How to mount large tree carving on slab base

Hard_Rom

Northumbrian Skald
Joined
Apr 24, 2014
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18' Tree carving rotting at base now successfully mounted on slab of dolomite with a 2.5" galvanized pipe

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

Tree came down easy enough with pitman arm boom. Went back up just as easy. Before mounting on pole filled bored hole with window gap foam due to cavernous areas of rot and punky wood. Coated pole with construction adhesive.

Had to go with 2.5" pipe as that was largest diameter hole stone supplier could bore. Got dolomite slab almost half price (10 cents/lb as opposed to 18 cents/lb) slab had been sitting in yard for years

Bored 2.5" hole with saw toothed bit. Tree very rotten in places. When boring hole bit would start to go off center when punky area hit. Fashioned a supporting piece of wood to keep on center and straddle punky areas.

Hole in ground for pipe just as bad. Ground is 'clean fill' (yeah right). More bricks than clay. Hit water table at 3'. Three bags of ReadyMix.

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

Lost 3' due to rot and blew nose of coyote half off with pressure washer (very rotten). Lots of wood filler used to refashion nose.

http://i.imgur.com/OcH5YaM.jpg

Coated tree with oil based semi-solid stain. Had a heck of a time removing Thompson Water-Seal. Tougher stuff than I first thought.

Deck stripper at full strength extremely caustic. Wear lots of protective gear (shield, goggles, long gloves and PVC rain coat.

All in all went not too bad. Used interlocking patio bricks to keep up a couple of inches from slab for air movement. Hole is 38" deep. Pole is 36". Bricks not actually holding much up. Foam and adhesive seem to be supporting tree weight. I expect it will settle.

Things learned:

Do not use poplar. Not near rot resistant.
http://www.plantra.com/Portals/0/doc...st-service.pdf
Do not use linseed oil as final coating. May work for small indoor wood pieces but outside use automotive polyurethane or maybe epoxy.
Plan on natural carving rotting and don't carve below 2-3' from ground.
Plan ahead on mounting to slab (it will be necessary)

Making this up as I went along. Hope to get 15 years life from carving. We have poplar trees in flooded areas that are still standing after 50 years.

Club seems happy and so is original carver (talented carver, knows nothing about preserving outdoor carvings though).

Joined the carving project after taking pity on 72 year old with circulation issues in feet working alone hefting scaffold sections around. Should have let him kill himself (jk).

May not be expert tree carver. But I do know what not to do now. Which I guess is half the thing.
 
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