"Chopping" wood -- or otherwise sculpting

[Mmathis]

I've never chopped wood before, though I've used my reciprocating to advantage, LOL!

I saved these pieces of tree trunk when we had 2 oak trees removed last fall. For a size reference, I think the PVC is 1-1/2".

I saved them so I could use them in the turtle habitat. Originally, I thought about making tunnels or "hides" for the turtles, similar to this....

But.......

• I have no idea how to go about splitting, cutting, chopping, sculpting the wood to get what I want [they make it look so easy on TV]
• I really don't have a vision, so I don't know what I "want" to turn these into......

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I was hoping you guys could help me out with design ideas as well as how to attack the wood -- literally!

 

[tbendl]

I don't know, maybe the largest drill you have to core out the center and then cut it in half. Then use a dremel to finish the inside.

 

[Big Lou]

Maggie, sorry for being the voice of doom yet what you want to do is a dangerous, time consuming and very hazardous task. If the ones you can buy from a pet store are too small then use large PVC or easy to cut plastic black drain pipe. You could paint using spray paint made for plastic. Do not want you to injure yourself.

 

[HARO]

Lou has a VERY valid point! Personally, I would use a chainsaw for basic hollowing, followed by a 4" angle grinder with a carving blade (not cheap!). However, I would NEVER advise anyone to try a chainsaw unless they had considerable experience with them. I've seen too many people maimed by these (very dangerous) tools!
John

 

[Mmathis]

What I sort of had in mind was splitting the logs in half then hollowing out each section. My reciprocating saw wouldn't cut through the diameter of the trunks, but it would work on a 1/2 section to make shorter sections. Plus, I have several Dremel tools that have come in handy for past projects [not the little hobby tool version, though I have one of those, too]. I'd even thought about using wood chisels.

Thanks for your concern, guys, but I am very careful around tools and would never get into something if I didn't feel comfortable. I do the whole safety glasses, hearing protection thing. I figured that whatever I ended up doing would take some time, and that's OK. The turtle habitat is kind of my hobby and I see it as a form of art, so like the idea of using nature and my own hands [well, not literally my hands, oh, you know what I mean, right?]

@Big Lou I saved these trunks with this project in mind. I like to use natural things with the turtles as much as possible, and I think they like it better, too. And, what the pet stores sell is ridiculously overpriced, esp. to get something big enough for my guys. But thanks for the concern and for the suggestion. I do use a lot of PVC pipe.

 

[Mmathis]

So, back to my original question -- y'all got me side-tracked! HOW do you split a log? I've seen them [on TV] put a wedge in the middle, then hammer down on that and.....crack! Is it really that easy? And I do have Hubby and Son here who can do the hard labor, LOL!

 

[Lisak1]

You do use a wood splitting wedge, yes. But it's not as exacting as it looks. When you split wood you aren't really concerned about getting equal halves or even straight parts - just more "splits" if that makes sense. (Says the girl who has in fact split logs in her day. Many many many many days ago!)

 

[Big Lou]

Agree with Lisa. A band saw with a heavy duty blade would do the job.

 

[HARO]

I have the option of using a bandsaw, but if you have to buy one, it would make a pair of VERY expensive turtle hides! A wedge carefully inserted on the center line and driven in with a sledgehammer should give you a fairly clean 50/50 split, and a large gouge (preferably mallet-driven) will clean out the center wood. Specialty stores also sell hand adzes with a curved blade for this very purpose. It CAN be done! And you don't strike me as someone who takes stupid risks.
John

 

[Timothy]

Here's another method that may work for you. After they're split/cut in two, make a cradle of sorts to hold the halves flat side up, with a couple of stops fastened to your work bench, (these are just pieces of wood screwed to the bench to keep your work from sliding while you're working it.) If you have access to a portable circular saw, (some call it a Skil Saw, but that's a brand,) cut down the middle of the flat with the saw set to it's deepest setting. Come back and make another cut adjacent to that, then another next to that etc.. As you get out towards the edges lessen the depth of cut. When you've made all the cuts take your carpenter's hammer and use it backwards (claw side) to break out the pieces, then a gouge to carve out the rest. Don't break anything out until you've made your cuts because you need something for the saw plate to lay against.
It looks as though the one on the right will split from the 7:00 to 1:00 axis, judging by the cracks. Place your wedge (not an ax head!) in the crack in the middle of the chunk and hit it with a splitting mall or sledge hammer. It may take several wacks, but it'll give eventually. Don't be surprised it the bark comes off. This isn't a problem, just tack it back on when you've carved out the centers. Be prepared, that's some pretty hard wood.

 

[Defender01]

I cut some mushroom stalls with my chainsaw.

 

[HARO]

Nice work, Defender.
John

 

[mgmine]

It can be done but without the correct tools it will be a lot of work and probably won't turn out as you hope it will. I make bird houses and toad abodes by hollowing out logs which is what you are trying to do. The way I do it is use a band saw and just cut into the side and then continuing cutting around the inside edge. Without a band saw it will be difficult. If you have a table saw then you could make a saw cut on both sides of the log, this will help it to split where you want it to. Next run the half log with the flat side down through the table saw, starting in the middle with the blade high then lower it as you get closer to the edges. Once you have a series of cuts knock the waste out with a chisel.

 

[Big Lou]

Impressive!

 

[Defender01]

I do get rather a lot of wood sometimes.