Advice needed for miling a stump

[peterrum]

I will more than likely be getting a black walnut stump in the next few days and of course I will want to mill it up. I got onto the site here and did a search but cannot find any information about stump milling however I am sure that I have read threads in the past about it. I am looking for the do's and don't other than the obvious. I will be power washing it and I expect that I will run into alot of dirt and rocks. Any advice would be appreciated and if you have photos or posts from the past that would be great also.

Cheers and a Happy Milling New Year to y'all

 

[chads]

I have read on it too can't remember where.
I guess expect the worse and use all your old expendable blades.
You will most likely loose a blade or two.
It will give some fantastic figure.
Chad

 

[john taliaferro]

I would borrow someones elses mill . Just clean and clean wire brush and ck . The figure will be worth the effort though ,and take lots of pictures .

 

[peterrum]

Very funny John. I think I'll be stuck using my own equipment for this. Precleaning the stump will be paramount, cleaning during the cutting may also come into play. I expect that I will lose a chain or two but as said it will be worth it if I get out of it what I am hoping for.

 

[twoclones]

I've carved quite a few urban stumps and there is often metal in them. A metal detector can find some of those hidden nails and screws...

 

[imagineero]

I've carved quite a few urban stumps and there is often metal in them. A metal detector can find some of those hidden nails and screws...

people are digging trenches in the ground to screw things to trees now?

Most of the damage is done on the first 1/2" of the cut. If you have a smaller saw with a few ratty chains then start each cut for your mill with the small saw. Just route a bit of a trench wherever it looks like you will be cutting, it helps a lot. When I have to cut out stumps I usually start all the cuts with a carbide chen, then carry on with normal chain on another saw. I get a lot of mileage out of both chains that way.

Shaun

 

[peterrum]

Thanks for the tips. Went to pick up the stump and three of us couldnt get it onto the truck. The guy with the stump had zero equipment so I will have to wait a few months when I will have equipment with me to move it. Good tip Shaun

 

[imagineero]

You might have to at least halve it on site. Last stump I did weighed 2,000lbs and it was only about 2' diameter and 4' tall. We took the main stump out in about 15 pieces and the roots separately. It was still heavy and a lot of work. Stump/root wood can be very heavy and dense. Not sure what kind of vehicle you have, I managed to make up a sort of swinging arm on my chip truck for picking up small logs and stumps. I mount a winch on it when I need it. I haven't maxed it out but I guess it would be good for a couple tonnes.

If you have time then you can move some big stuff with makeshift planks/ramps and ropes/pulleys or comealongs and chains.

Shaun

 

[peterrum]

This stump was dense and heavy for sure. The problem was, I was 4 hours away from home when I found it and all my equipment was at home. It would have fit into my pickup truck but we just couldnt get it up and the guy didnt have any boards for ramps and all that small stuff that you need. At any rate it will be easier when I go down where it is next. I'll take the 15 ft. flatdeck trailer with the folding ramp on the back and then I will have a happy face. It will be a piece of cake then.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

A few years back I milled about a dozen BW stumps that the client had collected. He had a T300 Bobcat and we spent about 10 hrs pressure washing and chainsawing them down to millable size.
Spent most of second day milling to thickness suitable for gunstocks. Lots of turning and shiming to get the oddball shapes in position. Coated all the endgrain with Anchorseal. A lot of work for the amount of wood we got. Never did hear how well they dried or how much he was able to sell them for.
Rick

 

[peterrum]

Interesting VA, too bad you didnt hear the end result.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Yea, me too. I would like to know if it was worth doing as I have had a chance to do it again on my own.
I did that job just before moving from Williamsburg,VA. That fall he called me to go to Texas with him for storm work. We agreed on a fixed price per day, after ten days of them not getting much work, he decided he didn't owe me for travel days or days they spent hunting work. He paid me less than 1/2 of the agreed amount and dropped me and about $25,000 worth of gear at the bus station. I had to pay a fair amount extra to ship my gear on the bus with me. Lucky for him, after 40 hrs of travel and 4 transfers, it all arrived at the last stop the same time I did. We don't talk any more needless to say.
Rick

 

[Talltom]

Will you be cutting it top to bottom for slabs or horizontally for cookies? I've seen some really nice, star shaped table tops from cookies cut from root balls.

 

[peterrum]

Because of some of the saw work from the owner of it I will be doing it horizontally, probably 5/4 up to 8/4. No cookies from this one, will have to get another stump to try that.