Privet Stump

[nguzowski]

Hi Guys,

I have been watching this forum for a little while. Since I spent the day doing some work on the trees, and since ive started actually documenting my work with some photos, I thought it would be a good opportunity to finally get involved and make a post.

I dug this privet stump out of my garden in June after having chopped it a year earlier in preparation to turn in into a bonsai. This is a little progression over the 7 months. I spent today doing a second styling and some initial power carving. Tools used were Kaizen bonsai's terrier and proteus on a Makita GDO-600 die grinder.

- Nick

What it looked like when i dug it out in July


Initial wiring




First styling at the end of December




This morning






Makita time










An afternoons work

[Graeme]

Nice tree M8, brilliant growth over the time you have had it.

Carving looks good as well, I like the way you have carved this to a natural finish. A lot of carving leaves the tree looking 'unnatural', but as I said, I think you have done well with this job. One observation though, if I may. It could be just the photo, but have you left depressions where you carved out the old second trunk? If so may I suggest you get the grinder back out and carve a couple of channels into the trunk which will allow any water to drain from the carved area. Also you might like to get a good wood preservative onto the carved areas as privet is prone to rot in those areas of bare carved wood.

[nguzowski]

Cheers Graeme.

What you may not see from the photos is a channel running from the bottom of the larger hole, through the second smaller hole, and out underneath through another hollow.

I treated the bare wood with a couple of coats of lime sulphur solution this afternoon. So far I have only used this to treat wood but I find the appearance sometimes to be a bit too white and unnatural for my liking.

Do you have any recommendations on any other wood preservers? I bought a "wood hardener" from the hardware store that is used to treat and restore rotten wood but I am a bit hesitant to use it on the trees just incase it harms them. I also don't know what it would do in terms of coloration. But I am after a wood preserver that would keep the natural colour of the wood instead of the white of the lime sulphur and the black of untreated wood.

Any thoughts?

- Nick

[kcpoole]

Hi Nick
NIce work
If you want to darken the colour of the Preserved wood, you can add paint or Ink to the Lime Sulphur before you apply it.

I also Use Earls wood hardener and this is great on soft wood to preserve it. Makes sure you do not apply to growing wood / bark unless you want that to be hard as well

Ken

[nguzowski]

Hi Ken,

Turns out Earl's is the one I have aswell. How have you found it? Will it preserve the colour of the wood aswell? or is it better applied after the lime sulphur?

I tried adding some spirit based wood stain to the lime sulphur but it didn't work so well haha. I might try adding some water based paint to the lime sulphur, or try diluting the wood stain in something esle and applying it after. Maybe metho?

Cheers

Nick

[LLK]

Nice stump and the carving is sure an improvement on plain cuts. Did you check that the water can't stagnate anywhere on the raw wood when it rains? Be sure to provide for gutters.
It'll be interesting to see the branch/foliage development in relation to the carving.

[kcpoole]

Hi Ken,

Turns out Earl's is the one I have aswell. How have you found it? Will it preserve the colour of the wood aswell? or is it better applied after the lime sulphur?

I tried adding some spirit based wood stain to the lime sulphur but it didn't work so well haha. I might try adding some water based paint to the lime sulphur, or try diluting the wood stain in something esle and applying it after. Maybe metho?

Cheers

Nick

The only place i have used Earls yet is on a Bougie
Turned the wood a nice gray colour so give it a try on a small section and see

Ken

[Pup]

To darken the look of Lime Sulphur use Sumi ink or India ink, you do not need a lot, just a very small amount, it will keep it a nice shade that does represent the driftwood appearance more realistically. Try it on an area where it will not matter. Also remember soft wood tree hollow's do take on a darker appearance for more realism

Cheers Pup

[Mick B]

The privet is in fact too soft to carve so ensure that there is adequate drainage from heavy rain. otherwise it will most certainly ROT!
Where I live it is a noxious weed, but I have seen some stunning Bonsai from the paddocks. Cows and any ruminant stock love them and they can be continually grazed to the ground which can produce "desirable" stock. Look around Dairies. Your stock and progress is great, I recommend that you apply "Earls Wood Hardener" once you have completed carving and are completely satisfied that water will not lie in the carved areas. Two coats of the product are necessary.
Mick

[nguzowski]

Thanks for the advice Ken, Pup and Mick.

I will try and find this ink you speak of, as well as use the wood hardener to prevent rot.

Despite its reputation as an invasive noxious weed, since getting into the hobby a few years ago most of my experience has come from experimenting with privet, and they are very forgiving and fast growing so I don't mind them at all.

Mick, sounds like you have a good collecting ground on your hands. I have seen great bonsai on the internet made from privet stock from areas where cattle graze on them. Which area are you from?

- Nick

[lennard]

Nice piece of material to work with.

Do you have a proposed front and what direction do you want to go with this one?

Lennard

[Mick B]

Nick,
I live on the far South Coast of NSW. Privet around old dairies and fencelines abound. All the way north to Sydney. the small leafed variety is the best.
Good Luck
Mick

[nguzowski]

Lennard,

I think I'm going to make the front the angle seen in the last two photos. Despite the trunk being straight, the taper is best from that angle.

In terms of my direction, i'm going for the natural old stump look, like the following photos.





Mick. Good to hear. Im from Sydney. I'm keen for some serious collecting some time soon. Got the itch. Maybe have to visit some dairies down your way.

- Nick

[lennard]

Lennard,

I think I'm going to make the front the angle seen in the last two photos. Despite the trunk being straight, the taper is best from that angle.

In terms of my direction, i'm going for the natural old stump look, like the following photos.

- Nick

I have looked at your tree a "thousand" times and I believe it should be better to cut back the tree a little more:

virt.jpg

The straight part of the upper trunk and it being "young" bark will always bother me if it was my tree. In regards of the deadwood rotting you will have to treat it regularly or you will have to accept that you are going to have an ever changing tree - a tree in its last stage before dying

Lennard

[nguzowski]

Hi Lennard,

Thanks for the virt.

Just to show you my vision of the tree, I created this virt (sorry for the patchiness). Obviously the foliage will be different from that in the virt. The young wood will be covered by foliage so it won't bother me too much.

Cheers

Nick