My house backs to woods owned by our Homeowner's Association. Several
trees came down this winter, including an 85-year old tree with a
diameter of 3' at the base. I'm guessing it's an oak because of the
shape, color and grain but I haven't looked at it carefully.
The HOA cut it up because it was blocking a bike path. It now
consists of 2' or so segments. The tree was uprooted, not rotting, so
the wood is in great condition through the entire section. It's about
200 yards from my house along the bike path, so it's pretty
accessible.
Assuming I can even move these huge segments, is there anything useful
I can do with them? Can I mill them into 2' boards (I've only got a
wimpy electric chainsaw) and air-dry them in my house?. Any benefit
to quartering? (which I can do manually - I love splitting wood). If
I cut a slice off a segment can I make a tabletop with endgrain?
Other ideas, besides firewood?
Thanks,
Michael
>My house backs to woods owned by our Homeowner's Association. Several
>trees came down this winter, including an 85-year old tree with a
>diameter of 3' at the base. I'm guessing it's an oak because of the
>shape, color and grain but I haven't looked at it carefully.
>
>The HOA cut it up because it was blocking a bike path. It now
>consists of 2' or so segments. The tree was uprooted, not rotting, so
>the wood is in great condition through the entire section. It's about
>200 yards from my house along the bike path, so it's pretty
>accessible.
>
>Assuming I can even move these huge segments, is there anything useful
>I can do with them? Can I mill them into 2' boards (I've only got a
>wimpy electric chainsaw) and air-dry them in my house?. Any benefit
>to quartering? (which I can do manually - I love splitting wood). If
>I cut a slice off a segment can I make a tabletop with endgrain?
>Other ideas, besides firewood?
>
>Thanks,
>Michael
>
>
If you can use 2' boards, go for it. Just remember you'll lose a bit at the
ends to checking.
Good for turning. Otherwise, get a froe and make shakes.
John Martin
Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> >
> Assuming I can even move these huge segments, is there anything useful
> I can do with them? Can I mill them into 2' boards (I've only got a
> wimpy electric chainsaw) and air-dry them in my house?. Any benefit
> to quartering? (which I can do manually - I love splitting wood). If
> I cut a slice off a segment can I make a tabletop with endgrain?
> Other ideas, besides firewood?
>
If you love spliting wood get yourself a froe (not a hairstyle).
You can quarter those sections and then rive (split) the quarters
into rough cut boards--unless it's live oak. Should be able to get
a lot of quarter-sawn boards suitable for jewelry boxes etc.
At 2' length, resawing on a band saw, or even a table saw after jointing
is doable.
See also the thread on frame saws. A manual resaw is just a frame
saw with the blade in the middle and two stretchers.
--
FF
[email protected] (JMartin957) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>
> If you can use 2' boards, go for it. Just remember you'll lose a bit at the
> ends to checking.
>
> Good for turning. Otherwise, get a froe and make shakes.
>
I'll add that you can easily tell if it is oak by looking at
the end grain. Oaks all have proiminent ray flecks perpendicular
to the grain.
You should also get at these as soon as you can and seal the endgrain
with parrafin or wood glue, old shellac or most anything but latex
paint to minimize checking.
After quartering the sections you can take a froe and rive a board
off each face of each quarter. That will give you eight boards
and four quarter round pieces. You can rive off the faces of those
four quarter round pieces again to get eight smaller boards.
Repea that process until the quarter round pieces are too small
to bother with.
All of those boards will be quarter sawn.
With a bandsaw you can also make beaucoup quarter sawn veneer.
Cutting 1/8" think venners with a bandsaw is not difficult.
Riving and resawing into boards and veneers is best done while
the wood is still green for two reasons.
1) Green wood saws and splits much easier than cured.
and
2) Thin sections are much less prone to checking than thick.
This is all doable because you LOVE splitting wood. If you
hated splitting wood it might not be worth it.
--
FF
Andy Dingley <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 10:32:07 -0400, Michael Press
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Other ideas, besides firewood?
>
> Firewood. Then when you've finished splitting that, take the axe to
> the idiot who chopped it into those useless 2' logs. Even _I_
> wouldn't waste my time on 2' lengths (and my house is _full_ of odd
> bits of timber).
Well he could get quarter sawn panels for raised panels up to
about one foot quare at least. He sould also get a lot
of quarter sawn veneer.
> ...
>
> Forget the end grain disk idea, or do it anyway as a learning
> exercise. Read Hoadley or search back in the group for why.
It can be done but the finished end grain disk will have some
checks. Those can be filled with clear epoxy or even JB Weld or
colored epoxy for an interesting effect. Or the slab can
be split and jointed at the checks and then re-glued.
Whether or not the result is pleasing or ghastly is a matter
of taste.
--
FF
On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 10:32:07 -0400, Michael Press
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Other ideas, besides firewood?
Firewood. Then when you've finished splitting that, take the axe to
the idiot who chopped it into those useless 2' logs. Even _I_
wouldn't waste my time on 2' lengths (and my house is _full_ of odd
bits of timber).
If you're a turner, then you might get something from it - but oak
isn't a great turning wood.
Forget the end grain disk idea, or do it anyway as a learning
exercise. Read Hoadley or search back in the group for why.
--
Smert' spamionam