Backyard Eyesore to Patio Table Centerpiece

So you're cleaning up along that back fence by your yard and you come across this UGLY, GNARLY, rotten, Useless,(?) wood stump. So you have some options here.

You Could:

~ leave it hiding there (since no one will probably see it there out of the way any way... Really? ☺

~call in a stump/tree removal company to come and grind it and then use it for mulch

But why not think outside the box and be creative. Because, inside that UGLY stump, especially depending on the stage of rot, is something what we call spalting. Which can have some BEAUTIFUL patterns in the wood. So why not make something... Something functional... Something that make your backyard patio party guests go WOW!! In this Instructable I will show you my methods that I used to take this stump a center piece bowl for on your patio table for fruit. (Or get creative 😉 let me know in the comments what you use yours for)

Supplies you will need:

~ wood log / stump

~ chainsaw or other saw to cut it with

~ a chisel and hammer (probably not your best chisel in the shop ;)

~ a wood lathe with some turning tools (either traditional tools or carbide tools will work)

~ face plate

~ 4 jaw chuck

~ CA thin glue (or other glue for fixing any cracks )

~ Some wood hardener (optional but comes in handy if the wood is too soft)

~ sand paper

~ some wood finish (I prefer a natural oil based finish but almost any clear coat will probably do the job.)

PPE

A full face shield is strongly recommended. Remember, You're dealing with rotting wood here and if there are cracks that you miss seeing and fixing it could easily come flying off the lathe. Safety Goggles might be sufficient for small projects but are not enough to protect you from a heavy bowl smashing you in the face.

Another thing I recommend is a dust mask. Especially when sanding. The spalting wood with mold is probably not good for your lungs!

Start by using your saw to cut away any roots and branches sticking out from the main bulk of the stump.

Then start loosening the ground, rocks rot etc. that are hidden in the voids of the tree This is where your chisel comes in handy. My Stump had a stone hidden in the one side that I had to dig out. Stone are hard on saws and not good for turning applications!

Once you have the ground and other junk removed you want to start planning on the shape and size of blank you will need for turning. You will need a flat side on your blank to secure your face plate to. Once you have an idea where the best place to cut your blank out of. start by cutting off the outsid of that section down the length of the stump. (see first picture in this section) This will reveal the beauty inside the stump.

Now comes a important decission...

There will be a stage when the wood becomes too decomposed and too soft to be handled safely on the lathe. (Unless you cast and stablize in resin which is another topic of its own)

IF the wood is all crumbly inside or very soft to the point where you are uncomfortable with turning it.. STOP and DO NOT turn it. Quite Likely you can find another stump around somewhere that will be suitable.

If the wood is still fairly firm you can continue to the next step, cutting your blank.

Decide where the place for the blank can be that will maximize the use of the wood, and cut it into a square. If you have a large piece cutting off the corners of the square will speed the turning process up.

Mount your wood blank on the flat side to the lathe using screws and a faceplate.

Using a bowl gouge or carbide tool, begin shaping the outside shape of the bowl. As you turn you might come across cracks in the wood. Pour CA glue into the cack and spray with some accelerator to speed up the drying time. Once you have the desired shape it is time to put a recess into the bottom for your chuck. Create a recess about an eighth inch bigger in diameter than the outside of your chucks jaws when in the closed position. If your chuck jaws have a dovetail then make sure to match your recess angle to the jaws.

Time to sand! Start at 100 grit to remove any tool marks or grain tear out and work your way up through the grits till you reach the desired smoothness.

Using a bowl gouge or carbide tool, start by truing up the face. Start hollowing beginning at the center and work your way out to the rim.

Something I ran into was there was a few places that were softer than others which lead to uneven cuts. What I did was turned it till almost the desired thickness then added something to make the wood hard. Once this is dry take light finishing cuts until the desired thickness and depth are reached.

Sanding time again!

Start with 100 grit and work through the grits.

Once you have finished the interior take the bowl off the lathe. Inspect the inside and outside for any places that need additional sanding that weren't noticed while turning and hand sand with 150 grit and finish with 220.

Now you are ready to see a really cool transforming! Get your bottle of finish and pour a little bit onto a rag or paper towel. Gently rub it into the outside of the bowl until all is covered. Continue with the same for the inside. Let dry and recoat as necessary.

See the change?! You went from a UGLY stump to a BEAUTIFUL bowl for your patio table.

Now all you have to do is find something to put it in!