How to Select a Log for a Stump Table - Part II

Now you have decided on the type and use for your stump table. The next step is to decide on the type of wood.

Fortunately Nature has provided us with 100s of species of wood. From exotic Amazon woods to the abundant oaks, maples and elms of America. One will never run out of options. The limiting factors are the wood's location, rareness and cost. It is cheap to find a stump in your neighborhood, but if you want a beautiful piece from Africa, the cost will be high. Rather than looking for a specific species, you can simply start with an interesting piece of wood or stump you find. The key is to keep your mind open for all possible uses of a piece of wood. I started my stump table making by going to a local landscape dump. I noticed a pine log that was all dried and a nice size - I had noticed stump tables in designer magazines and thought it would be fun to try and create one. I went home, picked up my chain saw, went back to the dump and cut a couple of logs, took them to my garage workshop, and a hobby/business was formed.

My first stump tables

I will assume exotic woods are out and you want to keep the cost and availability reasonable. This will mean finding a local piece that will make a good table. Stumps can be unique in their configuration which results in a true one of a kind piece, or they can be uniform in shape - round, square, etc. The unique stumps will have unusual shapes, voids from fungus or rot, or be tree base roots. I have found soft woods are easier to work that hard woods like oak. There always seems to be a lot of sawing and sanding, so the softer the better. One thing about pine - the sap never stops running and is very messy.

OK, so where do you find a great log for a stump table? Again, one needs to keep their mind open for possibilities - think "yes, that would make a great table." I have found that many diamonds are hid in an ugly, mud covered log. Early on, I was lucky enough to find a relatively local saw mill. Not a big one, but something that is run by locals, out in the woods. Sure, New York and Chicago do not have a lot of "local mills." But their are mills a few hours drive away, in the woods someplace. Often these mills will have scraps and remnants from large logs, that can be reclaimed into tables. But remember, these might look like "scraps" to you, but they are the assets of the mill. You should be paying for these rough pieces.

Where else could you look for rough stumps? Whenever there is a bad storm, trees are blown down, especially those with a shallow root system. Go out after the storm and find a tree expert who is cleaning up the damage and buy one from them. They will love not to have to haul it away. How about your back yard? Are you planning to take down that old maple? Maybe a true treasure. Contact local tree experts to keep their eyes open for possibilities. Offer them a decent price so they will keep you in mind. Check out your local city. They are always clearing out some area which might have great stump potential.

A final word of advice - never pass up a possibility. Some of my best work started out as ugly little ducklings.

Rough cypress from the mill. Reclaimed from rivers.

Me and 2 of the 4 finished pieces.

The 3rd of the 4 finished pieces.

The 4th of the 4 finished pieces.

Have fun creating diamonds out of Mother Nature's wonders. It can be a true labor of love, creating one of a kind stump tables. However, never feel it could be a good money maker - IT ISN'T - trust me. It is just fun. Fortunately, I am retired and can afford to work my little creativity in this way. 

Have fun. Remember: we are only here for a brief visit, so enjoy every moment.

Smell Mother Nature's roses whenever you have a chance.

ENJOY

John "Gabby" Gabrielson

Natural Creations

www,naturalcreations.me

(Look for Part III - Finishing)

How to Select a Log for a Stump Table

OK, now you would like to make a stump table. You love the natural look of the wood, and it would fit nicely into your interior design plans. But, where to start? You could buy one ready made, or have the fun to create your own. This blog addresses making your own.

First off, you need to decide what type of stump table you want. It can be a side table, located beside a couch or chair. These are normally around 24" high, depending on the adjoining furniture. The diameter can be 12-15", again depending on its use. Do you want a glass top? This often depends on the amount of wood void on the top surface.

Dark finish cypress side table.

Natural finish cypress side tables.

Grey tone cypress side tables.

Natural finish cypress side table, original exterior.

sinker cypress side table in grey tone. 24" high.

Gabby with 24" sinker cypress side tables. Natural log.

The other type of stump table is the coffee table. These logs are generally larger, due to their use as a major table in the room. The height is around 17"+, plus a glass top. The diameter is a minimum of 15-18". The bigger the area, the bigger the log. Be careful, once the stumps get over 15", they are heavy.

Sinker cypress dual coffee table - 24" high.

Pecky cypress coffee table with natural finish. 20" high.

Sinker cypress coffee table. 1/2" glass added. 16" high.

You have now decided on what type of table you want and its approximate dimensions. The next stage is to decide on the type of wood you want, its configuration, any natural uniqueness, and its natural colors.

This stage will be covered in my next blog. Sorry, I go on Island Time - no deadlines. Whenever it happens it happens. Enjoy and see you next time. Take care and thanks for joining me.

John "Gabby" Gabrielson

In the Great Florida Panhandle

www.naturalcreations.me

How to Determine the Age of a Tree

How does one determine the age of a tree? The easiest way is to count the life rings in a log. Each ring is a year life of the tree. Of course, it is impossible to do if the tree is standing and alive. One needs to wait until the tree is harvested, then examine the end cut of the tree base log. A tree's life ring determines the age. The ring is like a wood grain around the inner circumference of the log.

Original growth trees, ones that have not been replanted by man, often have 20 +/ rings per inch of the diameter. These trees can be 100s of years old. Here is an end cut of a reclaimed sinker cypress log. There are over 400 life rings on the piece. It was harvested in the late 1800s and laid at the bottom of a FL river until the 2000s. This makes this piece over 500 years old, around the time Columbus discovered America. Any logs this age are called "a Columbus" by the saw mill.

New growth trees are often fast grown commercially or have been privately planted as landscape elements. These can have only 3-5 life rings per inch of the diameter.

Growing conditions can also be shown by the tree rings. Drought years will result in tight, close rings. Abundant moisture will result in wider spaced rings. A forest burn will show as a black ring, if the tree lives. In an old reclaimed log piece, it is interesting to locate various events in history, i.e. the Age of the Renaissance, American revolution, War of 1812, WWI, etc.

Nature is indeed a wondrous place to enjoy.

Smell the Roses and have a great life.

John Gabrielson

Natural Creations

What Is Creativity??

Recently, I got into some discussions about "What is Creativity." My first reaction was to think about people in the artistic fields - writers, musicians, artists, sculptors. What is the secret behind their "creativity"? Are they born with creative genes, is it their environment, or is it self generated. Good question. Maybe God said "you will be creative and you will not".

I will see an abstract painting and say to myself, I can do this. Looks like something a 4th grader did. Then I try. Wrong. It is the creative genesis of the artist who created it. Same way with a trying to write a short story, sculpt, etc.

Then the question is: is creativity limited to only the art fields? I don't believe it is. What about the entrepreneur who starts a company - isn't this Creativity? What about the executive that conceives an innovative marketing strategy for their company - Creativity? Or the doctor who comes up with a new operation procedure - Creativity? I feel everyone can be creative in their own way, IF they let themselves. IF they take off the mental blinders off.

I feel creativity must come from the gut. Feel a passion for something. DO IT. Unfortunately, many people tell themselves, I am not creative - I can't do this. Why not try? Who cares if people say this is stupid, you are wasting your time. I find creative people in all fields have thick skin. On the one hand, they often feel their efforts and works aren't good enough and they are not good enough. Then, with a passion, the next day they are up and running - creating a new painting, a new necklace, a new real estate development plan.

OK then, "What is Creativity?" It is the ability to open up one's mind totally, tell one's self  "let's have fun and come up with something new and I don't care what anyone thinks and says." Wake up in the middle of the night and say "YES" I can do this. Have the passion to never stop.

ENJOY LIFE. WE ARE ONLY HERE FOR A VISIT.

John Gabrielson

www.naturalcreations.me

Great New Books on Creativity

Hi,

I keep thinking about What is Creativity!! Am I creative or just doing dumb things? How do I get unstuck when I am trying to create something, whether it is one of my wood pieces or writing something? Am I unique or do others have the same issues on creativity? Once I make something, how do I let people know about it without being a braggart?


Well, I have found some answers to these questions. I found two excellent and fun books on creativity. Both by Austin Kleon, an off the wall writer and lecturer. I like pictures when I read, maybe my infant mentality is coming out, but that's fine. These books can be read quickly and I feel have a lot of meat for the writer, artist, jeweler, and anyone in or wanting to be in the creative fields.
Bought both on Amazon.

STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST

AND

SHOW YOUR WORK

ENJOY

HAVE A GREAT DAY AND MAKE IT BETTER BY CREATING SOMETHING

or

HELPNG SOMEONE ELSE CREATE SOMETHING

John Gabrielson

Natural Creations

New Things from Gabby and Natural Creations

In looking at my past blogs, I am embarrassed at how long it has been since I spent some time to write a new blog. Either I have been sick, feeling good; or I have done too much golf and fishing, unfortunately not enough; or I have been real lazy - BINGO. I have tried to keep involved with creating new stuff, along with my old wood creations. I still love the old, but I have a tendency to get bored and need to try new things. Well, here are some of my new "adventures."

I had some excess pieces of cypress and black walnut. Rather than throwing them away, I said let's try frames. How to do this - bring up uTube tutorials and get advice from my carpenter son Eric. He made me a frame gig and here is what came out of it. 

Cypress and reclaimed frames

Black walnut frame for Mark's water color

Pecky cypress frame for Gary's oil painting

Cypress and black walnut frames.

Cypress frame for Mark's rooster water color. Against a pecky cypress kitchen backsplash

Now that I had a garage full of frames, that fortunately got sold off, what could we conjure up next? Summer of 2014 when in MN, I was doing crafts with my granddaughter Sophia and grandson Nick. Sia has a rock tumbler and Nick suggested we tumble broken glass and make something. Well, we started breaking heavy glass obtained from friends and rummage sales and putting them in the rock tumbler. The result was a surprise. The broken edges were smooth and could definitely be made into something. Then I left for Florida and the kids to school. I showed this glass to my creative Destin buddy Mark. We bought a large rock tumbler and started tumbling broken liquor bottle glass for longer periods. BINGO again. They turned into replicas of etched sea glass. Now we have a bunch of Miramar faux sea glass. What to do? Let's go into the jewelry business. Bring up uTube again. Then I had my good artist friend Velda paint Chinese life symbols on the sea glass. I made the silver connections and bought some chain from China. BINGO - Sea Glass necklaces. 

Mark and Gabby with "high production" rock tumbler

New batch of Miramar Sea Glass

Sea glass necklaces made for a friend's family with FRIENDSHIP symbol

Various necklace colors with Chinese life symbols and silver chain

Painted sea glass ready for silver chains

Miramar sea glass, hand made silver connector, symbol of LOVE.

OK, now with a garage full of frames and sea glass, there is still room for something else before getting back into the wood creations. The doc said I needed a hip replacement before lifting more cypress. I know - big woosy. So, back to a little jewelry making. Silk ribbon is not too heavy to lift. A friend showed me some dyed silk ribbon she bought in Maui for necklaces. I love the colors and casualness of using them as a necklace cord or bracelet wrap. So, I picked up some silver beads, went onto uTube again, and the result is dyed silk ribbon wrap bracelets with silver beads. What a fun thing and the ribbons come in many colors. Can even use thinner Christmas wrapping ribbon - you know the stuff sitting in that box in the attic from previous Christmases that never got used.

Different color hand dyed silk ribbons

Silk ribbon necklace with sea glass pendant

Leather wrap bracelet

Multi colored silk ribbon wrap bracelet with silver beads

Multi color silk ribbon wrap bracelet with silver beads.

OK, I did do a little cypress work, making some tables and these lazy susans. 

Me and a couple of 16" lazy susans

Pecky cypress lazy susans - 14" diameter with turntable.

So, as you can see, I have somehow kept busy creating stuff. I have found it to be very interesting - once a person starts being creative with the blinders off, real new possibilities seem to pop up. Not all are realistic or sane,but the creative juices are flowing. Just around the corner might be a new idea and adventure. Go for it.

Have fun creating. Never say NO it can't be done. If Edison believed this, we would still be using candles.

"When I meet a dreamer with calluses, I try to sit up and listen."

John "Gabby" Gabrielson

johngabrielson5@gmail.com

Natural Creations.

www.naturalcreations.me

612-816-5378

Sinker Cypress: Nature's Underwater Treasure

I have been asked by many people: "what is sinker cypress." Well, let me take a moment and explain all about sinker cypress and the process of turning it into beautiful wood for the home and business.
Sinker cypress, sometimes called deadhead cypress, is exactly what the word says - it is cypress logs that have sunk in rivers and bayous. During the mid to late 1800s, much of northern Florida was covered with cypress forests growing in swamps and bayous. Due to the growth of the country, there was a great demand for cypress for building. Enter the lumber barons. Much of this old growth cypress was harvested and shipped to saw mills for processing into lumber. The best way to transport the logs to the mill was by water - creeks and rivers. The logs were rafted together for efficient floating. Along the way to the mill, some logs became waterlogged and sank to the bottom. Where they have remained until the past 30 years, when the law changed and limited permits were issued to reclaim the logs.

Transporting the cypress logs to the mill - 1800s. Things certainly have changed.

The reclaiming of the sunken logs from the rivers created a niche business for those enterprising individuals daring to take the risks to recover the logs. In addition to having zero visibility, these men could encounter many types of "critters" while submerged. Not like diving in the Caribbean. 

Once the logs were discovered and brought to the surface, they were floated to local saw mills specializing in converting sinker cypress to useable lumber. The logs were sold to the mills and the process of conversion began. Bruner Lumber Company in northern Florida is a saw mill specializing in old growth cypress and pine.

Cypress logs at the river haul out. Doubles as an alligator walkway up to solid ground.

Cypress logs recently reclaimed from the river. Notice the end cut. It was done by hand with axes, prior to power saws. These lumbermen were tough men. And they had no Deep Woods Off for the swamps.

Cypress logs stacked for drying, prior to milling. No this isn't one of the lumbermen, it's my friend Mark "Gator" Nesbit. He is tough however.

Bruner Lumber Company. This excellent northern Florida saw mill specializes in creating beautiful, old growth cypress and pine lumber products for homes throughout the country. 

Once the logs have been through a partial drying process, they are milled into beautiful cypress flooring, paneling, beams, and large table tops. 

Cypress flooring and beams ready for the market.

Saw mill yard with logs ready for milling. Gets a little muddy after a good rain. No place for Gucci loafers.

Then where do I come in? Well, I buy rough unusable cypress pieces from my friends at Bruner. I try and visualize how a particular wood chunk can be transformed into a beautiful usable item for the home or business. Once at my workshop, the sizing, sawing, sanding and finishing takes place. This is the fun part of the process. Creating something that will enhance someones home.

Rough pieces of sinker cypress from the mill. I think I need to get a bigger car or a trailer.

Then after a few (a lot) of hours, this is the result. Magic, when you have beautiful wood to start with. These pieces are all sinker cypress from large reclaimed logs. Most of the logs are over 300 years old.

Have a great day and a Happy and Healthy 2014

Natural Creations

John "Gabby" Gabrielson

johngabrielson5@gmail.com

Miramar Beach, Florida