For Drilling Holes In Tree Stumps

[jackweso]

The idea is to drill holes and fill with a chemical to break down the stumps.

Would a manual bit brace do the trick, or would you use a battery-powered hand drill. What size? Length of bit, etc.? Thanks

[John Hines]

3/4" self feed auger bit, in a hand drill. Don't need to go terribly deep, standard 6" bit will do.

[davefr]

I'd go about 6-8" deep with a 1/2" or larger bit (preferably auger) using an electric drill.

Then I fill the holes with diesel and give it about 15 minutes to saturate the stump. Repeat once more than lite it.

After a few days there won't be a stump.

Don't do it if the surrounding area is "at risk" of also catching on fire.

Another method is to cover the stump with charcoal and lite it. The charcoal will burn out the stump.

[Chet Hayes]

Or you could just do the most logical and easy thing, rent a stump grinder

[davefr]

$1.00 worth of diesel or $75 rental fee + 2 round trips to the rental yard.

Sounds like a no-bra>Or you could just do the most logical and easy thing, rent a stump grinder

[Pen]

If you have the right type of tree why not consider mushroom plugs. You can harvest mushrooms for a few years then the stump turns to mush you can scoop up with a shovel and compost.

[Evan Mann]

The stuff I got at home depot says to drill 1" wide, 12" deep, and then make a sideways hole at a downward angle that joins the straight down hole in the stump. I just drilled 3 or 4 straight down holes using a 1" wood spade bit, about 8" deep. My tree stump was something hard, so I used a corded milwaukee 1/2" drill. I started with my 18V Bosch, but I knew that would die quickly because of the hardness of the stump

[Ignoramus32760]

And what chemical would destroy the stump?

i

[Chet Hayes]

Yeah, $1.00 worth of diesel, a couple days spent watching and tending it while trying to burn it, getting permits for an outdoor fire or paying the resulting fines in most municipalities, worrying that the fire may spread somewhere else, then finally renting the stump grinder when it won't burn away.

[The Watcher]

Of course, some people don't care much for the idea of pumping diesel down into their soil either. ;)

[SteveB]

They WILL burn away. They WILL decay away. It just depends how long you want to wait.

Steve

[PrecisionMachinisT]

Potassium nitrate.

[Ignoramus32760]

and where could I buy it?

i

[BroJack]

Thanks to all for responding.

The bit was $24 at Lowe's. The cheapest drill to handle it was $89. (They tried to sell me a drill for $199.) Worst of all, the potassium nitrate instructions said it would take 4-6 MONTHS to soften the wood for burning. The internet led me to believe it would take 4-6 WEEKS.

Can't rent a grinder because I have no truck to transport it back and forth.

So it's back to the old method I used for the other stumps: An ax and a lot of sweat. There are only 3 stumps remaining anyway.

Sure woulda been nice to find an easier method. At age 60, swinging that ax beats the hell out of my hands and wrist joints.

Thanks again.

Jack

[PrecisionMachinisT]

Hardware store, plant nursery, or at the home and garden dept at many variety stores--labeled as "Stump Remover"--read the label, diesel or other hydrocarbon fuel will help if you intend to later burn the stump.

Bulk quantities are available at wholesale chemical houses and pyrotechnic materials suppliers........

Beware, stump removal grade is *not* generally not pure enough for pyrotechnic use, so suggest dont get any bright ideas about making explosives or other 4th of July demonstrations with it.

Enuff said ???

[escapee]

All you need is any cheap bag of high nitrogen fertilizer. Try not to get it on anything but the stump you are trying to decay. In addition to the nitrogen fertilizer, also put about a five pound bag of sugar on the stump to seep into the holes you drill. The carbon in the sugar will help expedite the process

Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?

[Ignoramus32760]

So, the basic idea is, drill holes, pour KNO3 powder, add diesel fuel?

Wouldn't that be an immediate fire hazard?

cool.

I already had those bright ideas...

How about ammonium nitrate, can it be bought? I used it in Russia in my garden all the time.

i

[PrecisionMachinisT]

Yup....

In composting of woody material, nitrogen is needed--if not available in the form of green clippings it can be always be added in chemical form.

Not sure about the sugar though, as in this case there is already plenty of carbon in the stump.

[Ignoramus32760]

How is a high nitrogen fertiliser labeled?It is not 10-10-10, right?

i

[PrecisionMachinisT]

Go figure--bigger fishes elsewhere........

Seeya.