I'm currently battling with a tree stump that really calls for some chainsaw
action.

http://www.zen31010.zen.co.uk/images/stump.jpg

I don't have a chainsaw however so I've done a lot of digging and managed to
saw all the roots bar two biggies that are side by side. Total thickness fo
the two remaining roots is about 9".

Their position means that hand sawing is next to impossible and I'm
wondering about burning though it. I've got a good cavity under the stump
now and could easily toss in the odd bag of coal. Anyone tried this
approach?

The wood is still very green & wet so it's not going to burn readily and I'm
a little wary of turning soft green wood into fire-hardened dry wood and
make it even harder to deal with!

Of course I could always get a man in but where's the fun in that? ;-)

Tim

Tim Downie wrote:

I'm currently battling with a tree stump that really calls for some chainsaw
action.
http://www.zen31010.zen.co.uk/images/stump.jpg
I don't have a chainsaw however so I've done a lot of digging and managed to
saw all the roots bar two biggies that are side by side. Total thickness fo
the two remaining roots is about 9".

Dig deeper, and get access to use a wood saw. I had a similar one a few
years back. Be prepared for the weight of the stump once it is free, I
think you will struggle to move that yourself, never mind picking it up.

Their position means that hand sawing is next to impossible and I'm
wondering about burning though it. I've got a good cavity under the stump
now and could easily toss in the odd bag of coal. Anyone tried this
approach?

Yep, and it was a complete waste of time.Making a fire in a pit is not a
good idea, unless you have some way of getting air to the bottom of the
pit. The tree will be very wet as well, making burning it pretty futile.
Alan.
--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.

The message
from "Tim Downie" contains these words:

I'm currently battling with a tree stump that really calls for some
chainsaw
action.

In recent years I have found an axe useful when the roots are too big to
cut though with a mattock. The axe end on a mattock being (usually at
least) a good deal blunter than an axe takes forever on thick roots.
OTOH I find that with a sharp long handled axe I can cut through bigger
roots and trunks faster with an axe than with a bow saw.

With overlapping roots you may need to cut the root in 2 places to give
access to the root below. In which case make the cut furthest away from
the tree first to reduce bounce.

--
Roger Chapman

Daft idea - but it might work - as you don't have a chainsaw, you
could try drilling zillions of holes from every direction to weaken
the root sufficiently for an axe or bow saw to have a significantly
easier time cutting it.

I don't have a chainsaw however ...

A chainsaw would loose its cutting abilty immediately if the chain
came in contact with any soil particles. Have tried it before and it's
a no no. Using a hand saw is soul-destroying also as when the wood is
green/wet thesaw tends to lock up and you can't get a decent length of
cutting stroke.

Having removed about 25 horrid Leylandii over the last 3 years, the
best way I found was to dig out as you have done and then use an old
chisel ( about 1.5 inch) with a 2 pound hammer. Regularly sharpen the
chisel with an angle grinder. I also use a 4" bolster where
appropriate.

Good luck

"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...

The wood is still very green & wet so it's not going to burn readily and
I'm a little wary of turning soft green wood into fire-hardened dry wood
and make it even harder to deal with!

Do you have a compressor?
I always fancied building a thermic lance to do that but I lack the stump to
try it on.

A.Lee wrote:
Tim Downie wrote:

Their position means that hand sawing is next to impossible and I'm
wondering about burning though it. I've got a good cavity under
the stump now and could easily toss in the odd bag of coal. Anyone
tried this approach?

Yep, and it was a complete waste of time.Making a fire in a pit is
not a good idea, unless you have some way of getting air to the
bottom of the
pit.

Old fan heater? I could direct it down to the base.

The tree will be very wet as well, making burning it pretty
futile. Alan.

How about an oxidant? Could I mix sodium chlorate with coal? How do you
make thermite?

As you may deduce, I still fancy the idea of burning it out. Sawing will be
*very* tricky because of where the roots are.

Tim

Tim Downie wrote:

I'm currently battling with a tree stump that really calls for some chainsaw
action.

http://www.zen31010.zen.co.uk/images/stump.jpg

Nice ;-)

Their position means that hand sawing is next to impossible and I'm
wondering about burning though it. I've got a good cavity under the stump
now and could easily toss in the odd bag of coal. Anyone tried this
approach?

I know someone who tried to burn a fence post stump out that way one
once. Used diesel and an air compressor to get air down into the hole.
All in all it was fairly hopeless!

The wood is still very green & wet so it's not going to burn readily and I'm
a little wary of turning soft green wood into fire-hardened dry wood and
make it even harder to deal with!

Of course I could always get a man in but where's the fun in that? ;-)

This is a situation where I would use a reciprocating saw with a long
green wood blade in it. Unlike a chainsaw it will happily cut through
wood that is covered in soil and won't mind if you end up burying the
blade in the ground while you work. If you knacker the blade then they
are only a few quid for a pack of three, so it won't break the bank. If
you need a basic saw for a one off job, the Axminster "White" one is not
bad for the money.


--
Cheers,

John.

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| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

declared for all the world to hear...
I'm currently battling with a tree stump that really calls for some chainsaw
action.

http://www.zen31010.zen.co.uk/images/stump.jpg

I don't have a chainsaw however so I've done a lot of digging and managed to
saw all the roots bar two biggies that are side by side. Total thickness fo
the two remaining roots is about 9".

Their position means that hand sawing is next to impossible and I'm
wondering about burning though it. I've got a good cavity under the stump
now and could easily toss in the odd bag of coal. Anyone tried this
approach?

The wood is still very green & wet so it's not going to burn readily and I'm
a little wary of turning soft green wood into fire-hardened dry wood and
make it even harder to deal with!

Of course I could always get a man in but where's the fun in that? ;-)

1. Anglegrinder to cut through the roots?
2. Get a chain round it and pull it out with a vehicle?
--
Regards
Jon

"John Rumm" wrote in message
...

This is a situation where I would use a reciprocating saw with a long
green wood blade in it. Unlike a chainsaw it will happily cut through wood
that is covered in soil and won't mind if you end up burying the blade in
the ground while you work. If you knacker the blade then they are only a
few quid for a pack of three, so it won't break the bank. If you need a
basic saw for a one off job, the Axminster "White" one is not bad for the
money.

I was just coming round to this idea before you mentioned it but it's good
to hear some support for these saws.

Time to flex the credit card. ;-)

Tim

On Sun, 6 May 2007 18:18:35 +0100, "Tim Downie"
wrote:

I'm currently battling with a tree stump that really calls for some chainsaw
action.

http://www.zen31010.zen.co.uk/images/stump.jpg

I don't have a chainsaw however so I've done a lot of digging and managed to
saw all the roots bar two biggies that are side by side. Total thickness fo
the two remaining roots is about 9".

Their position means that hand sawing is next to impossible and I'm
wondering about burning though it. I've got a good cavity under the stump
now and could easily toss in the odd bag of coal. Anyone tried this
approach?

The wood is still very green & wet so it's not going to burn readily and I'm
a little wary of turning soft green wood into fire-hardened dry wood and
make it even harder to deal with!

Of course I could always get a man in but where's the fun in that? ;-)

Tim



I'd be digging the hold a lot larger so you had easier access. :-)

Then you can cut across the roots than try and downwards, it's very
annoying trying to cut anything in a small space.


Mark S.

Yvonne wrote:
I don't have a chainsaw however ...

A chainsaw would loose its cutting abilty immediately if the chain
came in contact with any soil particles. Have tried it before and it's
a no no. Using a hand saw is soul-destroying also as when the wood is
green/wet thesaw tends to lock up and you can't get a decent length of
cutting stroke.

Dead right - soil kills chainsaw blades in seconds.

Drill as many holes as possible in the roots to weaken them.

From the picture it seems there is a road adjacent - hook a chain/strong
rope up to a vehicle after drilling & pull it out.


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

Tim Downie wrote:
A.Lee wrote:
Tim Downie wrote:

Their position means that hand sawing is next to impossible and I'm
wondering about burning though it. I've got a good cavity under
the stump now and could easily toss in the odd bag of coal. Anyone
tried this approach?
Yep, and it was a complete waste of time.Making a fire in a pit is
not a good idea, unless you have some way of getting air to the
bottom of the
pit.

Old fan heater? I could direct it down to the base.

The tree will be very wet as well, making burning it pretty
futile. Alan.

How about an oxidant? Could I mix sodium chlorate with coal? How do you
make thermite?

As you may deduce, I still fancy the idea of burning it out. Sawing will be
*very* tricky because of where the roots are.

Tim


I managed to do this with an old Leylandii stump

Lit a fire on top of it. It smouldered for days..eventually I raked
gravel over the pit. No idea what's left down there.


drilling holes and filling with an oxidant like chlorate or saltpeter is
good, but post 911 these sorts of things are hard to come by.

"Yvonne" wrote in message
ups.com...


I don't have a chainsaw however ...

A chainsaw would loose its cutting abilty immediately if the chain
came in contact with any soil particles. Have tried it before and it's
a no no. Using a hand saw is soul-destroying also as when the wood is
green/wet thesaw tends to lock up and you can't get a decent length of
cutting stroke.

Having removed about 25 horrid Leylandii over the last 3 years, the
best way I found was to dig out as you have done and then use an old
chisel ( about 1.5 inch) with a 2 pound hammer. Regularly sharpen the
chisel with an angle grinder. I also use a 4" bolster where
appropriate.

Good luck

Or a 30 mm wood chisel in an SDS drill, if you have one.

Go for the recip saw with the long green wood blades. Check ebay out for both and you will be pleasently surprised at the prices!

I've been using a Dewalt 18v cordless recip with cheap green wood blades about 9" long for that precise job for years. Works a treat and get a real sense of satisfaction when the bugger comes out the ground. Mind you, you've got a heavy on there mate!

Good luck... oh and by the way... nice stump!

On Sun, 6 May 2007 19:09:11 +0100, "dennis@home"
wrote:

I always fancied building a thermic lance to do that but I lack the stump to
try it on.

Aren't you the guy who thinks that gas-fired pottery kilns are an
explosion hazard?

Make sure you get a grown-up to help you!

On May 7, 5:18 am, "Tim Downie"
wrote:
I'm currently battling with a tree stump that really calls for some chainsaw
action.

http://www.zen31010.zen.co.uk/images/stump.jpg

I don't have a chainsaw however so I've done a lot of digging and managed to
saw all the roots bar two biggies that are side by side. Total thickness fo
the two remaining roots is about 9".

Use a 1" spade bit to drill holes in the remaining roots.
Attach a rope to the top of the tree and pull with a vehicle. Chop
what's left with an axe.

"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 6 May 2007 19:09:11 +0100, "dennis@home"
wrote:

I always fancied building a thermic lance to do that but I lack the stump
to
try it on.

Aren't you the guy who thinks that gas-fired pottery kilns are an
explosion hazard?

Only yours.
Others are well designed and used.

Cordless Crazy wrote:

I've been using a Dewalt 18v cordless recip with cheap green wood
blades about 9" long for that precise job for years. Works a treat and
get a real sense of satisfaction when the bugger comes out the ground.
Mind you, you've got a heavy on there mate!

on the same theme, the saw will also lop the stump to bits first to save
having to deal with a great heavy lump once cut free.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
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|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Cordless Crazy wrote:

Go for the recip saw with the long green wood blades. Check ebay out
for both and you will be pleasently surprised at the prices!

I've been using a Dewalt 18v cordless recip with cheap green wood
blades about 9" long for that precise job for years. Works a treat and
get a real sense of satisfaction when the bugger comes out the ground.
Mind you, you've got a heavy on there mate!


What other uses have they got then?
I've never been tempted, as I have a mains powered jigsaw, which does
for my current requirements, but I may be going self-employed shortly,
and any extra kit may be a bonus!
Alan.
--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.

A.Lee wrote:

What other uses have they got then?

http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/powertools/recipsaw.htm

I've never been tempted, as I have a mains powered jigsaw, which does
for my current requirements, but I may be going self-employed shortly,
and any extra kit may be a bonus!

Not everyone gets on with them, and they are fairly crude cutting tools.
However they are very good at cutting stuff in hostile environments.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
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|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

A.Lee wrote:
Cordless Crazy wrote:

Go for the recip saw with the long green wood blades. Check ebay out
for both and you will be pleasently surprised at the prices!

I've been using a Dewalt 18v cordless recip with cheap green wood
blades about 9" long for that precise job for years. Works a treat
and get a real sense of satisfaction when the bugger comes out the
ground. Mind you, you've got a heavy on there mate!


What other uses have they got then?
I've never been tempted, as I have a mains powered jigsaw, which does
for my current requirements, but I may be going self-employed shortly,
and any extra kit may be a bonus!


Good weapon of mass destruction. Great for hacking out old door frames,
stumps as mentioned, removing old fence posts, metal blade useful for bolts
that won't shift. Mines on the van all the time.


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

On Mon, 07 May 2007 15:28:33 +0100, John Rumm wrote:

A.Lee wrote:

What other uses have they got then?

http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/powertools/recipsaw.htm

I've never been tempted, as I have a mains powered jigsaw, which does
for my current requirements, but I may be going self-employed shortly,
and any extra kit may be a bonus!

Not everyone gets on with them, and they are fairly crude cutting tools.
However they are very good at cutting stuff in hostile environments.

================================
And much safer than a chain saw in the particular situation in which the
OP finds himself with regard to this tree stump. Chain saws need good
solid footing for safe use.

Cic.

--
================================
Testing UBUNTU Linux
Windows shown the door
================================

HI All

On Mon, 7 May 2007 16:46:54 +0100, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:

A.Lee wrote:
Cordless Crazy wrote:

Go for the recip saw with the long green wood blades. Check ebay out
for both and you will be pleasently surprised at the prices!

I've been using a Dewalt 18v cordless recip with cheap green wood
blades about 9" long for that precise job for years. Works a treat
and get a real sense of satisfaction when the bugger comes out the
ground. Mind you, you've got a heavy on there mate!


What other uses have they got then?
I've never been tempted, as I have a mains powered jigsaw, which does
for my current requirements, but I may be going self-employed shortly,
and any extra kit may be a bonus!


Good weapon of mass destruction. Great for hacking out old door frames,
stumps as mentioned, removing old fence posts, metal blade useful for bolts
that won't shift. Mines on the van all the time.

Agreed.
Not the most 'subtle' of tools - but a form of 'mechanised brute
force' that can come in very handy.

I have one of the Screwfix ones - used it successfully to demolish
about 50 really ugly, knobbly, badly-pruned leylandii at the last
place - trunks up to 5 or 6 inches, and multiple tangled branches.

Felt a great deal safer than using a chainsaw !

Adrian

Adrian wrote:

Good weapon of mass destruction. Great for hacking out old door
frames, stumps as mentioned, removing old fence posts, metal blade
useful for bolts that won't shift. Mines on the van all the time.

Agreed.
Not the most 'subtle' of tools - but a form of 'mechanised brute
force' that can come in very handy.

What a perfect description! Absolutely sums it up!


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

On May 7, 9:47 am, "Tim Downie"
wrote:
"John Rumm" wrote in message

...

This is a situation where I would use a reciprocating saw with a long
green wood blade in it. Unlike a chainsaw it will happily cut through wood
that is covered in soil and won't mind if you end up burying the blade in
the ground while you work. If you knacker the blade then they are only a
few quid for a pack of three, so it won't break the bank. If you need a
basic saw for a one off job, the Axminster "White" one is not bad for the
money.

I was just coming round to this idea before you mentioned it but it's good
to hear some support for these saws.

Time to flex the credit card. ;-)

Have a look at this B&D Alligator:
http://i19.tinypic.com/6gcf7n9.jpg
Ideal for chopping branches, and very safe.

Cicero wrote:

And much safer than a chain saw in the particular situation in which the
OP finds himself with regard to this tree stump. Chain saws need good
solid footing for safe use.

In the OPs case you would wreck the chainsaw long before you got a
chance to fall over!

--
Cheers,

John.

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| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Matty F wrote:

Have a look at this B&D Alligator:
http://i19.tinypic.com/6gcf7n9.jpg
Ideal for chopping branches, and very safe.

That is chainsaw based again, so no use at all for lopping roots
embedded in soil. Safe and quick way of lopping branches though.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
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\================================================= ================/

"Matty F" wrote in message
oups.com...
On May 7, 9:47 am, "Tim Downie"
wrote:
"John Rumm" wrote in message

...

This is a situation where I would use a reciprocating saw with a long
green wood blade in it. Unlike a chainsaw it will happily cut through
wood
that is covered in soil and won't mind if you end up burying the blade
in
the ground while you work. If you knacker the blade then they are only
a
few quid for a pack of three, so it won't break the bank. If you need a
basic saw for a one off job, the Axminster "White" one is not bad for
the
money.

I was just coming round to this idea before you mentioned it but it's
good
to hear some support for these saws.

Time to flex the credit card. ;-)

Have a look at this B&D Alligator:
http://i19.tinypic.com/6gcf7n9.jpg
Ideal for chopping branches, and very safe.


But not very big ones.


Anyway these reciprocating saws.. do they all take the same blades or do you
have to buy the ones from the manufacturer?

dennis@home wrote:
Anyway these reciprocating saws.. do they all take the same blades or
do you have to buy the ones from the manufacturer?

They all seem generic.


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

dennis@home wrote:

Anyway these reciprocating saws.. do they all take the same blades or do you
have to buy the ones from the manufacturer?

If you stick with the "standard" saws then the blades are
interchangeable. The B&D scorpion (apart from being utter crap) uses a
bespoke blade, as do some of the ones that have two counter oscillating
ones.

The cheap saws need an allen key to actuate the blade clamp, the posh
ones will have a SDS style mechanism.

For lopping trees and roots these work well:

http://www.toolstation.com/search.ht...str=green+wood


--
Cheers,

John.

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\================================================= ================/

"John Rumm" wrote in message
...
dennis@home wrote:

Anyway these reciprocating saws.. do they all take the same blades or do
you have to buy the ones from the manufacturer?

If you stick with the "standard" saws then the blades are interchangeable.
The B&D scorpion (apart from being utter crap) uses a bespoke blade, as do
some of the ones that have two counter oscillating ones.

The cheap saws need an allen key to actuate the blade clamp, the posh ones
will have a SDS style mechanism.

For lopping trees and roots these work well:

http://www.toolstation.com/search.ht...str=green+wood



I was looking at those but it didn't say what they fitted.
I was contemplating removing 10 conifers and don't fancy using my bow saw
for all that.
A cheap saw should last long enough and will be money well spent.. I think.

John Rumm wrote:
dennis@home wrote:

Anyway these reciprocating saws.. do they all take the same blades
or do you have to buy the ones from the manufacturer?

If you stick with the "standard" saws then the blades are
interchangeable.

Does this include the Axminster AW800SS (I take it this is the
'Axminster white' recommended previously in this thread)? The
description says for extra blades "See Reciprocating or Sabre Saw
Blades" but all the blades listed are Bosch ones (bar a single Makita one)

Thanks

Chris

--
Cut along the dotted line to reply

Chris wrote:

Does this include the Axminster AW800SS (I take it this is the
'Axminster white' recommended previously in this thread)? The

Yup, that is the one I have. Its fairly tough and has plenty of power.
The blade change needs an Allen key which is a shame, but it works well
enough.

description says for extra blades "See Reciprocating or Sabre Saw
Blades" but all the blades listed are Bosch ones (bar a single Makita one)

Bosch blades fit just fine. As do the elcheapo silverline ones I linked
to before.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
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| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

John Rumm wrote:
Chris wrote:

Does this include the Axminster AW800SS (I take it this is the
'Axminster white' recommended previously in this thread)? The

Yup, that is the one I have. Its fairly tough and has plenty of power.
The blade change needs an Allen key which is a shame, but it works well
enough.

description says for extra blades "See Reciprocating or Sabre Saw
Blades" but all the blades listed are Bosch ones (bar a single Makita
one)

Bosch blades fit just fine. As do the elcheapo silverline ones I linked
to before.

Thank John, one Axminster AW800SS and two Bosch green wood blades duly
ordered.

Cheers

Chris

--
Cut along the dotted line to reply

"Chris" wrote in
message ...
John Rumm wrote:
dennis@home wrote:

Anyway these reciprocating saws.. do they all take the same blades
or do you have to buy the ones from the manufacturer?

If you stick with the "standard" saws then the blades are
interchangeable.
Does this include the Axminster AW800SS (I take it this is the
'Axminster white' recommended previously in this thread)? The
description says for extra blades "See Reciprocating or Sabre Saw Blades"
but all the blades listed are Bosch ones (bar a single Makita one)

The man in the shop said they were the same.
I just bought a crappy reconditioned PP one for £19 inc 5 240mm green wood
blades.
Should do the job before I ebay it or keep it if I like it.