Thread: Using a tree stump for timber: How much can I get out of it?

The reason they leave the stump behind is because cutting the trunk down low is much more likely to encounter rubbishs like rocks, glass etc embedded in the low part of the trunk and especially around the roots. In most cases this leads to damaging the chainsaw chain sometimes beyond repair so its usually not worth bothering with this sort of thing.

I've tried this several times and broke two chainsaw chains and it's WAAAAAAAAAY more work than it seems. Then you have to mill it. Freehanding with a chainsaw is going to waste a lot of timber and unless you have a lots of experience not going to be very accurate. A chainsaw mill would do it but you may run into the same problems s above. I will not mill anyones root ball stumps no matter how much they pay me.

Originally Posted by Juno

Someone nearby is giving away a tree stump for free. It's an elm tree, diameter is roughly 38 inches, and more importantly for me – the length is roughly still in the ground, and roughly 29,5 inches. It's still in the ground.

I was thinking that this would be a great experiment for me. I've got some friends with portable mills, and also access to some workshops with good equipment. I was thinking that this chunk of wood could be great as cabinet fronts for a kitchen, but the problem is that some of the drawers should be 31,5" wide.

I don't know much about the root part of trees. If I were to dig around the tree so that I could get low access with a chainsaw, would it be possible to gain those two inches from what was under the ground? Or would it just be roots/unusable wood?

I know this would be a lot of work, but it looks like a fun project as well. Anything else I should think about if I do this?

Yes...give it a go!
I have milled a few stumps in the past
And would do it again if the opportunity arose
It would have to be a quality stump though
A lot of work involved
Here's a pic of some Camphor Laurei boards extracted from a stump
Log Dog

This is my kinda stump
Log Dog

Juno

This thread by Mapleman on a Camphor Laurel depicts one of the largest stumps that has beeen milled and posted on these Forums, although Log Dog's stump may rival that.

Camphor Laurel Stump (woodworkforums.com)

I know he had to constantly hose the stump down in an effort to remove all the debris. Be prepared to wreck whatever you use to cut the stump: It is not for the faint hearted.

Oh, and welcome to the Forum.

Regards
Paul

Elm?

The root ball should give you some very nicely figured boards, as compared to the typically bland grain from most of the rest of the tree. Mind you, a good Elm burl is glorious.

In my experience Elm tends to tearout and/or fuzziness when planing, especially when quartersawn or in areas of figure. But all timbers have their foibles.

You really won't know what you've got to work with until you dig down and actually look. Some rootballs go deeper than you'd expect, some don't because of terrain features. There're not really any hard 'n fast rules.

As has been said, it'd be a lot of work. Still, I reckon you'd probably be quite happy with the results even if they weren't suitable for your immediate projects.

(Although it may be several years before you are tempted to take on another... )

Thanks for the replies and warm welcome!

Many good viewpoints here.

I'm attaching three pictures of the stump. The fence on the one side might be an issue. I'm not experienced with a chainsaw, but my partner's family owns a forest, so my father-in-law is very experienced. I doubt he's experienced with stumps, as he's using logs for either firewood or regular milling. I'll ask him when I see him, though if this is a sure way to ruin his chain, I doubt it'll be very popular

Log Dog, wow! And likewise with the Bushmiller's link. Inspiring.

I don't know much about rootballs, or in general, what I will find underground. Is there a seemless connection between the trunk and root if I end up milling it? How big can the root ball possibly be?

On one hand, I'm very tempted to try this. On the other hand, my father-in-law has some amazing elm slabs that would make a great kitchen table – but using elm on both cabinet fronts and kitchen table would probably be a bit too much.

A good stump and well worth the effort. I have dug a lot of stumps in my time and have rarely been disappointed. BobL has touched on some major points of concern and he is correct. This is not an easy task. Its hard on machinery. Its hard on you. All that being said, if you take a calculated look at the particular situation you may well find things are not as difficult as it might seem. When I say "not as difficult," I am thinking excavator or D4 dozer. Excavator is better as dozers dont lift. I see a tractor in the background in your pics. A posthole digger, if available and a few exploratory holes will soon tell you what sort of ground you are dealing with and wether it is worth bringing in machinery to proceed.
Now here comes the fun part: Stay well clear of the stump to start excavating. The roots are thinner out here and can be snapped through easily with minimal sawing. See, its getting easier already. Once the perimeter has been excavated to bottom root depth it is time to radial excavate between the major roots starting close to stump and extending out to the perimeter trench. So far so good and you havent even got your boots dirty. Once roots are exposed it is time to climb down off your high horse, grab the chainsaw (with an old sharp chain) and cut through the roots to free the stump without the risk of splitting or snapping when the stump is lifted. Boots are not so clean now. Next job is a bloody good gurney, the more powerful the better. I like one that will blow the bark off. Pick out any remaining boulders and give the whole stump a run over with a good metal detector or magnet. Dig out or mark any findings. Now its cutty cutty time.
For your wide draws you may like to consider a mullion.