flat sawn white,red oak

[tat]

Can you flat saw oak(red or white and use it as flooring after properly drying. Would you cut it 4/4 or 1" thick. would you prefer white or red for the flooring and why? Saw an article in Cook's Saw catalog about using wide boards for flooring and how to do it without  t & g'ing it. Since Hurricane Ivan came through I have been busy sawing Pine. I have probably sawn 10,000 feet of pine. I am finally starting on some Oak that I plan to use For flooring in a new house that I am building completely from Ivan wood. Have 40 long leaf pines I am starting on next week when I get through with about 10 white oak logs that were completely on the ground. The rest of the oak is only blown over and has put out new leaves. It should wait until the dry part of the summer but the longleaf has been down for several months now. Also trying to work all this in around cotton planting and regular chicken house stuff so I have been pretty busy! Any help is appreciated.

[UNCLEBUCK]

I think a red oak is much prettier than white oak like much prettier . Flat sawn shows more character of the wood and looks great and seems stronger . I would suggest sawing 4/4 then you have enough to pass one side through a planer when its time. I can make nice t&g with my small 3-1/4 horse router atleast enough for a big house or barn. Wide board flooring is nice to look at . I used 18 to 20 inch wide boards soaking green to make hayracks ,ash or white oak and after a full year in the sun and rain I only got gaps of about 1/4 to 3/8 inch wide 4/4 so my results are totally different than what the scientists claim but then again I like simplicity . Good luck with your wide board flooring and the cotton !

[UNCLEBUCK]

I thought 4/4 is 1 inch thick ? I am all messed up now  ;D I saw anything for siding or hayrack floors 1 inch thick ok

[Rockn H]

I think he meant by "cut it 4/4 or 1" thick". He meant 4/4 or (in other words) 1" thick.

[Ron Wenrich]

4/4 is 1" wood, but it is usually cut about 1/8" thick to accomodate shrinkage and planing.   NHLA specs want 1/16" over, but most buyers want a little heavier for better recovery.  A lot depends on how tight your mill is.

[tat]

I have a mill from Cook's down in Newton, Alabama. They include a regular inch scale, a hardwood scale of 4 quarters and a 6 quarter scale. The 4/4 quarter scale appears to be somewhere between 1 1/8" and 1 1/4" inch as Ron said. I may cut some on 1" and see how it looks. That 4/quarter stuff is terribly heavy. Besides, we don't have any building codes down here in the piney woods so I can build it as I please and not worry. well it is back to the cotton field for now.