Large hawthorn stump

[screwpainting]

I have a large stump to get out of my boundary. I took all the top growth off the bloody thing about fifteen years ago and buried it under a load of planting which was mainly ivy.
Now, I have to get rid of it!
I should have done it at the time it was growing but...

Today I have ruined a 20cm chain for a little Titon pole saw and two large Bosch reciprocating saw blades. I have got quite a way through the trunk at ground level but, the stump has grown around some stones etc and this is what is blunting the saw blades.
What would you recommend I use to destroy the thing and get it out. It's about 30cm round with all sorts of rubbish growing out of t. It is also sandwiched between next doors drive which is above my paved path 60cm below. So, I have a hole of about 700cm long X 500cm wide X 800 high to work with to get out this rock hard, dead stump which is full of stones etc.

My thinking now is to get an SDS chisel and just steam into it, sharpening as required until the pain stops, or, just drill the rubbish out of it and butcher it out.

Any recommendations most welcome.

This has already caused the demise of four de-stressing cans or Heineken and I'm still browned off.

Help.

 

[Woodchips2]

If time is not critical I'd go for rotting the stump with potassium nitrate, guidance at http://www.treeremoval.com/stump-remova ... 0dTapErLcs

Regards Keith

 

[dickm]

Mattock and a muscle-bound friend?

 

[Wuffles]

And more Heineken.

 

[porker]

You could hire a stump grinder but I would dig it out. Done a few recently and it is hard work but if you take it steadily you will get there. I use a digging bar like this one http://www.screwfix.com/p/roughneck-17lb-post-hole-digger/62496 to break up the earth. It will break up stones and small roots too and a mattock and rake the muck out with a garden trowel or spade. I try not to use a chainsaw as you are right, the stones and ground blunt the chain and it can be dangerous from flying debris. Depends on access too. I've tried rotting them out with "Root Out" before but without much success. I've heard of methods of removal by drilling holes and filling with diesel but I would imagine it's frowned on and I don't know how well it works.

 

[Zeddedhed]

Burn it out. And drink more beer.

 

[AJB Temple]

I am with Zed on this. Digging is hard work. I had 40 Leylandii stumps to remove recently and found by far the best tool was a 3.5 tonne excavator. If I were just doing one I would clear the surrounding soil and make it the heart of a fine bonfire.

 

[Zeddedhed]

The trick to burning out stumps is to burn it from the INSIDE.

Drill a whole load of holes with the biggest auger bit you can find about 150mm deep (or deeper if you can) down into the heart, then attack it with a hatchet to mash it all up a bit and then set fire to this dry chipped up mush in the middle. You'll need to feed it a bit for the first hour or so but once it gets going it'll burn and smoulder away for days if you let it, eventually leaving you with a crispy heap of carbonised tree stump that can be dispatched with a few good wallops with a sledge hammer. Plenty of time to 'keep an eye' on it whilst supping the Heineken.

Of course there is the extremely slight chance of the fire following the roots underground and creating a fiery apocalypse of truly Canadian proportions. Then you need to move house.

 

[Lons]

I took several out last summer plus a couple af large alders and no easy way unless you can get a mini digger in. I did everything you did and the most successful was a long 30mm wrecking bar, a large axe and a mattock. I had a 4 1/2" grinder outside and continuously sharpened the axe and mattock an hawthorn is bloody hard.

No getting away from it though, it's damn hard work.

Pic 1). There was a line of very old hawthorn and sloe, stumps are cut to ground level
Pic 2). After cleared and turfed
Pic 3). I had help, though realy she was little bossy boots a forman

 

[screwpainting]

Burning is out of the question it's too close to road and neighbors cars, though I think more beers will have to be done and should be done. I think I'm leaning towards drilling and grummoxing bits out with a chisel. Trouble is it's in a difficult spot and I cant get a good swing at it with anything. I did put a sharp cutting edge on a brick hammer and that worked quite well plus i managed to get a small scissor jack in between one branch and the trunk and snap it off. There's more bloody techniques getting this thing out than building a Chippendale sideboard

 

[lurker]

If you have a big sds drill a sharpened bit on that makes a good power chisel

 

[Racers]

You need to find a turner, I am sure they would love to make something out of it and help with the removal.

Pete

 

[Fitzroy]

I wanted to suggest a few lbs of explosive, but the road issue would also prevent, if you fancy a laugh some time search you-tube for explosive stump removal, there are some awesome redneck attempts!

 

[TFrench]

Having deforested my garden in the last year, along with removing all the stumps the previous owner left, I'm now an authority on the subject. Fastest way I found was to dig around it as far as possible to expose the roots with a mattock and digging bar - these will go through most small roots. Reciprocating saw to go through the roots - they work for a surprisingly long time even when they look knackered. I coachscrewed a chain into the beefiest part of the stump and then used a farm jack to put tension on it - shows you which side is still held by roots and where you need to work. Its a miserable job! Looked like I'd been digging a pond when I got the big leylandii ones out of mine!

 

[Sheptonphil]

Semtex or C4 should sort it if a local turner won't remove it.

I would if closer as it is one of the best wood species I have ever turned. Hard as iron when seasoned, some superb graining and colour.

Light pulls and pens look especially good from the smaller branches using heart and sap wood.

Phil

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Takes detail really well too due to the very close grain...not that great with stones in mind!

 

[acewoodturner]

I had to remove 8 stumps from the garden a couple of years ago as I was needing to put slabs down to house our multiple bin collection in the area. They wereonly about 10 inches in diameter and after a few hours of sweat and cursing I knew I had to find an alternative method. Out came the angle grinder with a chainsaw disc on it. It took about 30 minutes or so for each stump and I reckon it was far easier and less effort than trying to dig them out. I just took them below the surface depth of where I wanted the slabs to be. Job done. I wouldnt have got a proper stump grinder in and that would have cost a few quid anyway so I was pretty pleased to get rid of them myself.

Mike

 

[Bm101]

You could use the Disney dvd method. Get Aladin. Let him do all the hard work. Stand nearby and offer helpful advice. It won't help him at all but it's a good craic for you. Pay him just enough that you can justify going to the pub after and telling everyone who will listen you've just had to dig a tree out all by yourself. Simplest solutions are the best.