Worth the effort

[caveman]

I had a guy call and he wants to saw up a large laurel oak that he had growing in his yard.  It is 52" at the base and has had significant limbs cut off at 4' and a little higher on the other side.

I do not want to do a job that will be expensive for him but will not get him a reasonable amount of good, useable wood.  Is this something we should recommend that he saw or is it firewood?

We do not have a slabber and will have to break it down with a chainsaw.

[caveman]

 

 

 


This is the log mentioned in the previous post.  Thanks to Ian and Btollah for helping me get the pics posted.

[Southside]

I have done what you are describing and between tramp metal and defects there was not a lot of value in the recovered lumber. Some wide stuff, but not a lot of length. It can yield random length flooring if that is of value to the customer.

Nice hinge and back cut there  

[scsmith42]

That log would make some awesome live edge slabs.  Lots of crotch figure in them.  I'd mill at 3-1/2" green expecting to finish out at 1.75 - 2" (s2s).

[caveman]

The owner or someone else dropped the tree.  Southside, I was thinking along the same lines as you.  Those were all reasons that I gave the homeowner.  

SCSmith42, I have seen a lot pictures of the products you produce that you have posted and have pictured on your website and your advise carries a lot of weight with me too.  We may have to develop a game plan on how to break this one down.  It is too wide for us to slab at one whack but we could split it using a chainsaw and then saw it leaving one live edge.  This could be a benefit to whoever gets the job of building a table top with the slabs.

[ladylake]

 Firewood.  Steve

[scsmith42]

The owner or someone else dropped the tree.  Southside, I was thinking along the same lines as you.  Those were all reasons that I gave the homeowner.  

SCSmith42, I have seen a lot pictures of the products you produce that you have posted and have pictured on your website and your advise carries a lot of weight with me too.  We may have to develop a game plan on how to break this one down.  It is too wide for us to slab at one whack but we could split it using a chainsaw and then saw it leaving one live edge.  This could be a benefit to whoever gets the job of building a table top with the slabs.

Thanks for the kind words.

Here is a table that was build by a customer of mine from a 72" wide x 14' long black oak log that we milled.  This is the sister slab to the one in my avatar.

[tule peak timber]

Yahoo....stunning....

[barbender]

That table is sweet, and so is the flooring👍

[Brad_bb]

I'd say find someone that can slab the whole thing.  Maybe help him trim it up in preparation for slabbing.  Gotta find a way to move it, but if it's not rotten or filled with carpenter ant nest, It's probably worth it to slab it.  Ideally a large band mill.  I'd rather hit metal with that than the chain of a large CSM.  Or find someone with a large csm or pertersen or lucas big slabber and do it on site.  If you get some clean slabs it's worth it, provided the owner wants that.  If he's just asking for lumber, you could always split the log with your chainsaw to be able to load pieces on the mill or onto a trailer, but I'd have a real talk with him and discuss the possible value as slabs.  He could air dry them on site if he has the room.  Maybe he could trade part of the slabs to someone in exchange for kiln drying, flattening, and building a table?

[caveman]

Brad, 
The things you mentioned are right in line with what I suggested to him. 

 I really do appreciate all of you taking the time to share your knowledge, experience and advise.  

Scott, that table is impressive.  Was it from the same tree the slab is from that is by your FF picture?