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I shared my upcoming project a few days ago and its taking a bit longer then I expected with everything going on in my life at the moment. I thought I would go ahead and share my progress so far! I am loving how this project is turning out so far.
Let me refresh your memory on what I started with.
Don't worry if the bark has any markings. That part will come off during the process.
You will need the following:
1. A crowbar or flat head screwdriver.
2. Hammer
3. Sand paper (You'll want a course grit and a finer grit)
4. Table legs (You can buy legs at ikea for pretty cheap)
-I am still deciding on my legs
5. Stain (if you want the wood a darker color)
6. Shellac or polyurethane to seal the wood once your done.
7. Paint brush('s)
I researched how to do this online and I found several people saying you need to dry out your stump for a few months. This might make it easier but you don't have to. I started within a week of the tree being cut down.
The first step is to remove the bark around the edges. It took a little work to get the first piece off, just keep at it.
Just put the edge of the crowbar (or whatever you are using) where the bark meets the middle of the log. Don't be afraid to really hammer it! It's going to take some muscle. My poor puppy did not appreciate the loud noises!
This is her cowering in the corner of the couch!
To make it less noisy I simply wrapped the end of my crowbar with a washcloth and hammered on the wash cloth. It helped a lot. Just be careful you don't slip or get your finger.
Here is a picture of the first section I got off. Progress! That first section coming off was so exciting.
Here is a good couple of shot of where to put the edge of your tool on the bark. You'll be able to tell where the bark ends. Be careful not to scratch the wood to much. I didn't really mind since I was going to sand it a little anyways.
Continue to work around the trunk until all the bark is off. Heres what your left with! How cool is that!? I love the coloring so far.
Once you have finished removing the bark, the next step is sand, sand, and more sanding! Seriously, it's taking forever! To be fair, I do NOT have an electrical sander so I am doing it all by hand.
This is where my project has stopped! I didn't get a rough enough sander for the top. (You can see when they cut it, it caused a lot of marks). I want to smooth out the top so I can see the rings of the tree. Needless to say I will be making a run to the home improvement store soon to pick up the other supplies I need.
Keep an eye on my blog for the rest of this tutorial! If anyone has tips or questions, feel free to share or ask!
