rotton tree stump...
 

Great question huh? In fact, I need to preserve this half way rotten
stump for a possible piece of art to be mounted on top of it. (On a
golf course) It is 3' in diameter at the base, 4' tall, but has a rotted
center that you could fit a bowling ball into. We are planning a very
large and expensive wood carving to be mounted on top of this stump.
Will filling the rotten middle with cement stop the rotting process for
at least a few years? If you can answer that one, your good.

Thanks, Jim

Jim Wild wrote:

Great question huh? In fact, I need to preserve this half way rotten
stump for a possible piece of art to be mounted on top of it. (On a
golf course) It is 3' in diameter at the base, 4' tall, but has a rotted
center that you could fit a bowling ball into. We are planning a very
large and expensive wood carving to be mounted on top of this stump.
Will filling the rotten middle with cement stop the rotting process for
at least a few years? If you can answer that one, your good.


No, if anything it will exacerbate the problem -- w/ just a hole, at
least there's air movement to let it dry...w/ the concrete filling it
in, you've just make a closed container that will keep it perpetually
damp.

What kind of tree was it? Various specie are markedly different wrt
their weathering properties.

On Mon, 23 May 2005 20:02:44 -0400, (Jim Wild)
wrote:

Great question huh? In fact, I need to preserve this half way rotten
stump for a possible piece of art to be mounted on top of it. (On a
golf course) It is 3' in diameter at the base, 4' tall, but has a rotted
center that you could fit a bowling ball into. We are planning a very
large and expensive wood carving to be mounted on top of this stump.
Will filling the rotten middle with cement stop the rotting process for
at least a few years? If you can answer that one, your good.

Filling with concrete will make it rot faster, since it will hold more
moisture in the center. I think the only way to preserve it would be
to somehow saturate the wood with some sort of sealer/hardener. If it
were going into an indoor environment it might be pretty
straightforward, but outdoors (and I assume still rooted) you have a
real challenge on your hands.

I would start by removing as much of the rotted wood as possible then
start slopping Thompsons on it inside and out until it won't soak up
any more.

Realize that no matter what you do you are probably only looking at a
solution that will last a half-dozen years or so.

--
"We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

You might check with an exterminator- he might be able to dump a bunch of
chemicals in the stump that would kill off any bugs, bacteria or fungus.

Remember, wood rots because something is eating it. Moisture alone generally
does not destroy wood. This is why pressure treated lumber doesn't rot.

"Jim Wild" wrote in message
...
Great question huh? In fact, I need to preserve this half way rotten
stump for a possible piece of art to be mounted on top of it. (On a
golf course) It is 3' in diameter at the base, 4' tall, but has a rotted
center that you could fit a bowling ball into. We are planning a very
large and expensive wood carving to be mounted on top of this stump.
Will filling the rotten middle with cement stop the rotting process for
at least a few years? If you can answer that one, your good.

Thanks, Jim

"Jim Wild" wrote:

Great question huh? In fact, I need to preserve this half way rotten
stump for a possible piece of art to be mounted on top of it. (On a
golf course) It is 3' in diameter at the base, 4' tall, but has a rotted
center that you could fit a bowling ball into. We are planning a very
large and expensive wood carving to be mounted on top of this stump.
Will filling the rotten middle with cement stop the rotting process for
at least a few years? If you can answer that one, your good.

Had a neighbor who had a large beech tree stump with a serious rot problem.

Dug out all the rot and filled with a motor mix, then built about a 10
ft dia table top on top of it for a picnic table.

Got about 10 years out of it.

Since this is a golf course, my first thought would be a heart to heart
with an arborist and go from there.

Lew

Jim,
My suggestion would be to grind the stump out entirely. Since it is
already very rotton, it will never provide a way to get something solid
to put a very large and expensive wood carving on. A concrete footing,
then metal, stone, or even stained and stamped or textured concrete. Do
it right the first time so you don't have to do it over.
robo hippy

Import a new one. Chuck the old one, then find a stump from a tree
that was taken down. Cut off the roots, then secure the stump over
some steel spikes in the ground. Then coat the stump with several
gallons of preservative and mount your carving.

Check out Lee Valley Tools. I know they still sell PEG - it is used as a
stabilizer strengthener for some wood projects. The used to sell a 2
part product - I think a thin epoxy - that was specifically designed for
stabilizing rotting wood - window frames, etc. Their customer service
people are generally very helpful, both by phone & by email.
Bruce

"Jim Wild" wrote in message
...
Great question huh? In fact, I need to preserve this half way rotten
stump for a possible piece of art to be mounted on top of it. (On a
golf course) It is 3' in diameter at the base, 4' tall, but has a rotted
center that you could fit a bowling ball into. We are planning a very
large and expensive wood carving to be mounted on top of this stump.
Will filling the rotten middle with cement stop the rotting process for
at least a few years? If you can answer that one, your good.

Thanks, Jim

Hello
I have a termite exterminators licences.
you can go to a do it yourself store. and find tim-bor
it treats wood decay fungi and termites. good wood preservitive. it has a
borate in it
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page51.html

but if as you said a large expensive object will sit on this rotten stump.
i'd grind it out and put in a proper pedestal.


larry t

"Jim Wild" wrote in message
...
Great question huh? In fact, I need to preserve this half way rotten
stump for a possible piece of art to be mounted on top of it. (On a
golf course) It is 3' in diameter at the base, 4' tall, but has a rotted
center that you could fit a bowling ball into. We are planning a very
large and expensive wood carving to be mounted on top of this stump.
Will filling the rotten middle with cement stop the rotting process for
at least a few years? If you can answer that one, your good.

Thanks, Jim

On Mon, 23 May 2005 20:02:44 -0400, (Jim Wild)
wrote:

Great question huh? In fact, I need to preserve this half way rotten
stump for a possible piece of art to be mounted on top of it. (On a
golf course) It is 3' in diameter at the base, 4' tall, but has a rotted
center that you could fit a bowling ball into. We are planning a very
large and expensive wood carving to be mounted on top of this stump.
Will filling the rotten middle with cement stop the rotting process for
at least a few years? If you can answer that one, your good.

Thanks, Jim

Check out the Rot Doctor ( http://www.rotdoctor.com/ ) They make a
variety of products to stop rot and preserve wood. I used a couple of
their products on a rotten boat transom and it worked great. Also
treated a piece of plywood for an outdoor table top at the deer camp
and it's still holding up after about 4 years.They are very helpful
and will walk you through any problem you may have. Good luck.

How about cyanoacrylates? AKA super glue. I know people use them for small
repairs. Is this stuff available by the gallon?
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...=1,110&p=42966


What about that clear plastic stuff you sometimes see on bar tops (you know,
where they embed coins in and stuff)
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4140

What about epoxy?
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...110,42965&ap=1

Combination of cyanoacrylates first then epoxy or bar top stuff? Basically
encase the thing in plastic. After you remove the active fungus and such.



"Jim Wild" wrote in message
...
Great question huh? In fact, I need to preserve this half way rotten
stump for a possible piece of art to be mounted on top of it. (On a
golf course) It is 3' in diameter at the base, 4' tall, but has a rotted
center that you could fit a bowling ball into. We are planning a very
large and expensive wood carving to be mounted on top of this stump.
Will filling the rotten middle with cement stop the rotting process for
at least a few years? If you can answer that one, your good.

Thanks, Jim

"woodworker88" wrote in message
ups.com...
Import a new one. Chuck the old one, then find a stump from a tree
that was taken down. Cut off the roots, then secure the stump over
some steel spikes in the ground. Then coat the stump with several
gallons of preservative and mount your carving.

I think this is the right answer. I'd go one step further and take the new
stump and soak it in preservative rather than just coating ("painting"?) it.
I have a couple of pine tree stumps that I did this to, and keep them in the
garden to try and maintain a natural appearance. Move 'em around sometimes
if the adjacent bushes get too big and hide the effect.

I've also taken 3-4" slabs of tree trunk, soaked them in preservative, and
used them as stepping stones. Even lying on the ground in a wet location,
they've lasted for six years so far, with no apparent deterioration.

Good luck -- regards --

If you coat the outside of the existing stump, no matter how thickly or
with what material, the wood can still rot out. Assuming the roots are
still in the ground, the bacteria and fungi can go up into the stump
from the roots, eventually leaving you with a hollow cast of your
stump. If it were up to me, I would get some kind of nice, durable,
metal and concrete stand. If you really must have your old-stump look,
though, I guess I would recommend a totally new stump also, that has
been thoroughly treated on all surfaces, and sunk into concrete in the
ground (with some supporting posts or spikes from underneath).