Into the Heart; A Guided Spiritual Journey toward Becoming A Better Man–Project 2

I hope you enjoyed last month’s project! This month, I have two more options to consider: bookends and stump tables. Maybe one of these choices looks attractive to you. Or, maybe your inspired mind flies to something else. Whatever you decide to do—or not do—intentionally set aside some time to have fun!

Have you seen those bumper stickers that say, “I Brake for Turtles,” or, “I Brake for Garage Sales,” or, “I Brake for Dinosaurs?”  Well, I brake for flea markets!  Sometimes I head to a good rummage sale with a specific “target” in mind.  Often, I go just to see if something jumps out at me.  But, always, I am on the lookout for anything I can use to make unique and attractive bookends.  I must have a dozen of these creations in my own home, and they make wonderful gifts. 

Old doorknobs are a favorite on my shelves.  And gages are, too.  For years, I lunged toward anything round and rusty like a dog on a squirrel.  After leaving a few bucks with the vender, I would drive straight to Home Depot.  In minutes, I walked out of my “home away from home” with the three pieces of steel pipe I needed to transform my roached pressure meter into eye-catching décor: a flange, stem, and coupler.  I assembled in the car, of course. 

Tree stump tables, on the other hand, require time and patience.  They can be hard to find, and they take a long time to dry.

Depending on where you live, finding a furniture-worthy stump might prove difficult.  I live in Florida now and can probably hit one throwing a stone in any direction.  But, when I lived in LA, stumps were much harder to come by.  So, try this: whenever you hear a chainsaw, git to runnin’!  I found two of my favorite stump tables driving up on tree service workers.  The men I talked with were very accomodating—I asked them to whap off a section of trunk about 18 inches long (the standard height of a side table), and they seemed eager to do it.  They even helped me load it in my car!  I thanked them and handed them a healthy tip, then navigated the abrupt transition from excitement to….nothing.

Whether or not your stump has bark on it, the piece will need a lot of time to dry.  Months, actually.  But your finished product will be well worth the wait.  Once the wood is dry enough, remove the bark, then stain it if you like or just give it a couple of coats of polyurethane.  I have an electric chainsaw in my woodshop, so I blocked one of my stumps before finishing it.  Since I have three stump tables in my house, blocking added some needed variety.  But whatever direction you decide to take, I hope you enjoy it!