# How Can I Finish This Stump?



## spunwood (Aug 20, 2010)

I recieved an email from a woman who would soon be putting one of her dogs down. She had been burying her pets in the backyard, and had some crosses, but wanted a plaque for them. She told me she had the wood for it.

Little did I know that the little ole' piece of wood was this big ole' walnut stump/slice.

You can see the sequence of cleaning it up. That is as far as I got today.

I will be burning some of her dog's names onto it, possibly a quote the woman wanted.

My thought was to finish it with Spar Urethane. Any thoughts?

Do I put any finish on the exterior bark or the bottom?

It will probably sit on another piece of wood outside, but it may just be propped up by a piece of wood and be touching the ground.


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## spunwood (Aug 20, 2010)

Well Tennessee is very humid and gets pretty hot in the summers, but then cools off in the winters.

Also, the client wants me to be able to add pet names to the stump 'tomb stone' in the future, which might require just sanding down the finish…or maybe no finish at all!


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## Nomad62 (Apr 20, 2010)

I would recommend to simply spray on some Formbys water seal or the like. The bark will fall off once it gets moist anyway, and that after having gotten full of bugs. A high quality finish will degrade from the sun anyway. Probably need to give it a spray once a year, pretty easy maintenance.


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## miles125 (Jun 8, 2007)

Think about not putting a finish on it. Anything long lasting will look too plasticky (is that a word?). How about inlaying an X shaped cleat into the backside to help stabilize splitting and cupping of the piece and just let it weather to a silver grey?


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## stevenhsieh (Jan 8, 2010)

Put a coat of tung oil on bare wood, let dry, sand, then apply minimum of 5 coats of spar varnish. Sand between with a beat up 220 grit sandpaper. Do it both sides. No matter what finish you put on the bark, water will go through.


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## DrB (May 19, 2009)

You could use PEG (polyethylene glycol). Rockler sells it.


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## devann (Jan 11, 2011)

If you can get oil into the cells of the wood it will keep the water out. Right now it probably still has some water ( moisture) in it. Remember oil & water don't mix very well, it's going to be one or the other occupying the space in the cells of the wood. I also think the cleat idea is a good one.


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## spunwood (Aug 20, 2010)

Hey guys, thanks for the suggestions. They all sound good. But I will use what is ready at hand.

Would a cleat just be some wood screwed to the back? Anyone have an image of something like that?

I have a bunch of pure Tung Oil…strait from my own tung I also have the spar. So I will soak this beast for a week or so and then coat it.

It has been drying out for several years so hopefully the moisture content is low!

Brandon


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## devann (Jan 11, 2011)

Yes Brandon you have the definition of a cleat in this case correct.


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## Bearpie (Feb 19, 2010)

I would opt for an oil finish as that would deter bugs from wanting to eat into it and will repel water. I would also have it installed on a slant so water will run off rather than puddle up on the surface and eventually creating a rotting spot.

Erwin, Jacksonville, FL


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## learnin2do (Aug 5, 2010)

I'm with bearpie -my walnut slices that have have dried for a year seem somewhat stable at this point (in the volunteer state!) -but those worms and guys get all in the bark and sapwood -and you know what a stump looks like underneath when it is on the ground! -it sounds like it will be nice! it is very pretty! -looks like you did some diligent sanding!


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## spunwood (Aug 20, 2010)

Thanks again everyone. I wanted to post a similar forum question with some more good responses:

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/4240

I found that forum last night but was too tired to post it then.

brandon


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