The Construction Thread

Current project is to take an 18' tall tree carving and mount it on a base as it is rotting at bottom. Has a nasty lean to it and is far from balanced.

http://i.imgur.com/B5w46qC.jpg

A granite slab will be the base. Not much saving in price over concrete and looks nicer.

http://i.imgur.com/0Vkp37B.jpg

Personally, I would try to get the plug out the end rather than making the cut through the side. Just work the chainsaw a bit and epoxy the steel(assuming steel) post into the tree.

Keep the tree an inch off the granite to avoid water hanging around at the base.

What holds the post in the ground?
 
Personally, I would try to get the plug out the end rather than making the cut through the side. Just work the chainsaw a bit and epoxy the steel(assuming steel) post into the tree.

Keep the tree an inch off the granite to avoid water hanging around at the base.

What holds the post in the ground?

It will be cemented in. Plan is to put tree down over post. Thought has been given to an epoxy or something. We might have to install post in tree first then put it in the ground. Post may have to extend upwards of 3' inside the tree. Depends on how long a chainsaw our arborist has. Might have to bore a hole. That will tighten up clearance around post.

If post goes in tree first then I have to get wet cement in hole, drop slab over and the insert post and tree. Slab will have a 3" hole drilled in it for 3" post.

Making this up as I go along. No help on the web. Local carving put on slabs are at most 6' high and well balanced. They use a 2" post just to keep vandals from pushing them over. Mine needs to hold up a 1-2 ton unbalanced object.

There is a urethane cement substitute for posts that might work.

Tree will definitely be off the ground. Moisture is the entire cause of the rot.

If I had my way I would cut tree just above branch with owl carving. Make it more manageable and reduce loading. But club is bound on keeping it whole. As it is I will lose at least 3' from it due to rot.

If it works I might go into the business. Many tree carvings are starting to rot in many places. The chainsaw carving of trees is some what a new phenom. London had 12 or more that have all been cut down in the last 5 years and remounted. Again much smaller and well balanced.

In hindsight would not have started carving for 4 feet and planned ahead. This was first carving. Lead carver did not protect tree well either. Now I also have to come up with a surface coat. Tree was literally pumped full of linseed oil. Not a good choice for an outside piece of wood. It now leaks out like pine sap. A spar varnish would just bubble away from the tree.

Currently I just have a Thompson's seal on it because I can get rid of that and quickly reapply. Again if me, I would cut into two separate carvings and then just plain paint it with oil based paints. Paint it various life like colours.
 
There are ways to tighten up rotten wood.
Woodworkers use spalted wood for pens and such. They inject them with crazy glue (cyanoacrylate) and it hardens. May be of some help to you.

Use a steel post and remember, you can't get a 3" post into a 3" hole...has to be some room

Can you get a boom truck of some sort to lay the tree down, drill and insert the post, then pick it up balanced and lower it into the hole of wet cement.
You can rent a telescoping fork lift pretty cheap.
 
There are ways to tighten up rotten wood.
Woodworkers use spalted wood for pens and such. They inject them with crazy glue (cyanoacrylate) and it hardens. May be of some help to you.

Use a steel post and remember, you can't get a 3" post into a 3" hole...has to be some room

Can you get a boom truck of some sort to lay the tree down, drill and insert the post, then pick it up balanced and lower it into the hole of wet cement.
You can rent a telescoping fork lift pretty cheap.

400$ for 24 hours

cut tree down lay in a cradle

drill/cut hole

insert pipe (your suggestion, Thanks)

fill post hole with cement

place slab over top

insert tree

probably how it will go

bloody arborist promised to help (is club member) won't return phone call, non-member arborist fucking pricey

club executive member with name and number of cheap hole driller we have used before hasn't got back to me in a week and a half

number of guy who did the city trees was to a voice mail he doesn't use anymore that cost me 3 weeks

my own vacation for 2 weeks cost time

And all for nowt if tree is too punky to be structurally sound
 
There are ways to tighten up rotten wood.
Woodworkers use spalted wood for pens and such. They inject them with crazy glue (cyanoacrylate) and it hardens. May be of some help to you.

Use a steel post and remember, you can't get a 3" post into a 3" hole...has to be some room

Can you get a boom truck of some sort to lay the tree down, drill and insert the post, then pick it up balanced and lower it into the hole of wet cement.
You can rent a telescoping fork lift pretty cheap.

5 gallons of gas and a match.....

Sometimes way too much money is spent keeping shit......
 
Those tables are good for set ups. The clamps tend to slip when the muscle is put to them.
 
We have a couple of those tables. Not cheap. A rack of doodads is required and those are also pricey. We generally do not make large numbers of parts so permanent fixtures are not an option. The versatility outweighs the cost.
 
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