Milling Red Oak for future use

[LaneC]

     Hello everyone. 
   I have probably 15 water oak trees that need to be felled and was thinking of having them just squared up into cants as big as possible, paint the ends and let them air dry until I find a future use for them. Later they could be cut into boards or beams. I just hate to see them go to waste. I tried telling a few folks to cut them for firewood but unless it is cut and you bring it to them and stack it for them, they will not touch it. They would all probably average about 24-30 inches dbh. I am not sure what the demand for that type of oak is but I would think I could hire a mill after they dried a bit and then sell the boards or beams. Any suggestions are well appreciated.

[Don P]

Trying to resaw boards out of dried, checked, distorted beams is going to be very high loss. I'd decide whether you want beams or boards and saw towards that end. It is in the red oak family and can produce good lumber but it is considered to be usually on the low end of quality of the red oaks. I'd lean towards 4/4 or 8/4 if you don't have a particular use in mind.

[ellmoe]

  I agree with Don in the problem with pre-sawing into cants. We routinely have stored water oaks for up to a year in log form until we need to saw . It is best that they are off the ground and not in an excessively moist environment ( under a dense canopy ). You will probably get some decay and wood borers , but you will also get some spalted sapwood , heartwood that is still sound , minimum surface checks , and the ability to saw only once, into the product you wish . Sealing the ends is a good practice , but you can always just trim the cracked ends off.

[Magicman]

Yup, logs have to be stored in log form.  This past Summer I sawed a couple of year old Red Oak 12X12's into ¾" lumber.  I probably only got ~10 out of each and my blade life was not good.


 
This White Oak log was probably 3-4 years old and turned out some amazing 5/4 lumber.



These Cherrybark and Water Oak logs are stored off of the ground and have been staged for probably 6+ months and it could easily be 2-3 more months before they are sawn.  No problem.  

[KenMac]

Water oak is probably th most prevalent oak around here. As was said, usually not the high grade logs, but is very usable. Rustic is in now, which makes it more valuable than was once. Everything said thus far is spot on.

[LaneC]

   Thanks everyone for the replies. I did not think of storing them as logs, thanks for the tip. If I were able to do that (store them as logs ) I am guessing it would be best to de-bark them as well.

[Magicman]

Do you have access to a pond/creek for storage? 

[jeepcj779]

They will check/split pretty severely if left out. I had some I cut for firewood that was out for about 18 months, and a couple pieces just about split themselves in half. I have also heard they will be harder to mill once dry.

[LaneC]

           No sir, no access to water. It sounds like the best option is to just go ahead and have them milled straight away. That is what I will try to plan on doing. I truly appreciate all the advice.

[TimW]

Do you have access to a pond/creek for storage?

Lynn,
  I was hoping someone else would ask this, but here goes...................What logs can be stored in water and how long?  I have two ponds. 
         hugs,  Brandi

[LaneC]

  Hello Folks.
 I just got another brain storm. :D. 
 What if I were to poison the tree and let it stand dead until next year? Would it damage the tree when it falls next winter and split it badly? Just a thought, I am sure someone else has probably tried this.

[LaneC]

  Just curious if anyone thinks the tree would get a lot of insect damage if it were poisoned now and allowed to stand for a year before cutting.

[scsmith42]

 Hello Folks.
I just got another brain storm. :D.
What if I were to poison the tree and let it stand dead until next year? Would it damage the tree when it falls next winter and split it badly? Just a thought, I am sure someone else has probably tried this.

That's a good way to created what's called a "widow maker".  Dead trees have dead branches when tend to break off and fall on you - especially when you're felling the tree.
IF you're dead set on doing it - no need for poison.  Simply gird the tree at the bottom with a chainsaw.  Cut about 1" deep below the bark all the way around and it will die.

[doc henderson]

i took down about 6 elm trees,  after they died from flooding about 7 years prior.  they were standing dead, and I pushed them over with my cat 277c trackloader, and used it for firewood.  no rot since the water could run off, and no soil contact.  



 



 



 

 

[Andries]

Nice system Doc.
I have rounded up a dozen of those IBC totes for firewood.
Tree chunks to dump trailer, then splitter, then stacked in the totes.
I should've done it years ago. 

[SawyerTed]

Sweet potatoes were a temporary cash crop here for 6 or 8 years.  When the farmers quit raising sweet potatoes, they had many potato bins.  I started cutting firewood, splitting and loading into bins.  I cut the times we handle firewood by hand to 2  - once to split and once to put in the waterstove.  Now I'm adding those IBC tote frames.  They are lighter and don't rot!

[Don P]

Ted, what caused the demise of sweet taters there? We don't have quite enough growing season at the top of the hill, ours come up from around Kernersville.

[LaneC]

  Nope, not dead set on any particular method yet, just wondering and listening. I appreciate the comment. I thought of the girdling method but figured the poisoning would kill it faster and it would be drying longer. I am in no hurry really, I just wanted to decide before the leaves start to come out in probably 6 weeks give or take a couple.

[Magicman]

The best way to store logs is live on the stump, leaves or no leaves.  ;D

[LaneC]

 :D  Too simple :D.  Makes perfect sense. Another way to look at it. Thanks for the thought.