[kenkrizan]

I have gotten a beautiful log, Eastern White Pine. It is 22' long. 19" at the base and tapers to 14" at the end. It is straight as an arrow and perfectly clear up to the last three feet, where there are two large branches.

I would like to mill it before winter sets in, but I am not sure what to do with it. I could make a couple of boat spars (wooden boats are a viable busniess around here) or a couple of fireplace mantles or some benches. I do not have any customers for it right now (I tned to be my own best customer for milled lumber) but that can change.

 

[kenkrizan]

Sorry

I am not yet familar with this forum and I think I may have posted it before it was complete.

My question is this: If this was your log, what would you do with it? How would you cut it?

 

[Logger]

I dont no about it happening in your area but here in southern wi the bugs will eat it up in warm weather (you can here the chewing it). If it were mine it would get milled asap.

 

[kenkrizan]

Thanks for the reply, Logger. I don't seem to have much of a bugs problem, at least not that I've noticed. I've been cutting and air drying lumber for quite a few years, and can't say that much at all in the way of bug damage. I've even had logs cut for a year ro more before milling (stored off the ground) and the lumber seems pretty much unaffected.

 

[Kelly A Palmer]

Hello my name is Kelly Palmer. I have a wild idea that..... well it is out there, but I think it will work. There it a large {I believe red oak, but heard someone say black oak} that has died. Can I cut it like a loaf of bread and make table tops out of it?? {where whoever is sitting at the table can count the rings, maybe even put a few dates on it.} If so what kind of equipment would I need, it is going to be about ten feet across the stump?

 

[kenkrizan]

Kelly-

The simple answer to you question is- yes, you can do that. It gets complicated though.

There are two basic ways to cut a tree. Cut across the trunk. The resulting pieces are commonly called "cookies". The other way to cut lengthwise along the trunk. The resulting pieces are called "slabs" typically if the pieces are the width of the tree, or "boards" if smaller. It sounds like you want the cookies cut.

The first piece of equipment needed is a large chainsaw. The length of the chain bar needs to be at least 2/3 the diameter of the log to be cut. Remember both chainsaws and wood are heavy. The bigger the saw, the bigger and stronger the guy running it needs to be. You said the length across the stump was about 10'. Aroung here, a 3' dia. oak tree is quite large so you may have several trees growing from a single root system.

Then you face drying, flattening and finishing the cookies, as well as mounting them to a suitable base. It can all be done, but I would suggest that you address your questions in a seperate thread devoted to this subject. That way you will most likely get a lot more information and many more opinions.

Ken