Wood disc advice - free for all...

[dpm_dpmartin]

Good morning,

I'm hoping that someone might give me some advice and some ideas (if that's not too much trouble).

I saw a team of guys chopping down a tree, and I asked them if I could take away some of the bits, they said "yes" and I've ended up with these in my back garden...

They're about 20" in diameter, so pretty big and very heavy!

My first thought was that I could make some rustic garden stools... I still would like to give that a go. However, I have an initial question (not being a woodworker)...

What should I do to protect these (just in case the weather turns)?

Should I sand them down (just the tops and bottoms) and then put some varnish or stain on them?

What about wax? Or, someone mentioned, creosote?

What would be a good thing for me to do to help protect these discs (as well as getting them under cover)?

Secondly, what do the readers here think? What should I make - if anything different to sturdy wooden stools comes to mind?

If I went for stools... should I go for 3 legs, or 4, should I just drill holes into the base and stuff legs in there, or should I build a frame around the underside? You can tell I'm a novice!

With stools, how do I get a butt-print indent in the top? I can't be sitting on them for years and years until one starts to appear... should I draw out a bottom shape and then just 'get in there' with my triangle sander on 40 grit?

Would you take the bark off the edges, or leave it on?

Any thoughts appreciated, as always.

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

BTW - I do have some of this in the garage...

http://www.screwfix.com/p/ronseal-refined-danish-oil-natural-500ml/54151

Danish Oil - suitable for exterior use, creates a waterproof finish.

 

[foxhole]

Tung oil, three legs, dowel just glued into hole will suffice, even done badly three legs can't wobble.
I would not bother with shaping, not going to make them any more comfortable. Leave bark on, more attractive [unless it's falling away?]

 

[GrinAndBearIt]

I think you should trim them down and sell them to the guy on this board who is making an outdoor Connect 4 set ....

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

Hmmm, bearing in mind the thickness I guess he could get 10 or 15 Connect 4 pieces.

Anyway, I still want to try and make something.

 

[Burnerman]

The timber looks like poplar, maybe? It will be very wet, and be light as a feather in 12 months.
The bark will drop off on its own after a while.
John

 

[AronSearle]

Danish oil, paints, stains and varnishes are finishes, they do not protect against decay.

Danish oils are not very durable, but easy to apply and do little harm.

Paints and stains are, but would look naff.

DO NOT use a varnish, chips n flakes and then looks horrible.

Add some fungicidal preservative treatment if you want them to last more than several years (no, not creosote, banned for domestic use for a reason).

They will crack as they split, nothing much to worry about but be aware of it.

As someone said above, just wack some legs in them and make some stools.

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

Thanks!

Re. "fungicidal preservative treatment"... got a suggested product?

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

As stated, I'm going to "whack some legs in 'em" and make some stools.

Then I will sit on those stools, a lot, and - over time - make my own arse indentation.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Then I will sit on those stools, a lot, and - over time - make my own a**e indentation.

The "a**e indentations" you refer to are normally made by a tool called a scorp.

Using timber rings like those, which are effectively short end grain timber you may find the over time the legs work loose or worse still that the rings shrink to such an extent that cracking starts at the leg top round tenons and there is premature failure. If you look at a conventional Windsor chair it uses straight grain hardwood (elm) which is slightly wetter than the turned beech legs. The legs are secured using glued wedges and the drying of the chair bottom causes it to shrink onto the wedged round tenons locking the structure together.

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

Interesting. I think I can find out what kind of tree it was.

Anyway, I bought a Makita belt sander today and I've been enjoying myself with that. I've got the major dents out of it and gone over it with 240 grit then some linseed oil. I like it.

Saw some big coloured plant pots while out and about today and started to think they would make good bases, turned upside-down... drainage hole in the bottom (top) could be used for a big bolt, could use some t-nuts in the base of the stool(s).

And may need to buy a scorp... although this belt sander really ploughs through stuff... hoped I might be able to make use of that.

 

[ladylola]

I've made stools from green wood myself although I tend not to use these timbers rings of short grain as splits and shakes can easily ruin the work. One useful idea is to have tapered holes. Gets away with the need for glue , compensates for shrinkage and allows the piece to be knocked apart for storage or transport.
This is the sort of tool ( from a quick search on eBay)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Coopers-t...074?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item259b097092
although it's perfectly possible to drill a straight hole and taper it with a gouge.

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

I've bought a large outside plant holder and turned it upside down - the disc is sat on top of that and it makes a pretty good stool. I used 8mm tee-nuts and hex bolts (50mm) with oversized washers to hold them together (drilling one more hole through the base of the plant holder to give me three points).

It's looking quite nice... but it is blinkin' heavy!

Also, the linseed oil I used to coat it several times doesn't appear to be waterproof... as it's just rained and the water is not beading like it is on the disc that I covered in the Danish oil.

So I may need to get the sander out again on a dry day, take off another few mm and give it another shot.

Plant holder is about 35cm high and 40cm in diameter, so quite a sturdy base.

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

I am guessing that these discs may get lighter as the moisture in them goes. However, they're still pretty big and I'm considering buying a planer, a tool I haven't had before.

I bought a Makita belt sander and with 40 grit it chews through the wood, but I'd say it doesn't take off millimeteres at a time, it's quite hard going.

So I thought about the Makita KP0800 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Makita-KP0800-2-MAKITA-Planer-240V/dp/B003V4ETNQ - realise it's another £100 but I'm sure these things can be used again and again if I care for them.

I have a Makita drill, a Makita angle grinder and a Makita belt sander... all are good products (but I know no better)... I can walk into B&Q and pick up a funky looking Ryobi planer for about £45.

Should I be doing that instead of sticking with the more expensive (for entirely obvious reasons, I'm sure) Makita?

On the wood protection aspect... linseed oil did not seem to work very well at all... rain water does not appear to bead on it like it does on my pub bench that I covered in Danish oil. So when I've planed and sanded down again (and reduced the size / weight) I would plan on using Danish oil again, as that seemed the best of the stuff I've tried.

Also, I chiselled around the edges and removed all the bark (again to reduce the size and weight) and that had the positive effect of making them look nicer (if a bit less rustic).

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

I bought the Makita KP0800. It certainly takes off a lot more wood than the belt sander using 40 grit, no surprise there.

I ended up breaking both blades yesterday, trying to plane 2mm, so maybe I wasn't using it right and now I've ordered some more.

The discs are cracking around the edges now... so maybe it's all been in vain!