Help I`m in way over my head on this one!!

[Jim Dannels]

Today, my boss called me into her office. Yeah I figured what have I done now? She says" I understand you do woodworking?" Yes I do, I say.
"Are you any good?" she says. I like to think so, but the more I learn.
The more I realize how little I know, I say.

She then got to the point. She has a stump that has been out of the ground and in her garage for 6 months. Silver maple, log end aprox 30" in diameter and root end about 5 ft across. She says I want to turn it upside down, put that glaze stuff on the root end and make a coffee table out of it. How long does it need to dry? And how do I finish it?

I told her my guess was it would need about 3 years to dry.
But I was iin way over my head on this one and would ask some people who knew way more than I. So Help please.

[Martin Shupe]

I think this is what happens when people watch too many idiotic DIY shows.

I am sorry, but I have no idea how to help you. Perhaps she can be persuaded to do something more "conventional" with her find.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

General rule is one year for each inch of thickness and get some Anchorseal on both the cut top and the bottom, so that the drying doesn't check (Crack) it any more than it probably already has.

Bruce

[Jim Bell]

Hmmmmm, I would calculate how many yrs it will be until one of you retire. I would add 1 yr to that. That would be my answer. Seriously the rule of thumb for turning is 1" per yr. drying rate. I truly haven"t a clue what the drying time is for something 5 ft accross.


Jim

[JP McKee]

Ive never made one myself, but Ive seen several things like that. If I decided to do it, I would debark it completly. I also wouldnt worry about the checking because checking is a major part of the character of a piece like that. When it is dry, it will look like driftwood. Beyond that, its all you buddy .

[Richard Wolf]

The rule about 1" per year really deals with cut and sticked lumber. With the bark on, this thing will not really ever dry in any reasonable time. A word of caution if she does bring it inside, it will continue to leak moisture out the bottom and will stain any rug or hardwood floor that it is placed on.

Richard

[Tom Sontag]

I would suggest to her that it will probably be many years before it is anything close to "dry" in the EMC sense. But why not make it work somehow now? Put the flat on some small blocks or legs and let air circulate all around it in situ. An oil finish or something breathable would work and as it cracks reapply more. It surely will give off moisture and move and check as it dries throughout the winter, but maple does alright drying relatively fast.

But who wants a heavy immoveable coffee table? And frankly, it sounds like it would not be pretty. And do not volunteer to level the root cuts for the glass - they will likely move some as it dries out. Debark, oil, and keep it off the floor.

[John Hart]

Just a thought, and I don't know who is going to do the actual work, but you could get a boat-load of Denatured Alcohol and construct a bath, put the cut surface in the bath and allow it to "drink" the alcohol. The cell structure of the wood will act like a straw. Soak it like that for a few days, then let it air-dry some more....maybe a month....The whole time with some band clamps around it. I dunno...just thinking out loud....need more coffee.

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Three years is plenty of time for you to find a part time job that leaves you no time to spare...or to find somebody else who can do it. I woulda never thought about it, but Richard makes an excellent point.

[Andy Hoyt]

Here's a thought with no thought behind it.

From the face that will sit on the floor, just hollow it out until you have a two or three inch wall thickness. Then let it dry.

Probably something wrong with this, but I too need more coffee.

[Greg Heppeard]

Here's a thought with no thought behind it.

From the face that will sit on the floor, just hollow it out until you have a two or three inch wall thickness. Then let it dry.

Probably something wrong with this, but I too need more coffee.

GMTA

As I was reading the posts, I thought it could be hollowed out which would speed up the drying process. I think you'd have to remove as much of the bark as possible and power wash the root ball. I also think you'll have to spray the finish, what ever you decide to use. Ok, too much thought so early before coffee.