Bye Bye Stump

[cabinetman]

Now I need to pray for no rain this weekend... My idea is to pick up about 2 or 3 large bags of Walmart's large briquettes. They burn slow and hot. But not too hot.

I've been real lucky with dry weather. As for briquettes, I used up the last of our Kingsford twin bag specials from HD. I happened to pick up a couple of the cheap Winn-Dixie brand bags on my last visit there. I found no difference.

I had a brainstorm looking at the last of the charred wood. There's only a little of the charred wood close to the grade. When the heat dies down, I'm going to try my air hammer, with the chisel attachment. When I've used a shovel it seems to break off straight down. The air chisel might be less work and work better.

I'll keep ya posted.
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[dbhost]

I had a brainstorm looking at the last of the charred wood. There's only a little of the charred wood close to the grade. When the heat dies down, I'm going to try my air hammer, with the chisel attachment. When I've used a shovel it seems to break off straight down. The air chisel might be less work and work better.

I'll keep ya posted.
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Yeah, curious to know... I had a neighbor that burned a pine stump out. Boy did that one really go! I guess it was all the pitch... But this stupid beech, boy I tell ya, it's like trying to burn green oak. And this dumb thing has been dead since September 2008!

Like I mentioned before I will be happy with dead, and turned to chars below grade. Obviously I would prefer totally gone and out, but I will take what I can get at this point, as long as it doesn't try growing back...

I was going with the Wally world briquettes because they are CHEAP, and the large size of the briquettes makes them a little easier to arrange to keep the heat where you want it... And I am not wasting my Kingsford Mesquite stuff on this job...

[annunaki]

Old Vacuum Cleaner Method

I needed to remove a stump that was too close to a cement stoop to permit a lot of digging.

I started a fire on top using self starter charcoal.
Once started, I took an old Electrolux Vacuum and reversed the hose so that it blew air. The charcoal quickly got grey. Next I added real coal on top of the charcoal. Once the charcoal had been consumed and the coal was well fired, I was getting blue flames as I watched the stump disappear using my homemade "Forced Draft Blower", which like a bellows on a forge created a blue heat far in excess of any ordinary yellow/orange regular fire. In an hour, the 24" diameter stump was history.

[dbhost]

I needed to remove a stump that was too close to a cement stoop to permit a lot of digging.

I started a fire on top using self starter charcoal.
Once started, I took an old Electrolux Vacuum and reversed the hose so that it blew air. The charcoal quickly got grey. Next I added real coal on top of the charcoal. Once the charcoal had been consumed and the coal was well fired, I was getting blue flames as I watched the stump disappear using my homemade "Forced Draft Blower", which like a bellows on a forge created a blue heat far in excess of any ordinary yellow/orange regular fire. In an hour, the 24" diameter stump was history.

That is more tempting than you can imagine... I can swap my shop vac hose around to blower configuration (Thank you Ridgid!)... I might just have to do that.... Probably drive my neighbor nuts... Only question though. Where do you get regular coal?

[pelligrini]

That vacum cleaner method is similar to how I get the charcoal ready in a built in grill that was made into the backside of our fireplace. I have a 120v 4" fan from radioshack that is fastened to a rectangular piece of plywood, part of a metal thru wall fitting for a dryer duct is fastened to the other side. The thing puts a steady, slow movement of air onto the coals. That piece of dryer duct is about 14" long. The fan is really quiet too.

[Mr__Bill]

... Only question though. Where do you get regular coal?

Pennsylvania.

[gjat]

Why don't you hire a stump grinder? I had a huge stump and the stump grinder turned it to sawdust in 10 minutes. It took longer to load and unload it. No fire, no complaints. Easy-Peasy!

[cabinetman]

Why don't you hire a stump grinder? I had a huge stump and the stump grinder turned it to sawdust in 10 minutes. It took longer to load and unload it. No fire, no complaints. Easy-Peasy!

Average price here is $125-$150.
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[dbhost]

Why don't you hire a stump grinder? I had a huge stump and the stump grinder turned it to sawdust in 10 minutes. It took longer to load and unload it. No fire, no complaints. Easy-Peasy!

36" clearance required. My gate opening is 32"... And the stump grinder guys don't want to sidehill 4 wheel their trucks down the bayou while yanking a stump grinder for some reason...

[gjat]

36" clearance required. My gate opening is 32"... And the stump grinder guys don't want to sidehill 4 wheel their trucks down the bayou while yanking a stump grinder for some reason...

I've been told for years that 4" isn't even worth mentioning.

[Woodshark]

I have burned out five or six good sized stumps using plain old bag charcoal. When we had the house built, the HVAC guys left a small roll of 12" sheet metal behind. I cut off about 4ft of it and, using a couple of drywall screws, made a circle to go around a stump. Pour in the charcoal, douse with charcoal starter and let-r-rip. For my stumps it took about 24 hours each to smoulder and burn them below grade.

I have a few more to go but just waiting for charcoal to go on sale again.

[Mr__Bill]

I have burned out five or six good sized stumps using plain old bag charcoal. When we had the house built, the HVAC guys left a small roll of 12" sheet metal behind. I cut off about 4ft of it and, using a couple of drywall screws, made a circle to go around a stump. Pour in the charcoal, douse with charcoal starter and let-r-rip. For my stumps it took about 24 hours each to smoulder and burn them below grade.

I have a few more to go but just waiting for charcoal to go on sale again.

That's a clever idea, putting a chimney on it. However nothing beats the spectacular sight of a gallon of gasoline igniting like a rocket to the center of the earth, although you way I expect is a mite bit safer.

Bill
it's only dangerous if someone you like gets hurt.....

[os1kne]

I have burned out five or six good sized stumps using plain old bag charcoal. When we had the house built, the HVAC guys left a small roll of 12" sheet metal behind. I cut off about 4ft of it and, using a couple of drywall screws, made a circle to go around a stump. Pour in the charcoal, douse with charcoal starter and let-r-rip. For my stumps it took about 24 hours each to smoulder and burn them below grade.

I have a few more to go but just waiting for charcoal to go on sale again.

Very good idea! It would seem that you could do the same thing with the metal exhaust vent material (like for a dryer, etc.). Thanks.

[dbhost]

I have burned out five or six good sized stumps using plain old bag charcoal. When we had the house built, the HVAC guys left a small roll of 12" sheet metal behind. I cut off about 4ft of it and, using a couple of drywall screws, made a circle to go around a stump. Pour in the charcoal, douse with charcoal starter and let-r-rip. For my stumps it took about 24 hours each to smoulder and burn them below grade.

I have a few more to go but just waiting for charcoal to go on sale again.

Memorial day weekend... Charcoal is presently on sale at HEB, Krogers, and I think Walmart...

I am going to run out and grab a few bags, and I think I have some sheet metal torn out from an old AC somewhere... This might just do the trick... I am so close to grade, but I bet that metal ring would help me keep the charcoal where I want it...

[cabinetman]

Memorial day weekend... Charcoal is presently on sale at HEB, Krogers, and I think Walmart...

I am going to run out and grab a few bags, and I think I have some sheet metal torn out from an old AC somewhere... This might just do the trick... I am so close to grade, but I bet that metal ring would help me keep the charcoal where I want it...

Roof flashing is pretty cheap.
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