School commission

**movay_2008** · 4th June 2014, 07:01 PM

The school's mascot tree had some sort of disease and had to be dealt with. It's a liquidamber and I don't see any evidence of rot or insect attack. About 5 to 6 meters high.

My job is to do something with it sculpturally. I have a basic plan but was wondering if anyone has had experience with liquidamber timber survival outdoors?

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**Whittling** · 4th June 2014, 10:43 PM

Sorry I can't tell you anything about the wood but.... Wow!... what an opportunity. Really looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

**Mike the knife** · 5th June 2014, 02:15 AM

Sorry, I too have no idea about this species, however looking at it I can say that it is going to have some wild & crazy grain direction & figuring in it !
I would love to see what you do with it, every carving bone in my body is screaming STEER WELL CLEAR OF THAT PIECE OF TIMBER !

**elderly** · 5th June 2014, 08:36 AM

I can't help with your question but I am looking forward to seeing what you produce.
Cheers Frank.

**underfoot** · 5th June 2014, 06:19 PM

..Wow..big job..I haven't used it either but one thing is certain..it will crack.
perhaps if you could incorporate that into your design somehow..(piercing it to release the tension maybe)

**movay_2008** · 8th June 2014, 08:36 PM

Thanks. From what I hear it moves when slabbed so makes sense that it will split, as you say, even more so being in sun. I'm thinking that one or two big rainy seasons could turn this stump to nothing in five years - and it has a tendency to blacken which is a bad look. Hmmmm. I'm thinking of making and attaching masks on each branch stump and carving a ring of kids around the first metre. Don't want to put too much work in as is unless removed and housed undercover. Hmmmm.

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**movay_2008** · 19th June 2014, 11:08 PM

Well after a lot of thought where I was turning in the direction of removing the thing and slicing diagonally to 4 metres into a wedge shape with a straight back against a wall undercover somewhere, and then carving it like that, I've decided on plan 1: pleonasm air. I've put my suits soon and preliminary sketch in for perusal to the school. What do you think? Cherry picker or scaffold!

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**movay_2008** · 19th June 2014, 11:12 PM

Auto correct having a ball there read plein air for pleonasm and submission for suits soon.

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**Mike the knife** · 19th June 2014, 11:52 PM

Wow ! I'm still worried about all that wild grain direction considering the amount of detail you plan, probably I'm just hung up thinking in terms of edge tools rather than rotary burrs.

The design concept looks great , an additional benefit is that by using individual elements within it as you have, it will give you a fighting chance to be flexible about design - just in case you come cross any nasty surprises inside that rather daunting looking trunk !

Oh ! & definitely cherry picker as it will allow you to stand back & view the piece in progress un-obscured by scaffold .

**movay_2008** · 19th June 2014, 11:59 PM

Yeh. There will be a bit of cold steel but I'm thinking more chainsaw carving bar and chainsaw back-blading with. bit of arbortech turboplaning thrown in.

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**Robson Valley** · 20th June 2014, 01:47 AM

I like the concept.
Hope you have a CS with a dime tip bar.

**movay_2008** · 20th June 2014, 10:53 AM

Yes, a ten inch with assorted chains on a Stijl miniboss

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**copeau** · 22nd June 2014, 02:01 AM

What a project !

I read some carvers use wood "saturator" for outdoor sculptures. don't know if it can help.

**movay_2008** · 22nd June 2014, 10:32 AM

With the stump still attached to the soil this option is not too feasible, but will check it out some more. In the end its all down to timber not treatment when it comes to outdoor durability. We have tallow wood stumps in the paddock, two with huge fig trees in them, with the 80 year old board holes still showing from the axemen who cut them down.

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**copeau** · 22nd June 2014, 01:31 PM

...alright, here is an other option (maybe a suggestion to give to the school) :
There is a carved tree, in Le Caylar, not so far from my place (far enough so that i never saw it

). It's an elm wich died from disease (like most of elms in France ) in the 80' and was carved by Michel Chevray in 1987-1989, commissioned by the municipality. 2000 hrs work and 25 years after it's still here !
Below is how they dealt with it.
More closer picts here
Here is It's story but you'll have to google-translate it

177.JPG

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