The Forestry Forum

I have several logs that were in the river for a while that I've finally determined Chestnut Oak. Whats it good for? I have a couple orders pending for trailer decking,  is it suitable or be better for another use?

I usually saw it for fence boards, tough to get one 16ft though. Seems to be harder than regular white oak. Should be fine for trailer decking, everyone seems to want white oak.

It's normally sold as "Mixed White Oak" if you have a log good enough to saw. Strength and durability should be similar to the other species of White Oak.

Chestnut white oak is one of the 3 or 4 species of white oak that are open pored, and because of this it is not well suited for outdoor applications (as compared with closed pored white oak).

It sure is pretty when quartersawn though.

Wiki has some decent facts on it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_prinus

Personally I don't like to saw it. It's incredibly hard but I think it saws out better than "regular" WO. I seem to get nicer grading lumber than the regular WO

I've sawn millions of bf of chestnut oak.  I don't find it to be that hard.  Northern white oak always seems harder to saw.  A lot would depend on location and the width of the growth rings.  If you have chestnut oak that has grown on thin soil on a mountainside with poor growth, then you'll get some harder wood.  But, bottom grown chestnut oak saws the same as red oak.  If it wasn't for chestnut oak, our white oak grade would have been pretty bad.

Quote from: scsmith42 on June 05, 2016, 11:04:56 PM
Chestnut white oak is one of the 3 or 4 species of white oak that are open pored

Scott,

What are the others?