Wierd request but....

mudcow007

My mrs wants me to make a seat out of a tree trunk for the garden.

only problem is, i dont have a tree trunk i don't know where to find one either. obviously i cant just go hack a tree down

any ideas where i would get one

you see i told you it was a weird request!

probably 6ft long by as thick as possible - she wants me to chain saw out like an L shape so its a seat with back rest

bails87

How much would that weigh!? I guess you're not going to tow it home behind your bike


Speak to some local tree surgeons?

mudcow007

bails87 wrote:

How much would that weigh!? I guess you're not going to tow it home behind your bike


Speak to some local tree surgeons?

weight is a worry to be honest - i missed out on a trunk on a recent trip to Scotland, they guy had literally just started to chop it up

good choice with the tree surgeons

thanks

bails87

A very quick google brought up 35lbs per cubic foot for the weight of a pine tree.*

So a trunk that was 3 foot by 3 foot by 6 foot would weigh almost 900kg! Take account of the fact that it's round, not square and that'll drop obviously, but it's still not going to be light.


*which could, of course, be a million miles out.

davis

Edit: Gah. Google link broken. Assuming a density of 0.74*10^kg/m^3, we get just over 1.1 tonnes.

Go to http://www.google.co.uk/ and put in "pi*(0.5m)^2*2 m *( 0.74*10^3 kg/(1m^3))"

mudcow007

yikes!

i think i might have to get a grab truck

cheers

bails87

mudcow007 wrote:

yikes!

i think i might have to get a grab truck

cheers

Just tell Mrs Mudcow "You bring it home, and I'll cut it up"

desweller

1. Plant an oak tree
2. Wait for a couple of centuries
3. Cut tree down

Hey presto - tree trunk.

rolf_f

DesWeller wrote:

1. Plant an oak tree
2. Wait for a couple of centuries
3. Cut tree down

Hey presto - tree trunk.

Silly man! In two centuries the oak tree will have a tree preservation order on it. Your problem is that you just don't think things through!

mkirby

http://www.john-boddys-fwts.co.uk/

They can get you any size trunk and in any wood. They do deliver but that will be expensive.

Any good lumber yard that is also a mill should be able to sell you a trunk before they plank it. Wont be cheep mind wood is very expensive. Best to drive around look for fallen trees in peoples gardons/paddocks and offer to shift it for them.

bails87

mkirby wrote:

Best to drive around look for fallen trees in peoples gardons/paddocks and offer to shift it for them.

I want to see mudcow trying to roll a ton of tree trunk down the road!

mkirby

id be more impressed if he tries to tow it behind his bike

walkingbootweather

mkirby wrote:

http://www.john-boddys-fwts.co.uk/

They can get you any size trunk and in any wood. They do deliver but that will be expensive.

Any good lumber yard that is also a mill should be able to sell you a trunk before they plank it. Wont be cheep mind wood is very expensive. Best to drive around look for fallen trees in peoples gardons/paddocks and offer to shift it for them.

Quite right. Wood doesn't grow on trees you know.

mudcow007

sweet jesus that looks pricey!

i think i might see if i can get away with making it out of MDF an see if she notices....

Jay dubbleU

mudcow007 wrote:

sweet jesus that looks pricey!

i think i might see if i can get away with making it out of MDF an see if she notices....

Not until it rains

kelsen

Sorted

mtb-idle

Having removed 8 x 30 foot conifers out of my garden myself including chopping them down, pruning the branches, cutting up the trunks into transportable size digging out the roots and then transporting them to the dump, sorry recycling centre I can confirm that even a modest sized trunk is very heavy.

Welcome to Herniaville.

Monkeypump

mudcow007 wrote:

sweet jesus that looks pricey!

i think i might see if i can get away with making it out of MDF an see if she notices....

Or a quick visit to one of the Royal Parks with a grabber-truck?

Corporate Camper

If I'm reading it right, this place will sell you some old seat backs for your tree trunk for 11,000 EUR :shock:

http://www.droog.com/store/furniture/tree-trunk-bench/

SimonAH

'Cow old fella, if you can transport from Hertfordshire then I have all the oak trunk you want.

Stevo_666

Try the Forestry Commission - they seem to be doing a fair bit of tree felling and logging down my way right now and you might be able to get something for not a lot if you can sort the logistics.

Mr Sworld

bails87 wrote:

mkirby wrote:

Best to drive around look for fallen trees in peoples gardons/paddocks and offer to shift it for them.

I want to see mudcow trying to roll a ton of tree trunk down the road!

He's from Liverpool, anything can be rolled down the road and no one will bat an eyelid....

As an alternative how about a grass chair?

http://www.pointlessbutcool.com/gadgets/grass_armchair

mudcow007

SimonAH wrote:

'Cow old fella, if you can transport from Hertfordshire then I have all the oak trunk you want.

muchas gracias!

i may take you up on that mate

i just spoke to a mate of a mate who works for Connaught who do ground works an cut down trees etc

who said that he should be able to sort something out aslong as i can shift it (the log i hope he means!)

i might look at a smaller sized log an just make a single seat, as i reckon a 2 seater will weigh an absolute tonne!

rjsterry

mudcow007 wrote:

SimonAH wrote:

'Cow old fella, if you can transport from Hertfordshire then I have all the oak trunk you want.

muchas gracias!

i may take you up on that mate

i just spoke to a mate of a mate who works for Connaught who do ground works an cut down trees etc

who said that he should be able to sort something out aslong as i can shift it (the log i hope he means!)

i might look at a smaller sized log an just make a single seat, as i reckon a 2 seater will weigh an absolute tonne!

I reckon for a single seat, you would need a 1m long log of about 0.6m radius. Using a density of 600kg/m³ (typical hardwood) gives a weight of 283kg - very heavy, but not unmanageable if you have a couple of bars and some straps to lever/haul it around. For a first attempt, I'd try (if you can be choosy) to find a log without any big knots, twists or shakes. Also, I'd suggest hollowing out underneath the seat to reduce weight. Oh, and make sure it's nice and steady before you start cutting - 283kg falling towards you with a running chainsaw could get messy.

mudcow007

rjsterry wrote:

I reckon for a single seat, you would need a 1m long log of about 0.6m radius. Using a density of 600kg/m³ (typical hardwood) gives a weight of 283kg - very heavy, but not unmanageable if you have a couple of bars and some straps to lever/haul it around. For a first attempt, I'd try (if you can be choosy) to find a log without any big knots, twists or shakes. Also, I'd suggest hollowing out underneath the seat to reduce weight. Oh, and make sure it's nice and steady before you start cutting - 283kg falling towards you with a running chainsaw could get messy.

300kg isnt so bad...if i get help loading it i reckon it would be fine in the back of a transit van too

my mrs was telling me she wants the seat to be scalloped out, if that makes sense

im looking forward to it trying but i think it will end in tears....an lost chubby digits :shock:

rjsterry

mudcow007 wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

I reckon for a single seat, you would need a 1m long log of about 0.6m radius. Using a density of 600kg/m³ (typical hardwood) gives a weight of 283kg - very heavy, but not unmanageable if you have a couple of bars and some straps to lever/haul it around. For a first attempt, I'd try (if you can be choosy) to find a log without any big knots, twists or shakes. Also, I'd suggest hollowing out underneath the seat to reduce weight. Oh, and make sure it's nice and steady before you start cutting - 283kg falling towards you with a running chainsaw could get messy.

300kg isnt so bad...if i get help loading it i reckon it would be fine in the back of a transit van too

my mrs was telling me she wants the seat to be scalloped out, if that makes sense

im looking forward to it trying but i think it will end in tears....an lost chubby digits :shock:

Given the logistics of getting hold of a 300kg log, if you can grab a (maybe smaller) spare log at the same time to practice on, so that you can get the hang of it without wasting your one 'good' log.

EDIT: There are loads of Youtube videos to watch to get some background information.