Hi all - this wee project started a few months back at a meet at Comrie croft. - Those of you who were there will know the one I mean! 
Anyway - the story starts in Glasgow - where they were cutting down some trees in the park due to disease. I think they were cherry but not sure.
So I've been walking past these trees for the best part of two years - always eyeing up the 18x15" burr on the side of one of the trees. When one day to my amazement one of the tree surgeons had obviously taken a dislike to the burr and cut it off. *I'll have that thankyou very much*. And I hauled it home.
Some months later the now very dry burr was taken to the meet and I began hacking at it with my axe. - to little avail.
George - the wonderful chap who runs the site had a hand adze. - which served me very well for the next day or so carving out the rough shape.
The only before picture I have is this:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71381&p=867396#post867396
After the meet:
More than a few lads at the meet had a good old go at it with a mallet and chisel for a while too. I think I missed a good deal of the evenings entertainment before I stopped.
I bought a bowl gouge to do the rest of the work - I carved, carved and carved!
then some more
and some more
Finally I reached the point where to do any more to it might break it because I started to see bark showing through from the back.
So I thought I'd just sand it smooth. ..yeah that didn't work at all.
Then I got the grinder out 
that didn't do much either
:aargh4: until I changed disc's. lol
I've smoothed it back a bit more now and will be putting a second coat of oil on tonight. Too dark to get decent pics now so you will have to wait.
sorry for the rant
Andy
Anyway - the story starts in Glasgow - where they were cutting down some trees in the park due to disease. I think they were cherry but not sure.
So I've been walking past these trees for the best part of two years - always eyeing up the 18x15" burr on the side of one of the trees. When one day to my amazement one of the tree surgeons had obviously taken a dislike to the burr and cut it off. *I'll have that thankyou very much*. And I hauled it home.
Some months later the now very dry burr was taken to the meet and I began hacking at it with my axe. - to little avail.
George - the wonderful chap who runs the site had a hand adze. - which served me very well for the next day or so carving out the rough shape.
The only before picture I have is this:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71381&p=867396#post867396
After the meet:
More than a few lads at the meet had a good old go at it with a mallet and chisel for a while too. I think I missed a good deal of the evenings entertainment before I stopped.
I bought a bowl gouge to do the rest of the work - I carved, carved and carved!
then some more
and some more
Finally I reached the point where to do any more to it might break it because I started to see bark showing through from the back.
So I thought I'd just sand it smooth. ..yeah that didn't work at all.
Then I got the grinder out
that didn't do much either
:aargh4: until I changed disc's. lol I've smoothed it back a bit more now and will be putting a second coat of oil on tonight. Too dark to get decent pics now so you will have to wait.
sorry for the rant
Andy
