Has anyone tried Oxy-Acetylene to cut (burn through) tree roots.

[hslogger]

Cut the root cleanly with a sawmill, immediately paint the root face with undiluted roundup. Leave it exposed for a few days.
End of story.

 

[newbury]

Cut the root cleanly with a sawmill, immediately paint the root face with undiluted roundup. Leave it exposed for a few days.
End of story.

Now I've a small sawmill but I can't figure out HOW I could move a sawmill in to cut a root.

 

[BukitCase]

"Do you think you couldn't cut a 1 root with anything less than a 14-16 blade?"

Kinda depends on whether my assumption (based on info in the first post, and a fair amount of experience) that the root is only PARTIALLY clear of dirt/rocks, etc, and down in a hole -

I have and use 2 recip saws, a corded super sawzall and a battery DeWalt, and a few blades that are close to long enough (at least 10", haven't checked 'em lately) - I know how to do a plunge cut, but it's NEVER been fun to do that with that long a blade, they're too flexible NOT to go sideways on you when trying to get started. Even a shorter blade tends to rudely push you backward in a blind hole. Going slow (and a blade that's DESIGNED for plunge cuts) can help some.

Also, unless you could get all the way around that 1' root it'd be an exercise in frustration to try and cut enough away from only the top with a short blade...

All in all, the recip wouldn't be my first choice from the given description; I also have several chain saws from a little 10" electric pole saw up to a 32" Husqvarna, several circular saws from 6" to 10" and several other types that would be ridiculous to even consider for this job;

All of which is why I'm with the chainsaw guys on this one - if the OP is experienced enough to safely do a plunge cut (and stay away from that rock) even the chain might survive with being sharpened afterward.

IF not, a replacement chain is BUCKET-LOADS cheaper than HIRING anybody with any sort of tool... Steve

 

[Industrial Toys]

This idea seems about as crazy as using a 7.62 FMJ to dislodge bedrock while digging a ditch. IT was fun but yielded zero results.

 

[/pine]

Sometimes we spend more time and effort trying to think of an easier way to do something than just knuckling down and getting the job done with what we have on hand...

A 1' dia. root could be cut off with nothing but a hammer and a wood chisel in less than an hour of menial labor...one chip at a time...

just "Git-R-done"

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yeah, but a suit case nuke, would be more fun!

 

[John Fitzgerald]

If you clean off the outside of the root well, and don't hit the rock, the saw chain and bar won't be damaged. The chain might need sharpened. After you cut off the root, you should paint the remainder with some high strength stump killer, or straight roundup, or it will probably sprout.

 

[sandfs]

I keep an old trashed chain hanging on a nail in the shop just for things like this. Chew a big slot through that root while doing it so it doesn't bind you all up when you do cut through it. Most bars get bent by folks trying to get them back out of a bind up. A quick crude hand sharpening when you're done and put the chain back on the nail.

 

[bigtiller]

I have a hole digger/tamper so I would try it first.



And after trying that for a minute or so, I would cut it off with the chainsaw.

 

[dragoneggs]

Cut the root cleanly with a sawmill, immediately paint the root face with undiluted roundup. Leave it exposed for a few days.
End of story.

I second using some undiluted Roundup. I had a large Maple stump with multiple cut faces at the ground level. Painted with Roundup and it killed it good!

 

[Captain Dirty]

Progress Report

Thanks to all for the advice.

I bought a 3-pack of "Diablo" 12" carbide-tipped demolition blades for the Sawzall at the local box store for about $12.00 per blade. (Local shops get that to sharpen a chainsaw loop, and it takes for me a long time to sharpen a loop in a file-n-guide.) One blade was sufficient although I could not cut the bottom of the root. The blade was hot and the root steaming as I finished. Identifying the tension and compression sides of roots is more difficult than with tree trunks or limbs, but a sawzall will shake you up to let you know you misjudged.

The stump

The root

After the cut. The root on the stump is left of horse

 

[Doofy]

I've been thinking of investing ($50) in a carbide tipped chainsaw chain for these exact types of problems that crop up every so often.

 

[airbiscuit]