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Practice Tree/Pole

Arrowsquirrel

Arrowsquirrel

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2019
Messages
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I'm working on a hobby/trophy/archery shop room in my basement. I'm wanting to add a tree or pole to do testing, practice and show people saddle setups. I would prefer to use a tree of some kind instead of a pole to keep the look natural.

Couple questions. What kind of tree won't loose bark over time or can I strip the bark?

Also curious if anybody else has done something similar if so how did you secure it? I'm not against drilling into the concrete but wonder if there's an option where I wouldn't need to. I'm painting the trusses black so I can fasten to the ceiling quite easily.
 
I don't know of any tree that won't lose it's bark pretty soon after cutting. If I were attempting this I would choose a Rock Elm or Black Locust and strip the bark before setting. I would use Marine Epoxy on the base (under, and make a 2-3 inch wall around the base). The top should frame in easy with some 2by's.
 
Locust is hard, hard, hard and would be a good choice but the bark is very rough and you would certainly want to de bark if you want a job!!! Oak, Hickory (not shag bark)Maple, Beech, all would be good choices, smooth tight bark that would stay on for awhile if kept inside and not exposed to the constant wetting than drying cycle which in my experience accelerates the cambium separation from the pulp wood.
 
I'd use some brackets mounted to the floor that allowed you to put new sections of logs in as they break down. Wouldn't be that hard to mount permanent bolts into your basement floor, leaving you with bolts that hold the frame down. You could screw into the cement with cement screws OR mount bolts in the cement with thread end up. That way you could have a mount that had additional bolts that would screw into the tree section. I don't even think this would have to be custom, you'd likely find adjustable L brackets that could work at Home Depot. I used some of these type of brackets to hold my beam in place when I took out a load bearing wall and replaced it with some 2x8s. Same with the top mount. I'd certainly square off the bottom and top of the log to mount to both top and bottom sections with those common brackets, but an old fashion hand saw could do that on the cheap. That way you have an easy task to replace the log as the bark wears away.
 
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I've thought about doing something similar, but with a 4x4 instead of a log. My thinking was to attach 4x4 standoffs to the top and bottom of the 4x4, and then attach that to an appropriately-reinforced stud. That way I'm not losing quite as much floorspace and I would having it in the middle of the floor.
 
I have a debarked tamarack pine and a fully barked oak in ny basement i do all my builds/practice/testing on.
The smooth pine is used more often but the oak has been great for platform performance testing. Both are interchangeable in the center of my basement on the upper floor ribs.
 
I just drilled 2 holes and have 2 lug bolts that sit in the holes. No tightening necessary.
I cut a slot out of each one and the drilled the holes, then in the basement I set them flat on the carpet and match drilled the upper floor spar.
 
PS: the oak has not lost its bark, but it sure is harder than a regular tree with growing bark. However, I figure, and am right, that if stuff works or grips tight on a smooth bark tree or a hard dry oak, then it'll be great on anything softer.
 
If I was doing that, I'd just use an 8-10" poplar or hemlock but dried & debarked. Bark comes off easily if you have months to dry it out. Oak would probably hold bark longest but still not much over 6 months Id guess (& it weighs 2-3 times as.much as poplar.) And poplar & hemlock actually wear very well as many old farms around here used them for cow barn flooring.
And mounting seems like a 3/4" threaded rod bolted thru the log & trusses and 2 L brakets and another 3/4" rod or lag screws would be pretty solid.
 
Thanks a lot for all the recommendations and advice. I don't know much about trees for how much time I spend in them. I'll have to do some research to understand what is what. I like the lag bolt idea @Samcirrus
 
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