Sawed some nice white oak this week

[maple flats]

 8) 8) I finally slowed down on maple syrup and took some time to saw about 1200 bf of white oak. It sure was nice to be sawing again. This white oak was from one tree, 36" dbh and very little taper the first 30 '. My little tractor had no chance to lift them, the biggest was about 3300#, so a neighbor with an industrial hoe loaded them onto my trailer, followed me the 1 mile trip to my mill and unloaded them, even setting the biggest onto the mill bunks. That was sure easier than winching them on and off. The next 2 I rolled with my tractor forks and the last I was able to load onto a set of rear 3 ph forks. I could not lift it but with the help of a 7000# farm jack I got it up and steared the tractor with the brakes to load it. Someday I need to invest in a heavier tractor or better yet a rough terrain fork lift.
When I opened the logs I got lots of real nice 1x8's, with few knots on most. I also got a full width slab from one at 2.25" thick x 9.5' long x 32-35" wide. On another log I got a 21" x 9.5' x 2.5" slab. Except for that last one, this was all custom sawing for the log owner. On the last log he said he liked the job i had done so much he gave me that slab. I may eventually make it into a bench or coffee table or something else for the house we are getting ready to build as our retirement home. (no, I don't plan to stop sawing then) I had all of this sawing on a yard tree and never detected nor hit any metal, I thought that was very lucky indeed.

[bandmiller2]

M Flats,I share your love for white oak would rather cut it than anything else.Seems to be half way between wood and steel.Only complaint its so DanG heavy most of what I cut is for trailer beds 2x10x14' grunt !!Frank C.

[ljmathias]

Wow, Maple, you sound like me in a lot of ways- I'm 60 plus and looking to retire come Sept this year (if the incentive plan comes through) or next Dec when I turn 62 and get SS also... and I agree: never retire FROM something but TO something. In my case, I'm moving toward vertical integration: logging (as needed and if necessary although I'm certainly not set up for that), milling which I love to do, air drying and planing ditto, and building things.  Doing a lot of self-training right now: benches, tables, shelves and cabinets but no "fine" furniture- just doesn't attract me nor fit my evolving lifestyle back to the simple and basic types.  I've done enough timberframing to know I like it and could do it, but only as a supplement to retirement not as a full time job.  I like the variety of working on my tree farm (such as it is) and all the rest above.

For example: I was cleaning up some debris (still left from Katrina- yeah, I work slow but I sure am diligent) when Lo and Behold, I come across a cherry tree that's been more or less on the ground for years (Katrina again).  I had seen it before but figured it was long gone: noticed some branches growing straight up. looked at the exposed root ball and realized it had managed to stay alive all these years in a horizontal position.  I immediately grabbed my chain say, cut it up and hauled it back to the mill.  Spent the rest of the day cutting 4/4 lumber that is absolutely some of the most beautiful I've ever seen (not saying much, of course) and I got it stickered and stacked before quitting- only a hundred plus board feet but as you might guess, I don't get a lot of cherry to work with.  Now if I only had a solar kiln, I could dry this up and start making something really pretty.  So much to do- got to finish the sawmill shed so the mill is totally under cover, finish up a few corners of the barns and such... the list never seems to get done, and then of course, there's the honey-do list that has to be dealt with.  Going to work some days is just such a relief!  Maybe I shouldn't give that up- no place to hide...

Lj

[Captain]

Sounds like a fabulous day.  "Nice" white oak is hard to find around here, but I've got a 59" diameter 2nd log from a yard tree to tackle in the coming weeks.  Some table slabs for sure.

Captain

[old joe]

I'm about 5 Years ahead of you and can testify, somedays I think I nrrd a job just to get some rest.

[maple flats]

ljmathias, My first logs i sawed when I got my mill in Jan, 05 was cherry that had been cut for another sawyer years earlier and he never came to saw them. Some were stacked near the road off the ground but in the weeds and the rest were still in the woods laying on the ground but not really making a lot of contact with the ground. The logs in the weeds were mostly rot, but I got about 250 bf good from them, (lost maybe 50-60%), the ones in the woods were very little rot and most was usable. I still have this stickered but will find a use or market for it someday. I really like seeing the grain when i open most any log but especially those with a nicely figured grain. 8) 8)

[ljmathias]

Good point, Maple (for short)- I think one of the most fascinating aspects of being able to saw your own lumber is that sometimes you find those treasures laying around- like late last year got a huge white oak to cut up- neighbor pointed it out to me (Katrina fall so it had been down awhile) and said I could have it if I got it off their land.  Took some doing it was so heavy but managed to slice up some slabs for benches that turned out just amazing plus lots of good lumber from the inside- some quarter sawn, some flat, but all beautiful wood.  I think it's these unexpected finds that make our lives so interesting, whether it's a log that turns into good wood or a new-found friend.

Lj

[maple flats]

You will find that one of the properties of oak is that it rots VERY slow. Years ago whem my dad was alive my brother, dad and me were cutting some logs to sell in a wet wood lot and we were cutting the tops for firewood. As brother and I were working the tops our dad said he was going to cut some old oak limbs that had been on the ground like forever. Looking at the outside of the limb I thought they would be all punky thru out, but even with severe rot on the outside the wood about an inch in was as solid and hard as if it had been off the ground and in a dry shed. Far about the first half inch or so it was totally rotted but the inner was very solid after about another half inch or so. Sinch then I have found this to be true with any oak I have encountered.