Stepping stones

I’ve been asked about doing something like this for the elementary school here. Haven’t given an answer or committed to it yet.
I’m thinking of the species I have available cedar would be the best for longevity and rot resistant. I might could round up some black locust of suitable size, but it seems to usually have some center rot already when it gets very big.
Any thoughts about a sealer/ weather protection. A good coat of paint on the bottom perhaps? They will be setting on a sandy gravel area. Price thoughts? Also perhaps one or two longer logs split in half for a balance beam of sorts.

 

Either Eastern red cedar or black locust are the two most rot resistant species I'm aware of. I know hedge is too, but don't recall any I your area. IME 1/3 of the BL I harvest has the center rot.

I cut a bunch of cookies out of some oddball shaped "rounds" for my stepdaughter to make a walkway. She left them as is.

You could char the ends of the rounds. An old Japanese trick to preserve wood. I've never tried it myself.
If you end up using BL remove the bark first as its nasty once it loosens up. I'd leave them unprotected and let weather. Just my 2c worth.

 

Using cedar, how long do you think it will last unprotected?

 

If Eastern red cedar...many, many decades. Common site around here to see old cedar clothesline poles on property lines of old homes. Probably not used in years and long forgotten.

My father had to replace one of his post lights. (someone backed into it) It was Eastern red cedar from the early 1950's. I believe this was maybe the mid 1990's and it had most of the meat left where it was buried after 40 or so years in the ground.

Western red and Eastern white cedar are NOT good ground contact woods IME. Those are typically used for roofing and siding applications.

 

Pretty sure what we have is western red cedar, which as I have learned here, is actually a juniper

 

Lots of houses are sided with cedar shakes. They age to a light gray.

Of course, they aren't in direct contact with ground moisture, but they do last decades.

Perhaps the lifespan of your cookies would be inceased by flipping them yearly.

 

Cedar would be a great choice and you could make them even more resistant and long lived by using a tiger torch and burning slightly the outside (Shou Sugi Ban).

 

I would want a release from liability from the school.

 

I was thinking same thing, unless they are sunk in the ground seems like they would be pretty tippy when kids jumping from one to the other.
I think it is a pretty cool idea though, and yes cedar would be a good choice.

 

Even with that in place, it may not release all liability.

Sad.

 

How thick are these "stepping stones" to be?

 

Beat me to it.

 

Sad we have to think about that these days.

 

TTBOMK Western red only grows in the PNW. Based on some of your past pics it looks like you have Eastern red including the wood you sold last year in your "to cry for" thread.

Its the same wood used in cedar closets and chests.

 

I have some decent sized Osage you can have if you want it.

 

Sounds like I can create whatever I want

 

Yeah I guess that’s probably what it is. Locally it’s just “cedar” pretty much considered a noxious weed

 

I kinda have a plan to anchor them

 

For a school, with varying aged kids, I'd think the cookies should be thin. 6-7 inches? The placing of thick rounds would increase injury risk when someone does fall off one, IMO.

 

I think it is something I would do in my yard for when the grandkids visit.

Trouble is, they'd probably use it a few times and then be done.