This is about the minimum size tree-butt that would make a riven oak bench. It’s a formidable challenge that has to gone about with as much experience and least amount of wasted physical effort as possible.

This particular tree was felled into the nearby thicket of a house it endangered. It was impossible to extract by machines and had to be carried out piece by piece after splitting up. The effort was worth it and some years later, I am able to turn the portions into bench shapes.
More often I have the occasional tree-butts delivered to my workspace, where this job can be done without hurry. It’s a slow but intriguing discovery working through each log and planning what might be made in some year’s time after seasoning.

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