white oak slabs

corey · 8th October 2008, 12:51 AM

i helped a friend of mine do some storm damage a few weeks ago. a white oak uprooted and smasked a brand new bmw. (quite funny really) i took a few 8" slabs of it to make something out of it. im thinking a clock, some boards to put my deer mounts on, or have my company name milled into it to put on my front porch, etc. my question is, should i have it cut to size before it dries, or let it dry as it is, then have it cut to size? i did a rough count on the rings, the saw marks made it kinda tough to count the really small ones, but i got 220+ years old. its a shame that they are going to use it for firewood. that really erks me.

Steve Tipton · 8th October 2008, 10:13 PM

1. Season it first before you mill it.

2. If you can count the 220 growth rings by naked eye, it will be much older. I believe to accurately date a tree, the sample must be cut with a cross cut hand saw, planed end grain and counted under a microscope. bad seasons of little or no growth wil not be visible to the naked eye.

I am not an expert in this, this is just what I have been told.

corey · 11th October 2008, 12:36 PM

yeah, there was a fiftyish year span that only took up about an inch of growth rings. 220+ was my best guess.

slabmaster · 29th December 2008, 12:46 PM

White oak is harder to season than most woods,because the pores are blocked with inclusions that they call tyloses which slow drying.Mill it into boards and keep alot of weight on them until dry.

LeifR · 31st December 2008, 11:13 PM

I would say the same. Mill slabs in suitable thickness according to what you intend to make out of them. Bigger slabs will crack a lot, and are very hard to mill when they are dry. The seasoning will take a much shorter time too, with thinner boards.

Here are some of the slabs from a big oak I milled this autumn. 2" and 1" thick, and some 4x4" which I shall use as support on a plank wagon I am going to make. (Or more accurate: Rebuld an old wreck of a trailer.)
The rest was cut into 1" boards. Oak is suitable for furniture, and then 1 and 2" will fit.

Leif.

8th October 2008, 12:51 AM	#1
corey Sappling Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: pittsburgh, pa Posts: 22	white oak slabs i helped a friend of mine do some storm damage a few weeks ago. a white oak uprooted and smasked a brand new bmw. (quite funny really) i took a few 8" slabs of it to make something out of it. im thinking a clock, some boards to put my deer mounts on, or have my company name milled into it to put on my front porch, etc. my question is, should i have it cut to size before it dries, or let it dry as it is, then have it cut to size? i did a rough count on the rings, the saw marks made it kinda tough to count the really small ones, but i got 220+ years old. its a shame that they are going to use it for firewood. that really erks me.

8th October 2008, 10:13 PM	#2
Steve Tipton Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney Posts: 823	Re: white oak slabs 1. Season it first before you mill it. 2. If you can count the 220 growth rings by naked eye, it will be much older. I believe to accurately date a tree, the sample must be cut with a cross cut hand saw, planed end grain and counted under a microscope. bad seasons of little or no growth wil not be visible to the naked eye. I am not an expert in this, this is just what I have been told. __________________ Heightmaster

11th October 2008, 12:36 PM	#3
corey Sappling Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: pittsburgh, pa Posts: 22	Re: white oak slabs yeah, there was a fiftyish year span that only took up about an inch of growth rings. 220+ was my best guess.

29th December 2008, 12:46 PM	#4
slabmaster Sappling Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Michigan,usa Posts: 16	Re: white oak slabs White oak is harder to season than most woods,because the pores are blocked with inclusions that they call tyloses which slow drying.Mill it into boards and keep alot of weight on them until dry.

31st December 2008, 11:13 PM	#5
LeifR Mature tree Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Norway Posts: 285	Re: white oak slabs I would say the same. Mill slabs in suitable thickness according to what you intend to make out of them. Bigger slabs will crack a lot, and are very hard to mill when they are dry. The seasoning will take a much shorter time too, with thinner boards. Here are some of the slabs from a big oak I milled this autumn. 2" and 1" thick, and some 4x4" which I shall use as support on a plank wagon I am going to make. (Or more accurate: Rebuld an old wreck of a trailer.) The rest was cut into 1" boards. Oak is suitable for furniture, and then 1 and 2" will fit. Leif. Attached Thumbnails __________________ My place - Bjørndalen. http://www.youtube.com/user/MultiVoff

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