The Forestry Forum

I am building a king post truss and need an 18 footer for the bottom cord.  This is for the end of my covered porch and will be exposed so I want a rot resistant white oak.  I have 400 acres of mostly hills
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/39555/oakleaf~0.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1623688309)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/39555/oak~1.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1623688309)
 and spend a hour or so driving around looking for a log close enough to where I can get my little loader in to harvest it.  This one has a 30 foot or so log and its so high I can't see the leaves good.  Bark says red, leaves are fuzzy but look more like white.  This is in Missouri in the Ozarks.    

Very hard to tell. I see leaves that look like northern red, but also some that appear to be scarlet oak or perhaps even black oak. I can't make out any that look like White oak. When scouting for trees like that, I carry a small pair of binoculars to help see the leaves better. It's not easy, but it does help these old eyes.

Thanks, I have to go back with binoculars.  Almost all my whites are lighter colored bark.  It is a very diverse forest.

i think i see white oak leaves in the first pic but see a red oak trunk and post oak leaves in the bright gap between the dogwood and the red oak trunk. 


btw we have a section for tree identification down below the logging forum, for future reference. 

White oaks leaves "generally" have rounded lobes - Red oaks come to a point; and yes it is true white oaks typically have lighter colored bark.  

What size does your truss member need to be?  (Th & Wd)  Be especially careful of sweep in the tree you select - a very minor amount of sweep can prevent you from centering the heart (pith) on a 18' timber.  That can lead to unpredictable movement as it dries.

Post some pics when you complete your truss - we would all get a kick out of it.