A stump table

A few weeks ago, there was a work day at church, and my husband was helping. He called and asked if I wanted some pine logs. I said I'd take a couple.

He brought home several sections, from three to four feet long, and eight to ten inches in diameter. I got out the drawknife and put in some time right away to get the bark peeled off; the easiest times to debark a log are when it's fresh, and when it is so old that the bark is practically falling off on its own. In between those times, it is very difficult, and no fun at all. One of the logs was partly in that in-between state because of insect damage. I struggled through peeling that one, and put it in quarantine.

A drawknife is the best tool for peeling logs, because the double handle gives you good control over both ends of the blade, but it could be done with just a sturdy knife or a hatchet, with some care.

When I finished peeling the other logs, they were bare, but quite wet because they were so green. I left them to dry, turning them occasionally, and trimmed off the little bits of branches.

Some days later, I got around to cutting one of the logs in half, to make two stump tables. I used a hand saw, and it was a lot of work exercise, but I did cut all the way through it.

One half found a home in my bedroom, to provide a place to put a cup of tea when I am sitting in my cushy re-upholstered chair in there. I put a piece of paper under it, in case it leaks a little sap.  I haven't decided where to put the other one yet.