KNO3 - potassium
nitrate) plus kerosene approach. Properly done, this is quite safe, especially
these days with the deflagration (explosion) inhibitors that are blended with
the saltpeter in commercially available "stump remover" chemicals bought
at garden centers. There is a lot of information about this method available
on the Internet. I believe that a few months of soaking are recommended
to permit the KNO3 to soak down into the roots. I also believe that the fire
should smolder for days as it works its way deep into the root zone.

Cheaper sources of KNO3 are around. Some fertilizers such as "K-Power"
(Vicksburg Chemical Company) are basically pure saltpeter. The chemical
analysis on the bag should be about 13-0-44, which is the ratios for pure
KNO3. I'm moderately certain that these fertilizers also have the
deflagration inhibitors in them.

Just be warned that if you make a lot of inquiries into purchasing KNO3,
you run a modest risk on getting on a terror watchlist. If you mail order
the KNO3, you will certainly get on a terror watchlist. If you make inquiries
about KNO3 on certain newgroups, you will definitely get on the list.

Final caveat - follow the directions on the stump remover packages. Also
do a bit of Google searching for additional comments on using KNO3 plus
kerosene/diesel fuel. Personally, I've advised a number of people on this
method but I've never used it myself.

Good luck,
Gideon

Bob,

I like that suggestion. If a person has access to an impact wrench
and one or more scissors jacks, then that might be an easier
and faster method. (An impact wrench in conjunction with a
scissors jack is a very effortless way to jack up or lower cars.)

I'm curious if a chain under a root and connected to two jacks
straddling the root would work easily. That would greatly
reduced the amount of digging under the root. A common
compressed air line splitter plus a second impact wrench would
make it possible to operate both jacks at the same time if
a person was using the scissors jacks.

I enjoy yanking out stumps and bushes with a strong metal
wire and a vehicle, but it is a bit dangerous to property, vehicle
and people. Plus it isn't always practical.

Gideon

==========

Bob wrote:

The last one I removed, I dug underneath the (reversed) saddle of the roots,
slid a plywood board underneath it, slid my floor jack between the plywood
and the stump, and jacked it out of the ground. Jack till it starts to lean
too much, re-position the jack to work more on the resisting side, add
blocks as needed to get more motion.

Bob

Gideon wrote:
Bob,

I like that suggestion. If a person has access to an impact wrench
and one or more scissors jacks, then that might be an easier
and faster method. (An impact wrench in conjunction with a
scissors jack is a very effortless way to jack up or lower cars.)

But it's a bad way to jack off a tree.

BTDT, ruined a jack.



John
--
Remove the dead poet to e-mail, tho CC'd posts are unwelcome.
Mean People Suck - It takes two deviations to get cool.
Ask me about joining the NRA.

Gideon wrote:


Just be warned that if you make a lot of inquiries into purchasing KNO3,
you run a modest risk on getting on a terror watchlist. If you mail order
the KNO3, you will certainly get on a terror watchlist. If you make inquiries
about KNO3 on certain newgroups, you will definitely get on the list.


I remember my dad using dynamite to remove stumps at our summer home in
Woodside, California about 55 years ago.

Launched one right over the roof of the house once, quite a sight.

I suppose inquiries about where to buy dynamite these days would get you
in more trouble than ones about saltpeter, huh? G

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

I agree. Memory is that the milk speeds the decay some how, and it rots out.
I used to use saltpeter to make fireworks, and time delay fuses, and so on.
Yes, it releases oxygen, and makes organic products burn faster. I'd expect
it to rinse off in the first or second rain storm, so "months later"
wouldn't be very effective.

What comes to mind to me. I'd be trying long bore holes, and then leave it
for a day or two to let the holes dry out. Add the saltpeter and try to burn
the stump out an hour later.

I will refrain from mentioning ammonium nitrate. And won't even think of
mentioning ammonium and fuel oil.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"Gideon" wrote in message
...
Stormin,

I've never heard of the powdered milk method, but it cannot be
similar to the methods using saltpeter (or any other nitrate).
When allowed to soak in well over the coarse of a few months,
the saltpeter basically turns the entire stump into a very low
grade gunpowder. It certainly isn't going to deflagrate ("explode"),
but it will burn very easily now since the smoldering wood
continually heats the imbedded nitrates, which release oxygen.
An application of kerosene (fuel oil) an hour of so before ignition
helps tremendously.

Powdered milk cannot behave that way. The powdered milk
should be used in conjunction with an application of some nitrogen
source (compost, manure, any high nitrogen fertilizer). The
combination of the two will greatly accelerate the decomposition
process, which is fine if the homeowner can live with the resulting
mushrooms that will grow off the decomposing stump and roots.

Gideon

=======


Stormin Mormon wrote in message ...
I've heard of boreholes, and packing in powdered milk. I don't know if that
helps.

Saltpeter is potassium nitrate. Though, they are very similar in their
effect.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"William W. Plummer" wrote in message
...

In the old days we would use a brace and bit to bore 1 inch holes in the
stump. These would be filled with sodium nitrate (aka "saltpeter").
Several months later, the stump could be burned out.

On Thu, 12 May 2005 16:37:24 -0400, Jeff Wisnia
wrote:

Gideon wrote:


Just be warned that if you make a lot of inquiries into purchasing KNO3,
you run a modest risk on getting on a terror watchlist. If you mail order
the KNO3, you will certainly get on a terror watchlist. If you make inquiries
about KNO3 on certain newgroups, you will definitely get on the list.


I remember my dad using dynamite to remove stumps at our summer home in
Woodside, California about 55 years ago.

Launched one right over the roof of the house once, quite a sight.

I suppose inquiries about where to buy dynamite these days would get you
in more trouble than ones about saltpeter, huh? G

Jeff
Hell.. 20 years ago you could buy dynamite at select hardware stores.
If I remember correctly, it wasn't any more restricted than buying
shotgun shells! You could by "full" sticks or those already cut in
half or quarters for stump launching. Had temporary "explosives"
sticker to put on back /front/sides of truck.

It was recent enough that you had to have the stickers, and sign a
sheet saying that you didn't hold any one else responsible for you
doing something dumb.