Can (should?) I....build.... a pine trunk extension?

[Mike Corazzi]

Okay, this Scots is healthy and doing just fine.
But...when I started it several years back, I used the lower branches to create the tree.

AND.... I wish I had left a hunk to carve instead of cutting flush and hollowing it out.

So.... is there any way to ADD a hunk o' trunk?

Find a correct size piece from another tree and attach it somehow and then carve THAT?

Or.... how about just filling the cavity with paste and smoothing it off?

Think that would be better?

Or just leave it as is and don't think about things I could have done?


Oh, I'll put a pic of the whole tree too. (front) the hole is in the back.

 

[Adair M]

Okay, this Scots is healthy and doing just fine.
But...when I started it several years back, I used the lower branches to create the tree.

AND.... I wish I had left a hunk to carve instead of cutting flush and hollowing it out.

So.... is there any way to ADD a hunk o' trunk?

Find a correct size piece from another tree and attach it somehow and then carve THAT?

Or.... how about just filling the cavity with paste and smoothing it off?

Think that would be better?

Or just leave it as is and don't think about things I could have done?


Oh, I'll put a pic of the whole tree too. (front) the hole is in the back.View attachment 140556 View attachment 140557

So, you're asking if you could find another piece of deadwood, carve it to fit and glue it in place? Sure! There's no rules about that. If it looks good, it's fine. If it looks like scat, well, it will look like scat!

Kathy Shaner does stuff like that all the time!

 

[Mike Corazzi]

What's she use for glue?
I'd bet that not EVERY glue would be good to use.
?????????

 

[Adair M]

What's she use for glue?
I'd bet that not EVERY glue would be good to use.
?????????

I have no idea. Maybe epoxy? Superglue?

Take a class from her and ask!

 

[Dorky_gearhead]

How about pine sap?

 

[Potawatomi13]

Urushi?

 

[Potawatomi13]

Tree actually looks good as is.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Tree actually looks good as is.

Not an acceptable answer for bonsai.

 

[jeanluc83]

Nick Lenz talks about it in his book. He refers to them as jin implants.

If I were to do it I would dowel it into the trunk to give it strength and secure it with water proof wood glue. Be careful about the wood you chose. You want something with a tight grain that has some rot resistance. It could even be treated with wood hardener before it is attached.

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

If i would do something like that i would like the callus to grow over the union site. For that it is interesting to investigate where the living tissue is around the wound. Sometimes it can be surprising.

 

[Adair M]

Or... you can fill the void with the putty type cut paste, and stick some bark on that.

 

[Paradox]

Personally, I think you should just leave it as is.

It looks like the tree is trying to roll a callus over from the side?

Why risk doing something that could be worse?

If the tree is trying to heal it, I would try to help that process along instead.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

I like the bark gluing if I do anything.
No insult to live wood at all.

The callus is completely surrounding the original cut and has been forming for years.

I'd have a chance at doing something I might regret if I bored into healed wood.
It was just a thought.

 

[ralf]

I have used a wooden dowel pins. You can drill holes into the trunk and branch and connect both parts with the pin. ( In fact it is quite difficult to get the right angle. To fix it I have made the hole into the trunk bigger and filled it with a putty )
The second method I have used could be easier but you need additional pair of hands. The branch should be adjusted to get a snug fit and then attached in desired position. Then the other person drills a hole through the branch reaching the trunk. You should drill from the bottom to the top to make it less visible. Then it is better to use an appropriate pin ie the same type of wood. You can make such pin by drilling a hole into the piece of flat iron, take a piece of wood cut it slightly bigger than the hole in the iron and push the piece of wood through the hole in the iron with a hammer. Again here all three parts should be glued together - I have use resin but any type of wood glue should be OK. The visible remains of the pin could be converted into a kind of knot.
If the size of the added jin is right after some time the callus would reach the added jin and cover the line where the two pieces were connected. If not the line will remain noticeable. But mainly for you - your decision if you can live with it.
Good luck.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

"Quite difficult" has never been one of my buddies.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

What MIGHT be cool would be to find a pine branch with bark and a 90 degree bend in it and lop off the outside of the bend and just putty it over the hole.
That's almost a 90 degree angle anyhow.

 

[ColinFraser]

Maybe you could graft a new branch to the live callus edge and grow yourself a jin- not exactly a short term solution

 

[ralf]

Common juniper & added jin

 

[clive bennett]

My first lesson in Bonsai I cut of the jin on a JWP by mistake, a week later I found a nice piece of dead wood doweled and glued it on (epoxy adhesive). It was on the tree for several years but eventually I removed it . In the case of your tree I honestly do not think you need it . It does look as if it will callus over and become just part of the trunk . Jins can easily be over done there are far fewer good pines without jins and dead wood

 

[chansen]

What's she use for glue?
I'd bet that not EVERY glue would be good to use.
?????????

While I can't answer what Kathy uses, I would recommend Titebond 3. Good woodworkers glue, readily available, and water resistant. (http://www.titebond.com/titebond_wood_glues/Ultimate_Wood_Glue.aspx)