The Weekend Warrior
Beefing Up the Xmas Tree Stand

Was it the dog?  The cat?  One of the kids?.  ...

Whoever had the accident, it's no fun when the Xmas tree ends up sprawled across the floor, with shards of shattered Xmas balls strewn menacingly beneath.  But it doesn't have to happen.  ...

In this issue Weekend Warrior, we'll look at a simple design for beefing up that Xmas Tree stand.  Nothing complex.  Nothing time-consuming.  A little plywood, a 2x4, and a few screws, and you're most of the way there.  ...

The Basic Design:  The basic design is straightforward, literally and otherwise.  In other words, unless you want the satisfaction of knowing you've cut rounded corners, all this work can be cut squared up.

All we're looking at is a plywood or similar platform that will rest on 2x4 runners, wide-side-down.  You'll center your current tree stand on the platform and anchor it with screws.  Finally, you'll take some logs from the woodpile or fireplace to weight the base.  That's all there is to it.  ...

Step-by-Step ...

• Cutting the platform ...  Use at least 1/2" plywood, primarily for the sturdiness.  But it also helps so you'll have something for the screws to grab and won't have to reinforce the center with extra 2x4's for that purpose.
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  The length of the platform base should be about 2/3rd's the diameter of your tree, and about 2x to 2-1/2x the width of the platform.  {See diagram below.}  ...

• Cutting and mounting the runners ...  Cut 3 2x4 runners the depth of your platform and place them at the ends and on center.  ...
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  As an alternative, you can use 5 pieces to run around the edges, with one, short-cut of course, for the on-center piece. ...
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  Mount the runners with screws or glue and nail them.  ...  If you're in a hurry, you can simply nail them.
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• Mounting the stand ...  Center your stand on the platform and screw-mount securely.  You can add split washers to beef it up more, but it's really not necessary.  ...
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  If your stand doesn't have holes in the legs for screw-mounting, you can use metal strapping across the feet.  ...
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• Weighting the platform ...  Your new tree stand base will add some weight to lower the center of gravity, which is the main purpose of this project.  But if you really want to beef things up, grab a few logs from the woodpile or fireplace, preferably a good-looking hardwood like birch, or some fresh-cut pine or spruce.  You can stack three on each side, at least 6"-8" in diameter, or more smaller dimension pieces.  ...
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  Put the logs in place before you start decorating the tree.  That way, just in case, you'll have that center of gravity lowered while you're decorating.  Once you've decorated the tree, you can temporarily remove the logs, place your blanket around the tree, then re-set them.
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This tree-stand platform won't help in a hurricane.  And if you have a hyperactive dog of fairly large dimensions who goes straight for the tree, or a cat who likes to climb it, it won't keep your ornaments from being damaged.  ... But it definitely will make the most common accidents that bring trees down a whole lot less likely.

Happy building!  ... and Happy Holidays!  ...

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Lou Colasanti, Editor & Laura Wisniewski, Associate Editor
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