Why the big saws

[Ianab]

See now thats what Im talking about.  CLWW actually needs a big saw.  I love the pics that is a huge oak.  I would really like to see a 42 inch board also.  I saw a 36 inch board nailed to the side of an old barn once.  That is really neat. Thanks.

We cut this one a few years back...





Ian

[Al_Smith]

Some of you guys like knocking big trees down near houses.

Like has nothing to do with it . On a hazard tree sometimes you can't leave it up to mother nature because dear old mom might put it down right on top of the house  or the neighbors ,not good .

[clww]

That pecan was a solid tree. The neighbors of the customer had removed all the limbs on their side of the fence, so all the weight was on one side, leaning toward a house. That was the heaviest wood I've ever dealt with. Half again heavier than oak.
The oak was toppled by Mother Nature and her wind gusts. During that particular Nor'easter, November 2009, we had wind speeds topping 80 mph-hurricane force.

[SwampDonkey]

I wasn't poking at ya's, just noticing the view.

[Al_Smith]

That pecan was a solid tree. That was the heaviest wood I've ever dealt with. Half again heavier than oak.

They tell me that pecan is the most dense of the hickory type trees .We have none this far north but we do have several varieties of hickory which I assure you are heavier than our most dense of oaks . I've heard pecan  makes excellant firewood but it makes beautiful furniture as well .The later being the more noble of usage .

Fact being in my log pile I have a dandy of a straight shagbark yet to be milled and my intention is indeed for the more noble usage . If not myself maybe someone 50 years from now as it's highly doubfull that I tarry quit that long .It's also doubtfull any 100 footers will still exist that far in the future .

[Al_Smith]

The main trunk is 12 feet long and the planks I get should be at least 42 inches wide.

Now I'm not telling you what to do but often those big old wide planks can  warp  like a sled runner .Depending on how  you sticker it and which portion of the log it comes from ,edge or more on the quarter most likely will determine how it turns out .What ever you do ballast the dickens out of it when you sticker it . If nothing else pile railroad ties on it to get some weight .

Mother nature and time grew that thing ,now it's up to the lumberman how it turns out .Hopefully very nicely .

[weimedog]

That pecan was a solid tree. The neighbors of the customer had removed all the limbs on their side of the fence, so all the weight was on one side, leaning toward a house. That was the heaviest wood I've ever dealt with. Half again heavier than oak.
The oak was toppled by Mother Nature and her wind gusts. During that particular Nor'easter, November 2009, we had wind speeds topping 80 mph-hurricane force.

Wow..is all I can say! Can't imagine what that sounded like (felt like?) when they hit the ground!

[Al_Smith]

  Probabley not as dramatic as if it had hit the house .

[clww]

On that pecan, the final piece was about 25 feet long when it came over. Fell where I planned it and threw out a lot of grass and dirt when the top part impacted (first). When the oak went over, that was the entire tree. I was told that it got part of a garage roof, one car (total loss), the power pole at the street and another tree in the traffic circle. They never lost power, with the lines laying on the ground, until the power company showed up and cut power for safety. I didn't start working on the tree until after the usual firewood pickers had gotten all they could. 5 other tree service companys would not touch it-too big. I saw it on Craigs List..."Free Wood-You Cut", called the owner, and drove over to his house. He'd told me it was a big tree, but that can mean different sizes depending on who I talk to. Some folks think a big tree is 16" in diameter, although I don't. That one I most definetly consider a BIG tree! Maybe some day I'll get done with it. It's kind of turned into my 'Moby Dick'.

[ChrisF]

That be some NICE wood, Clww.

And man, the Stihl 084 is one of the best looking saws ever made.

[Al_Smith]

A lot of times those 250 year old plus oaks could have root damage ,especially in town trees . 50 years or so of having their roots compressed by being under a driveway or lopped off because of a building foundation can take a toll on them .You can't see any damage then out of the blue up pops a big wind and blows it over with a big ten ton root ball on the end or a big hollow void and flatens everything in its' fall path  like a pancake .

A big old fatty like that  might have to be ripped to even get the log out .

[clww]

I am ripping the boards there on-site, 3-5 inches thick by 12 feet long. Hopefully get one cut, drag it onto my trailer and bring it to the house.

[CX3]

What do you guys think a 8 foot chunk of that big oak weighs?


CLWW why do you have to cut the boards so thick? 

[terrifictimbersllc]

5000 pounds?

[SwampDonkey]

Water wheel repair for a sawmill. As good a guess as any. Actually, they had to do just that near here on an old saw mill. No white oak up here except some rare bur, nothing big enough. Had to truck the stuff 1000 miles from PA.