# What do I do with this??



## rblakemore (May 23, 2014)

At the end of April, my neighbor cut down a maple tree (those pictures are in an earlier post about sealing green wood), the main trunk is now cut up, sealed, and drying on my patio.  As soon as I can, I will move the pieces into the shop.  But, now, he has cut out the root ball/ stump and offered it to me.  And, it weighs about 350 - 400 lbs!! How do I put this on a lathe and turn something??  How about cutting a table slab out of the middle??  Then, I still have rest left.  Cut it all up for bowls and pens?  I can make at least 2 or 3 toothpicks from it.


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## Dan Hintz (May 23, 2014)

The root balls are some of the best wood for character outside of a burl... I'd take it in a heartbeat.  You may want to consider cutting off large chunks and trying to spalt them for even more character.


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## Haynie (May 23, 2014)

Go get it.  Go get it right now.  Worry about what to do with it once you get it home.


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## KenV (May 23, 2014)

Got a high pressure washer???    Chainsaw with a well worn chain???

Wash and rewash to remove all the debris you can.   Then start to cut with a chain that you will not cringe when it hits a small rock.  Resharpen and know another rock is waiting.

Some spectacular wood in stumps waiting for discovery


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## SDB777 (May 23, 2014)

Ken ain't kidding....might want to have a couple of 'crap chains' for the saw.  Rootballs are known to have a LOT of rocks imbedded inside, even after being pressure washed, soaked in water and washed again...you won't even come close to getting them all out.

Good luck!





Scott (I won't touch rootballs) B


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## robutacion (May 23, 2014)

No pics...??? never happened...!:frown:

Cheers
George


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## Cmiles1985 (May 23, 2014)

What to do with it? Put it in a truck and bring it to Corpus...I'll dispose of it properly! :biggrin:


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## Jim Burr (May 23, 2014)

And you are wasting time with a post because?......get your butt on the road!!


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## rblakemore (May 24, 2014)

*Oh no - pics did not get in!!*

My apologies - I thought the pic were in.
IN now.


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## robutacion (May 24, 2014)

rblakemore said:


> My apologies - I thought the pic were in.
> IN now.



That's better...!:wink::biggrin:

Well, you can do lots of things with it however, if is possible to get it to you backyard as is, do so.  Put in on top of a wooden pallet and wash as much soil as you can out it it, paint/seal the trunk fall cut and let it be for a while.

Every time you have the chance, have a good look at it from some distance and think of something you could do from it, grab a notebook and draw what you have in mind, give it a name, date it and put it away.  Do that a few times and you will start to develop a few options in your head and in no time, you have made your decision.

Put it into practice and see what happens...! what have you have to lose...???

Cheers
George


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## phillywood (May 24, 2014)

Ronald, first of all are you sure that you have the maple tree? I used to live in Houston and from what I understand good maple trees wouldn't grow in hot climate like ours in S. TX., but if it is then you got lucky and like they said above get it home quick and then worry about what to make of it later. You can send me a private email and then I can help you with it since I live close to you in san Antonio. Be glad to talk to you and give you some pointers.


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## rblakemore (May 25, 2014)

*Drummond Red Maple - How, where do I cut it?*

Phillip, the Drummond Red Maple is a close cousin of the Sugar Maple and is common in East Texas, I helped select these trees and they are now approaching 25 years old.  I will get the root ball this afternoon and some of the larger root branches.
But, my bigger questions; how and where do cut it?  I only have a 16" chain saw.  I am tempted to get the bandsaw that I have been wanting.  My neighbor suggests a slab across the middle for a small table.  I need a way to cut neatly across the middle.


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## robutacion (May 25, 2014)

rblakemore said:


> Phillip, the Drummond Red Maple is a close cousin of the Sugar Maple and is common in East Texas, I helped select these trees and they are now approaching 25 years old.  I will get the root ball this afternoon and some of the larger root branches.
> But, my bigger questions; how and where do cut it?  I only have a 16" chain saw.  I am tempted to get the bandsaw that I have been wanting.  My neighbor suggests a slab across the middle for a small table.  I need a way to cut neatly across the middle.



Well, you don't seem to know what you want to do with it yet, and that is the very reason why I suggested to preserve it as is, until you decided which way to go.

Firstly, a bandsaw won't help you, if you decided to cut it in slabs for a table top or other, a 16" chainsaw is capable of doing a 32" cut, there will some aspects that can make such a cut not so easy if the chainsaw has little power, the wood is hard and the chain is not sufficiently sharp so, if you decided to cut a slab/table top out of it, find someone with a chainsaw with a long bar, and have him/them to cut it for you, you can also hire a large chainsaw for half day and cut it all up the way you want, and then deal with the small chunks with the small chainsaw and possibly a bandsaw.

Wood is not like metal where, you make the wrong cut and you can always weld it back, with wood, measure/think at least 3 times before you cut it...!

If you can give us some ideas of what you want to do with it, I\we can give you a few suggestions to where to cut it...!

Cheers
George


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## rblakemore (May 25, 2014)

*What is next? What is it worth?*

The rootball is now is now in my backyard.  Here are some more pictures, still cleaning and there is a small piece of broken limestone block  caught between roots.  We are not sure about a table; but, am wondering how to cut into large blocks, sort of 8"x8"x8" to make bowl blanks.  Lots of roots coming together, look at picture 4-there may be some great burl where these roots meet.  I am going to brace my table in the morning and keep cleaning.
So, I how do I gauge the sizes for bowls with all of these odd shaped roots???


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## The Penguin (Dec 15, 2014)

rblakemore said:


> The rootball is now is now in my backyard.  Here are some more pictures, still cleaning and there is a small piece of broken limestone block  caught between roots.  We are not sure about a table; but, am wondering how to cut into large blocks, sort of 8"x8"x8" to make bowl blanks.  Lots of roots coming together, look at picture 4-there may be some great burl where these roots meet.  I am going to brace my table in the morning and keep cleaning.
> So, I how do I gauge the sizes for bowls with all of these odd shaped roots???


Ron - what ever became of this root ball?


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