White Oak

[woodsteach]

I was called to bid on some walnut and oak trees and when I got there nothing to speak about on the walnut trees (mostly small dia or short) but several (at least 50) white oaks 24" dbh 16'. 

I don't have a market for the oaks, I can use/keep 10-12 on hand for trailer boards for customers but what to do with the rest. 

I can't put in a bid until I have an Idea for an out. 

Just looking for sugestions, I would hate to see them go to firewood, but you can't save them all.

Paul

[Norm]

White oak is very popular with the arts and crafts furniture makers. It needs to be quarter sawn to get the wide ray flecks they want in it. I'd still not pay more than pallet wood prices for it as around here that's it's main use.

If you decide to get them I'd cut plenty at 6/4 and 5/4 to market them with. I'd cut some at 8/4 also but keep in mind that wo is tough to dry without getting some degrade.

[thedeeredude]

Furniture builders will use white oak like Norm said.  Quartersawn is preffered but we take flatsawn, too.  But I don't know what your local market is like,so it's kinda hard to say.

[Sawyerfortyish]

White oak don't seem to sell as good as red for cabinets or flooring or just people in a home shop. They always seem to take the red.  White oak makes good decks for trailers and fence boards and holds up better than red oak to weather. If you got a chance to get logs take all you can get. Saw the nice stuff to dry leave the rougher stuff in log form til you get an order for something. I'v had oak lay around over a year and still get good planking out of it.

[J_T]

Here those whiteoak will bring.85bf to 1.50bf in the log  ??? I just need more of em 8)

[woodsteach]

Well it looks like I go with the pallet wood price and then develop a market for fence boards or something like that.

Thanks for the replies

Paul

[Minnesota_boy]

White oak make excellent decking for a trailer for hauling heavy equipment and for side boards on dump trucks.   8)

[woodsteach]

I like the idea of fence boards what size should they be cut?  I remember as a kid building fence that 1 1/2 was too thick.  I was thinking of either 5/4 or 4/4..... any sugestions.  As for width probably 6". 

Should fencing be quater or flat sawn?

Paul

[Tom]

Fence sawing from pine and cypress here in Florida is big business for little sawmills. They supply a lot of material for high faluttin' horse ranches. 

Two of the most popular sizes of boards are 1 x 6 x 16 and 1 x 8 x 16.   The six inch boards are used on four board fences and the eight inch boards are used on three board fences.    Those boards cut 5/4 are preferred but demand a higher price.   Most of the boards are flat sawed or cut through and through.  While there should probably be a distinction made because of the ability to hold paint, I've never know anyone to make it.  It's probably because no effort is made to quarter saw.  Some of the boards end up being vertical grain "just-because". 

I just got through cutting a big job where vertical grain was the target.  It took a long time and I would hate to see the boards used for fence.

Another thing that is common is six foot fence posts. Most posts are sold in lengths of eight feet and either get cut off or buried deep.  Farmers are looking for 6 foot posts.  If they buy a 12 foot post and cut it in two, it exposes untreated heartwood.  It is appreciated to find a lumber yard or sawyer who has 6 foot posts.  A sawyer can cut 12 foot post and half them himself before treatment is performed and the post remain well treated to the elements for their life.

Sometimes you will find a rancher who wants 6/4 x 10" or 6/4 x 12 inch for interior fencing around the barns or for horse stalls. It makes a good looking fence for driveways, loading yards and the such.

[rebocardo]

If making fencing, go to your local Home Depot and see what an eight foot section of stockade fence costs and price your material much lower so it is attractive for someone to build there own. I made custom fencing from pressure treated Home Depot wood using 1x6 for the slats, 6x6 for the posts, and 2x4s for the cross members (lagged to the posts) and the people paid WAY more for that then the stockade fencing. Custom and nice looking sells :-)

[woodsteach]

thank you for the replies now all that is left is to get the job done.

God bless

Paul

[quirkus]

I need lumber to build a boat, maybe a number of boats. Finding the lumber I need and getting it to my door is going to be a challenge. I think I can probably buy off the shelf locally (200 mile radius) if I spend enough time traveling and searching. But let's look at another avenue. Boat planks and sawn boat frames are both crooked. They need to be cut from crooked lumber. My books tell me that flitches are the way to go. They will provide the curved lumber needed. You guys are probably the ones who turn logs into flitches. Do I need to get my flitches straight from the mill? I couldn't use thousands of BF at this stage, but I plan to develop a market for these boats and who knows? Maybe I need to look for a vendor in Texas. I need white oak for frames and white pine and cedar (red, yellow) for planks. 

[woodsteach]

quirkus,

Let me know more of what you need and who knows maybe we can work something out. 

I'll supply the wood and you build me a boat ;) ;)
Just one thought.

I have white oak and most trees aren't straight how crooked should they be?

Paul