Fitting Christmas tree to stand

A few years ago, we bough a Christmas tree with stand attached, a plastic j ob with a socket in the centre. The base of the trunk was cut to shape to f it this socket snugly, forming a clean cylinder.

It was a good stable stand, so I kept it for the following year. The troubl e is, every tree we've bought since comes with an unshaped trunk, so I have to shape it myself. Fortunately, the socket's the same diameter as my bigg est holesaw, so I start with that. The holesaw is only about 2cm deep thoug h, so out comes a hand saw next to trim further, using the holesaw cut as a guide. The holesaw's also not really suited to cutting wet wood, so takes ages and there's lots of steam and cursing.

Need I add that it's usually raining (and dark) and there are impatient kid s waiting inside to decorate it?

Does anyone know where I can get the right tool to shape the trunk? It's th e same size as is used when the tree is stuck into a slice of wood. Non-SDS solutions preferred.

With any luck I'll be able to do it better next year, thanks for your sugge stions.

A.

Reply to
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job with a socket in the centre. The base of the trunk was cut to shape to fit this socket snugly, forming a clean cylinder.

ble is, every tree we've bought since comes with an unshaped trunk, so I ha ve to shape it myself. Fortunately, the socket's the same diameter as my bi ggest holesaw, so I start with that. The holesaw is only about 2cm deep tho ugh, so out comes a hand saw next to trim further, using the holesaw cut a s a guide. The holesaw's also not really suited to cutting wet wood, so tak es ages and there's lots of steam and cursing.

ids waiting inside to decorate it?

the same size as is used when the tree is stuck into a slice of wood. Non-S DS solutions preferred.

Buy a Krinner Christmas tree stand? I picked one up on Ebay in July for a fiver after years of faffing with some ridiculous hydro-stand thing with fo ur plastic bolts. Set the tree up last night in under a minute.

Reply to
mike

Angle grinder?

Chuck the tree in a lathe... dont spin it too fast or all the needles will fly off :)

Reply to
Gazz

Have a look at cheap core drills that appear in aldidl from time to time. They should be getting on for 15cm deep. Or you can buy them individually on ebay

The diamond cutting tips will the completely wrong for the job but either might hack through by brute force or grind them off and fashion some more wood like cutting teeth with the compulsory angle grinder. The tree stumps will be quite soft and the sap should help lubricate the cut.

It is by no means the correct tool but it will probably work.

Reply to
Bob Minchin

Probably easier to buy a stand that is designed to take a wide variety of tree sizes.

Reply to
Nightjar

I have a steel similar device but with an oversized socket. And four hand bolts. Not only grips well but allows you to adjust the tree vertical. Ish.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

To me, it sounds like it wouldn't. ;-)

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

But the trunks seem to be getting fatter. The one I butchered today was slightly too big for the steel stand with bolts. Pruning saw would have been ideal but a plasterboard saw was all I had about my person

Reply to
stuart noble

For years we had a metal stand with a support tube 150 mm deep and at least 100 mm in bore, which would take the biggest tree that would go under our 90 inch ceilings. This just had three metal screws to centre the stump. Five minute job each time.

Reply to
newshound

Mine is sitting in a bucket full of gravel & water. With luck the water will help it keep it's needles, just like a big cut flower really.

Cut to shape? Too much trouble.

Andy

Reply to
Vir Campestris

Cheers Mike for that info, just ordered one from Amazon (SWMBO paid for it) - she reckoned it's worth it if it stops me swearing every year when setting up the tree.

Cash

Reply to
Cash

One year, having left it a bit too late to buy the tree, we ended up with a shorter one that normal. I clamped it in the jaws of the B&D Workmate, and draped a Christmas themed table-cloth over the Workmate.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

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