How to install a shelf on a tree trunk?

[ennoh]

We have had to halt the growth of a backyard tree as it was leaning and would eventually hang over the washing line if we left it alone.    We will plant another tree elsewhere in the backyard.   We have cut off the branches and I will poison the tree  so it wont grow anymore, but I would like erect a platform  for a bird bath for local birds.    How can I do this?     Recently  I saw an elevated bird bath like this on Gardening Australia.

[EricL]

Hello @ennoh 

Thanks for sharing your question about installing a shelf on a tree trunk. I suggest using angle brackets at the side of the tree trunk to hold the shelf at the top. One of the issues with drilling into from the top is that middle of the tree is still wet with sap. This means that anything you screw into that fresh timber will come loose as the timber trunk slowly dries off.

It will be an ongoing adjustment as the tree trunk slowly shrinks, but eventually it will slow down and that is when you can anchor the shelf from the top. 

I suggest using Buildex 10-8 x 50mm Climacoat Treated Pine And Hardwood Decking Screws along with angle brackets to hold the shelf in place.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric