Post oak to flooring - need advice

[kelLOGg]

I am sawing these 9' post oaks to flooring for a friend who wants the boards 3.5" wide x 5/4" thick. These dimensions were reccommended by his woodworker brother. (I will actually saw 7" wide and he will rip to final dimensions.)

I think 5/4" is too thick for such narrow boards and much of it will be wasted by planing. I will certainly saw what he wants but I want to offer the best advice I can.

The butt cut is 30" dia, the logs are very straight and have very few small knots except for the small end of the small log which has a 9" knot. I have sawn and dried the same size PO before but but with appreciable sweep and got flat lumber 14" wide and 1.125" thick. It will plane very nicely to 3/4" when I need it. I want him to get as much flooring as he can but I don't want to ill-advise him.
What do you think?
Bob





 

[MikeON]

Unless he wants thick floor boards, I agree with you.  I would cut 1" or 1-1/16" to end up at 3/4", for such narrow boards where cupping will be minimal.  The occasional board that doesn't clean up will be more than made up for by more boards to choose from. 
On the other hand, you won't get two 3.5" wide boards out of a 7" wide board considering cutting off any side bend, plus the rip kerf and tongue & grooving. 

[woodworker9]

I have never had a problem getting 3/4" thickness out of 4/4 sawn lumber (plus .125) unless the boards were very badly warped, and then they are firewood anyway.

5/4 would be very wasteful if the desired end is 3/4" flooring.....which there is no reason to have it be any thicker.

That's my .02.

Jeff

[kelLOGg]

On the other hand, you won't get two 3.5" wide boards out of a 7" wide board considering cutting off any side bend, plus the rip kerf and tongue & grooving.

That's a good point. All plans are tentative until I talk with him again.

[red oaks lumber]

for what its worth... when i'm sawing lumber to make 3" cover floor it gets sawed at 8 1/4" wide. time it dries ripping 2 blanks works out nicely, all my wood is sawed 1 1/8 this allows for some sawing errors but , also helps saw faster.

[mesquite buckeye]

If you save 1/8 or 1/4 inch per cut, how many extra boards do you end up with (by cutting actual 4/4)? To take care of bow or crook, you can shorten the flooring pieces so each piece has less deviation.

I'd just cut them 4" wide, gaining more 4" X shorts coming into the log edges and tapers. That will leave you plenty to get 3 1/2 with a quarter inch tongue. Cutting narrower to begin with also simplifies the cupping problem, as it will be less on a narrow piece. 8)

[jdtuttle]

I make flooring with a PH260 and 4/4 is fine for a 3/4" finished board. Ask him what he wants for a finished product. If he's looking for 3 1/2" wide I would cut them 4 1/2" at least. After they dry you will loose some when straightening and milling.

[scsmith42]

Bob, why don't you quartersaw those big logs?  It would yield a superior flooring product with a much more attractive appearance, and you could cut them all at max width and let him rip down as needed.

You will probably end up with a mix of 50% rift and 50% quarter.

Re the 5/4 thickness, they may want to have a finished floor at 1" instead of the usual 3/4.

[red oaks lumber]

sawing 1x4's takes longer, more handling and they  twist and side bend alot more than sawing wider and ripping 2 blanks after drying.

[qbilder]

Bob, why don't you quartersaw those big logs?  It would yield a superior flooring product with a much more attractive appearance, and you could cut them all at max width and let him rip down as needed.

You will probably end up with a mix of 50% rift and 50% quarter.

Re the 5/4 thickness, they may want to have a finished floor at 1" instead of the usual 3/4.

Plus one. This was exactly my thoughts as soon as I saw the pic of those logs. 

[kelLOGg]

Bob, why don't you quartersaw those big logs? 

I may do that - with my slow cable winch log handling capability there is really not much difference in time to QS and plainsaw. I haven't heard from the owner yet so I have not started to saw yet.
Thanks,
Bob

[kelLOGg]

Well, I QSed it and it was the most consistently beautiful oak I have seen.

Here are the quarters being separated.



 

And here is a closeup. Knots presented no problem at all (a first for me) and I used a band fresh out of the box. No waves, no rises, no diving of the band!



 

And the trailer loaded for delivery. I ended up sawing them 1" x 3.5" and got 362 bdft of nearly perfect lumber and some more with wane which is not shown but can be used for short flooring.



 

[woodworker9]

That is going to make a great looking floor.  The ray fleck will pop when finished.

Jeff

[clww]

That is going to make a great looking floor.  The ray fleck will pop when finished.

Jeff

+1 

[red oaks lumber]

please tell me you are going to resticker the lumber!

[kelLOGg]

That is going to make a great looking floor.  The ray fleck will pop when finished.
Jeff

My thought is that the fleck pattern is so dramatic that dinner guests will want to dine on the floor thinking it is a table.  :D.  I think the customer will be pleased.

please tell me you are going to resticker the lumber!

It is stickered only for delivery. I have kept it covered with a tarp while I was sawing to keep it from drying too fast.  Should I do more?

Bob

[5quarter]

I deadstack and cover all the lumber coming off the saw and keep it that way til it goes into the stacks. you'll have to wrap that lumber up tight for the delivery to keep the airflow down. oak is particularly prone to surface checking. If it were me, I would restack without the stickers and still tarp it good. Great lumber, BTW.

[WDH]

Very well prepared lumber!

[scsmith42]

Bob, that really turned out nice!

[kelLOGg]

If it were me, I would restack without the stickers and still tarp it good. Great lumber, BTW.

Took your advice, 5Q.

Thanks to all for the compliments, and to Scott for suggesting QSing

[mesquite buckeye]

Super nice. I think post oak is one of many underrated lumber trees. ;D 8)

[5quarter]

Very nice work Bob. with lumber like that, I'm sure he'll be back for more. 8) 8)

[kensfarm]

Really nice..  I'm sure he'll tell his friends too!

[kelLOGg]

Very nice work Bob. with lumber like that, I'm sure he'll be back for more. 8) 8)

You're already right. He's planning to cut more of his leaners before they fall. He was very lucky on the first one - the roots gave out and it fell perfectly parallel to the house. He's not banking on the same luck.
Bob

 

[thecfarm]

I like the sky hook that the rope is hooked too.  :D  If I would of fell that tree across the walk way it would be all broke up.   :  My wife says I can break anything,which is true. I have heard of tires being put down first.