drying a lone oak slab

[KGNC]

I could use some recommendations.
My FIL had a very large white oak in the yard that the state decide needed to be removed for a road project. The deal was the company that took it down got the wood. Well the main log seems to have changed hands a couple of times, my wife caught up with it and the current owner said he was going to cut it into slabs and has agreed to sell her one.
So assuming this goes as planned, I'm going to have a very large piece of oak to deal with. Is it possible to dry a roughly 48" wide by 2" thick oak board into something that could be used to make a conference table? Do I want to kiln dry this? or air dry?
My wife's whole family is very emotional about the tree and they want to do something special with the wood but I've got my doubts that the big table thing is going to work. And other suggestions on a appropriate use of the oak?

[ARKANSAWYER]

  The trick to drying the big slab is time.  It is best to coat the ends and about 6 to 8 inches up all the way around.  Then put it in a shed or barn out of the weather for about a year.  Then it will need to go to a kiln and be dried very slowly.  A vaccume kiln would be great.
  There will be checking but that is normal.  It should make a pretty table.  We like photos.

[kelLOGg]

If this slab is 4 ' wide it must have come from near the middle of the log which means there must be some quarter sawn nature to it which will give it some stability in drying. Since it is very special (and if it were mine) I would clamp it between angle iron with dry stickers between the iron and oak just as added insurance against warping and set it aside to dry slowly. The stickers will prevent discoloration that occurs when oak contacts iron. I've never actually tried what I reccomend so others' comments may be needed here. See how it dries and works and then decide on what you want it to be. Whatever it is it will have a huge WOW! factor. Post some pics.
Where are you in the mountains?

Bob

[scsmith42]

If the slab comes from the middle of the log (ie has pith wood in the middle), it will definitely crack very badly down the middle.  You're probably better off to have it milled a little bit thicker (such as 12/4 instead of 8/4), to allow for both wood movement as well as shrinkage. 

I would suggest that you select a slab that neither from the middle nor from the outer edge, but somewhere in-between.

8/4 wood in the kiln requires almost 4 months from green down to 8%.  As usual, Arky's advice is spot on.   Bob's ideas are worth consideration too.

If you choose to place weight on top of it to help control warping while drying, use 150 psf.

[woodmills1]

I cut big thick stuff, it all moves.  The middle stuff even at 4 inches thick can cup an inch or two.  Cut it thick, dry it a year or so, then back on the mill to flatten one face,  then find a big planer.

[KGNC]

Thanks for the replies, sounds like it may be feasible. There are still a lot of ifs in this project, I'll keep you posted.
Here's a link to the local paper article on the tree.
http://www.highcountrypress.com/weekly/2009/04-16-09/the_price_of_progress.htm