Raised from the ground...! (part-1)

[robutacion]

Hi everyone,

Well, today I manage to bring home some of the timber specie(s), I have been looking for some time, dry old olive tree stump for woodturning!. Interestingly I did found it not far from a wild olive tree growing like a bush, there is, from ground level it start shutting in all directions, forming a very dense type bush like big bamboos. The farm owner didn't know the existence of this stump, nor he did recognise the bush as a wild olive tree.
Also at this farmer's request, I removed a off the ground log (stump) 3' tall and 1' 1/2 diameter, left from some years ago, in the middle of the house front yard loan. They didn't know what it was, but this log was showing some small shuts growing from it. I took some pics for further identification if possible. The olive stump has been pulled out off the ground only a few days (2 or 3) so the rain didn't had time to wash any of the soil away, leaving me with the full soil cover to deal with. Again, tungsten chain on the chainsaw was the option after some prior brushing with a wire brush, only this time the 18" bar decided to collapse, with the nose sprocket totally seized from too much sand (soils) going trough it in these last few days ( I have to wait until Monday, to get a new one). Maintenance was constant but it wasn't enough!. The final cuts on the stump were done with one of my auxiliary chainsaws with a normal chain:o. The wild olive was a bit easier to cut, as I had no soil to deal with, my problem was to make my way trough it (jungle), to get to the larger trunks. The stump cuts will be water pressure washed and clean the best possible for more cutting in the weekend for end-grain sealing. The wild olive logs of various sizes, mainly thin(ish) will be just end sealed and stored to dry for later turning. The Unknown timber species log, is going to be clean and ripped also for turning pieces, this weekend so I will have some pics of it soon.

I dont have pics of everything I cut today before I loaded it into the trailer but some I have, the other I will take tomorrow if possible.
The first pic is from the shuts growing from the unknown log. I've got a clue about it but, it will help identification when I rip the log up, maybe...!

I just imagine the nice blanks I'm going to turn soon, out of this lot.:2tsup:


Cheers
RBTCO

[Stu in Tokyo]

Wow, that should be some amazing wood to turn, and your shop will smell great too!

Your trailer looks FULL :D

[BobL]

Freakin awesome find!!!!

[artme]

should make your heart sing!

Love to se that!!

Lucky you!!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[munruben]

Poor little trailer, all that weight.:):2tsup:

[hughie]

Excellent pick up! :2tsup: Stumps can be a bit curly to turn but the grain etc is magic

[robutacion]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the comments made to this lot.
I get nearly the same excitement to find and cut these timbers, as I have turning. Maybe the best time is when I get it home, clean it and start to slice it and find the "treasures" in with in...!:oo: just magic.:wink::D

I was suppose to be cleaning and cutting these timbers but, it is raining a bit (light stuff) and I'm a "little" saw to be handling these heavy woods so, I'm inside, dry, worm from the wood fire and seat in front of this puter for a little longer, waiting for the weather to clear up, maybe...!

Did someone said that I need a bigger trailer????:o sure, then I need a bigger vehicle to make it up the big hill going home...!:doh::C.

Cheers:2tsup:
RBTCO

[Frank&Earnest]

Nice work RBTCO, looking forward to seeing how you cut your olive stumps to get some ideas how to cut my olive stumps.:2tsup:

[joe greiner]

Fine load of goodies you have there, RB. No question, stumps/root balls have some of the most spectacular grain in existence.

Most of the time when I fell a tree, I leave about 1m/4ft of the trunk above ground to assist in leveraging it out by chain and come-along to one or more nearby trees. Since all of the trees I've felled are on my own small parcel, I can use the garden hose to hydro-excavate the root system to reduce the amount of dirt threatening the chainsaw. Where possible, I cut a drainage trench away from the tree; where not, it takes a few days for the water to soak in the bottom of the excavation, with several cycles of scooping out, usually by hand. Even then, I sharpen my collection of electric chainsaws (all from garage sales very cheap) in a marathon session, so that I don't need to pause for sharpening.

On an earlier batch of stumps, I neglected proper storage and lost several to the forces of nature. For this vessel, I arrested the spalting just in time.

Joe

[robutacion]

Hi everyone,

Frank&Earnest, well it all starts with the way the stump itself is sliced into manageable pieces. The logics of nature and timber development creation are not that much different than cutting a normal round log, there is, the timber grain is oriented vertically (some exceptions do apply...!), so you want to remove the outer edges as if you were cutting a burl from a tree. With this size stump, and in most situations, I will slice 4 edges, leaving pretty much a square shaped (cube) centre piece. If this still too big, I will then sliced it in half vertically, as if I was ripping slabs out of it. This is what I've done with this stump, giving me 6 total pieces (slabs) which I have already water washed and ready to make the blank cuts, following the way I see the timber, (each person see it some how, differently!). I believe, is no such thing as a unique formula or rule to cut/slice timber, the way you cut it, will determine its uniqueness, total failure or everything in between...!:D

joe greiner, your method of removing stumps is ideal if one has the necessary conditions, such as owning the place, owning the stump, having pressured water and power supply near it. Unfortunately, my circumstances are very different, as you will understand. Most of the time, I have a very little time window to get these timbers/stumps etc. The shorter the time spent on others private property, the better, for obvious reasons, in many times even a "condition" so, speed is of essence!
Removing stumps off the ground, is getting less common, the majority of trees cut, they require the stump to be cut ground level, so that no further expense or disturbance is required, other times the stumps are "grinded off" up to a foot deep or so, but rarely they want big holes left on the ground:-.
Unfortunately also, forces of nature can't be always stop or interfered with, regardless how much care and attention one gives/puts into some pieces of timber. I doesn't take much at all, to lose some most treasured woods, in most cases, due to reasons that we so strongly acclaimed Aussie, such as "will be al'right, mate...!" :o:doh: :).
I like that piece of yours, amazing save, beautiful stuff!:wink:

Pics of the olive, washed, ready to cut into blanks.

Cheers:2tsup:
RBTCO

[ptc]

I have some room in my wood shed .
thanks for the pics.

[wheelinround]

This brings to mind an old saying

"One man's Ash is another man's Cash/Cache" :D

[joe greiner]

Righto, RB. My method of stump removal is a poor man's substitute for a backhoe or a tractor with some grunt. Ground-level cutoff is the usual method here, with optional grinding for added cost - generally leave the chips in the hole as mulch. That produces more usable timber, of course, but doesn't provide root balls.

I received an enquiry from Grumpy John, via PM, requesting additional information about the apparent collar (laminated?) on the spalted vessel. So here 'tis, with a couple more pics:

I had to fetch the piece to see what I'd done. Yes, it's a lamination; essentially a pile of tongue depressors [brickwork] style with the mitres cut along the joins for precision matching - I've yet to master the art of segmenting.

The objective was to achieve imaginary grain alignment across the step for the lid. The sloping side would have made that nigh impossible. In retrospect, there's so much busy-ness in the grain that I had to look at the picture to put the lid where it "belongs."

Joe

[Grumpy John]

Joe
Ta very much. Once again, Nice vessel.
GJ

[robutacion]

Hi everyone,

I finally manage to slice (rip), the olive tree stump (root), today.
Cut mainly in 2" slabs, some are a little thicker, 2 to 3"+ with the natural edges still on them. I'm thinking in round half of them, seal the end-grains and put them away. Interestingly, this stump had some young shuts growing from the outer edge of it, making the timber inside half green half dry. This have also gave to the stump some unusual grain formation and outstanding colouration.

I end-up with 2 and a half wheelbarrow'sfull of olive cuts, after a few hours of hard but enjoyable work. I will try to separate next, the dry stuff from the green and seal the ends as I can't wait to turn some of it. :D

PS: Even the neighbour notice the smell of "crashed olives"...!:o

Cheers:2tsup:
RBTCO

[robutacion]

Hi people,

If you turn small items and would like to get for free (no charge from me), some pieces of this colourful and nice root timber species, this is your chance.
I have put some instruction on this thread http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=75074 (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=75074), so, is all up to you. First come first served, as I only have at this stage about 10 (ten) bags!

Good luck!
Cheers:2tsup:
RBTCO

[woodwork wally]

Hey guys get into this stuff I had a box full sent for $65 all up and believe me the poor old delivery bloke almost cracked a hernia :no:[didnt know how to lift] and I have been sorting into catagories and trying to keep up with orders and cutting pen blanks but RBTCO sure gives value for $ :U:2tsup: By the way George did an envelope turn up over there :2tsup: I hope so Regards to all WW. Wally


Hi people,

If you turn small items and would like to get for free (no charge from me), some pieces of this colourful and nice root timber species, this is your chance.
I have put some instruction on this thread http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=75074 (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=75074), so, is all up to you. First come first served, as I only have at this stage about 10 (ten) bags!

Good luck!
Cheers:2tsup:
RBTCO

[robutacion]

Hi everyone,

Here they are, the pieces I cut from the olive tree root mentioned in this thread. This timber is a lot dry then I first thought. There were small areas of this root that become alive and start producing some shuts but the majority was "dormant" and quite dry.
Most of this root was cut in 2" rips, a few pieces were cut in 3" and 4". Every piece still retain some of its original natural edge (root skin), none of it was sealed (painted) as I seen no need. Water accumulated is drying very quickly since sliced/riped with most of it ready to be worked on. I have divided this timber in 3 main groups (full natural edge/skin, medium slabs and large slabs) and used water to wet the surface to bring out all the natural colours of this timber, before I took the pics. I reckon, I will enjoy working some of this olive tree root, and get some really beautiful colours on the finished pieces (whatever I come up with). :D

For any other information, in relation to this timber, please check at, http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=73036&page=4

Cheers:2tsup:
RBTCO