The Forestry Forum

i have some 18-24" red oak trees that i need to cut soon, i'm thinking of using the wood for decking,  1-1/4 x 6 and i don't have a bandsaw mill, i'm using a 660 chainsaw.

how would you go about cutting that size? cut 1-1/2" slabs first then rip 6" or so wide with a circular saw? or make 6" or so wide beams, then rip into 1-1/2" boards? 

assuming i use a ripping chain, would i need to plane it smooth? if so, would i do that before or after drying?

thanks

PS, i expect people are going to say can't use red oak outside but in another thread i started i was told that i can if i soak it in a preservative like old hydraulic fluid first.

that will be a lot of work with a chainsaw mill.  the oil would be ok for a trailer deck,  house deck not so much.  can you find someone with a band mill as the kerf waste would be so much less.  trade a few logs.  I milled a 36 inch log into 2 inch slabs in 30 minutes.  that sounds like a 2 days job with a chainsaw.  good luck!
I would leave it rough for a trailer.  to plane it, I would let it dry some, but install wet should be ok.  I tend to make the 6 inch beam then cut the thin dimension.

if its trailer decking, absolute cut out the heartwood or you will regret it.  much better with good 5" planks than cracked, split and rotted 11 inch ones because of the heart wood cracking away and taking in water.  i have cut my own trailer decking on a chainsaw mill.  its work but i work with what i got.