Tree stump table - treatment?

ragmanlebon · 22 Jun 2013

Hello all, first time poster here. I'm working on a coffee table made from a oak tree stump. This oak blew over many years ago, probably 1987 or 1990 and fortunately for me the whole root plate was lifted out of the ground so it has seasoned and lost its sapwood etc. without being in touch with the ground and rotting. I've been looking for a good one of these for a long time (I'm a woodcutter by trade and always out in the woods) and consider this a perfect example, my plan is to stand it on its 'feet' just as it grew and fix a round glass table top to it. I've been shaping it and giving it a lot of sanding, now I'm wondering about treating it. The only idea I have is linseed oil at this point, I really know nothing about this sort of thing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I (hopefully) enclose a rather poor quality picture but it should give you the idea.

Random Orbital Bob · 22 Jun 2013

well it sounds like a great idea for a table....that style would suit me too so like the idea.

For treatment you need to be thinking along the lines of whats living in there that needs to go and what might want to live there in the future. Central question....will it be in or outside?

One helpful point is that due to the glass top no food will ever be in contact with the actual wood so you can de woodworm/critter it with some of the more robust treatments. I've used two different cuprinol products in the past. One was called woodworm killer or some such name (it was obvious its job was for active furniture beetle) and the other is just a clear wood preservative that really penetrates into the wood. The clear is great because it actually brings out the grain as well as treating the wood. You should give it a good dousing and then leave it outside for as long as is necessary for the odour to fade (certainly a few days or even a couple of weeks if necessary).

When I last used that woodworm killer product it was on the rafters of a 400 year old cottage (oak) and it absolutely wiped the population out. When we moved in there was frass at many of the exit holes showing live infestation, we treated and lived there for 13 years. When we sold....there wasn't a single active hole that I could find.
Once it's debugged any of the oils will be fine to keep the wood conditioned...tung, linseed. You'll probably need rather a lot so perhaps linseed which tends to be less expensive than the others.

ragmanlebon · 22 Jun 2013

Thaks for the reply, very informative. It's going to be inside at all times. I hadn't thought about woodworm treatment, don't think anything's living in it at the moment (I've had it inside for many months drying out) but that should definitely be part of my treatment.

Random Orbital Bob · 22 Jun 2013

Its INCREDIBLY unlikely that it has zero woodworm if it was felled over a decade ago and kept outside for much of that time. In fact, even without seeing it...assuming it had sapwood I will pretty much guarantee it does have active furniture beetle. The beetle infests the bark and outer layers only...the heartwood is generally too dense. Now the root will be a little different in that I daresay the wood is more dense generally so less susceptible but........I have tons of oak outside in log form and there isn't a single piece without a few worm holes, the older the greater the frequency of holes. But cut into it and there's nothing beyond the sapwood.

They certainly don't like dry wood but a hulking great chunk like that would take literally decades to dry out even if it was indoors for all that time.

That's the theory dealt with....personally I would go over it with a fine tooth comb checking for exit holes. If you find nothing, maybe by some miracle you got lucky or the wood is just so dense they can't penetrate.

rafezetter · 23 Jun 2013

I've seen something similar but upended so the wider base gives more support for the tabletop, plus with the trunk as it's base it's a smaller trip hazard.