Big oak

[metalspinner]

Here is a nice big oak.  It was a blowdown in the neighborhood.  I could only get an 8' log out of it. :










Notice the twist?  Any troubles or worries with that?  I would like to get several slabs out of it.  I wonder how those will dry coming out of this twisted log.

The small end diameter is 46"-52" and the large diameter is 56"-62".   I will not be loading this one on my little trailer! :D



I received a call Friday to come pick up this one.  They cut it down to build a house. :(  Small end diameter is 34" and 12' long.








It was all I could handle physically and mentally.  Top speed on the way home was 10mph. :D

[Greenedive]

Nice looking trees!!!  8)
Being so close to houses, you might wanna get out your metal detector before you slice into them.

[logger]

Nice looking trees!!!  8)
Being so close to houses, you might wanna get out your metal detector before you slice into them.

Yup!  I wouldn't trust them. :D ;D 8)

[metalspinner]

You can see the second pic has those two black spots from something lurking in there.  The metal detector will be running for sure.

I counted the rings on each of these logs, and coincidentally, they both are 85 years old.  What are the chances of that? What can account for the extreme size differences in these?  They are both Red Oak, though I'm not sure they are the same species.  The bark looks similar on each.  I don't have any leaf or nut samples. :-\

[burlman]

ya that is a mean twist,in cases like that I saw my slabs extra thick, leaves some meat in case  the slab twists that you can resaw them flat after

[WDH]

That first one looks like it is in the white oak group.....maybe post oak?  The second surely looks like a red oak.  Just guesing...................Will be some fine oak lumber nonetheless 8). 

[Furby]

Righty tighty, twist will be ok based on Arky's info.

[Burlkraft]

Those are some nice ones....Like Burlman said...saw 'em a little thick... ;D ;D ;D

Looks like the off bearers are all ready ta go.... :D :D

[TexasTimbers]

Nice find Chris. Don't forget to remove those two little carbon-based fungal life forms attached to the butt of that log.

[Raider Bill]

Here is a nice big oak.  It was a blowdown in the neighborhood.  I could only get an 8' log out of it. :

Metalspinner, Heading your way Monday morning should be bull dozing by Wednesday providing I can find a rental.
RB

[metalspinner]

Bill,
If your in town when milling time starts, feel free to come tail...I mean watch. ;D  Teenswinger will come out with the Peterson to Quartersaw it and get a few slabs.

I am pretty confident the log on the trailer is a R.O.  Here is a close up of the bark...







If it is a W.O., I am going straight to the log yard to sell it! :D

[metalspinner]

Don't forget to remove those two little carbon-based fungal life forms attached to the butt of that log.

:D :D :D

What is so funny about that to me is when I took the boys over to see it, I was waiting for a "Wow, awsome log Dad", or something similar.  All I got was  "Look, Dad, a snail is on the bark."  His complete attention was focused on that itty bitty snail the rest of the time we were there. :D

Of course, a pic had to be taken... Can you see it? :D :D

[Dan_Shade]

not to be bossy, or to imply that you aren't careful, but please make sure your kids are in safe locations while working with logs.

I once bucked a large red oak log that decided to use my 066 as a chock after I cut through it, I could have been seriously hurt and my chainsaw was just a little worse for wear as it tried to roll over me.

[metalspinner]

All that can go wrong makes me very nervous and precautious, and I don't mind any reminders or opinions offered. ;) I know my boys are very interested in discovering new things, that is why I like to show them all of this stuff right away.  That seems to take away some of the curiosity they may show later when I am not there.

The boys were at home when all work is being done.  I went there to seal the ends later that day so they went for the ride.  I am kind of nutsy about precautions around logs.  I always have at least two levels of safegaurds for rolling logs, whether its chaining the logs down on the trailer or chocking them on the ground.  You can see the trailer pic has the wheels chocked - both sides-, two chains and ratchets holding the log down, as well as a 4" x 6" chocking each side of the log that the chains are wrapped around.  I do not even use  the stake pockets on the trailer for chaining.  The chains go under the trailer and connect right to the frame - 4" channel.

The stump we pulled with the truck to get it to settle.  I told the homeowner to get it ground right away.  I even made him bring his kids so I could tell them to keep away from the stump and not to play in the remainder of the top. 

The tree service that dropped the tree that is on the trailer made me a nervous wreck.  It's too long of a story to get into here, but I had to leave the property for my own piece of mind after watching those guy's work.   I came back later when it was on the ground and asked that they just stand back out of my way while I loaded it.  They were very careless in their attention to things, so I didn't want their help for fear one of them would do something stupid.

[Raider Bill]

Bill,
If your in town when milling time starts, feel free to come tail...I mean watch. ;D  Teenswinger will come out with the Peterson to Quartersaw it and get a few slabs.

Let me know when you are going to saw. I'll be glad to watch/help/offer totally ignorant suggestions and or my irrelevent opinion on something I know absolutly nothing about. But I bring a pocketful of personality and work gloves.
I'm leaving Sun or Mon straight up 75 if anyone needs a delivery.

[WDH]

Metalspinner,

I totally agree with you that the one on the trailer is in the red oak group.  The one with the boys on the top of the log looked post oakish or white oakish...............Bark looks kinda scaly .

[ID4ster]

Check the rings on the end cut. If the pores are closed its a WO and if they're open its RO. Nice logs though. Have fun opening them up.

[rebocardo]

That is a pretty big oak for only 85 years of age !   

I agree, I never want any help as it avoids accidents. Especially if they want to help out with a chainsaw.

[DWM II]

Nice haul! 8)

[Phorester]

Amazing the foreign objects you find embedded in the wood when you cut down trees.  Like cant hooks and little boys.  ;D

[metalspinner]

Teenswinger sawed it up yesterday! 8)

Here are the pics...

Getting things set up...




opening it up...




Ready for the slabber...






Pulling the slabs onto the trailer.  These were 56" at their widest and 2 1/2" thick.



Almost done...



I will get pics of the boards today when I stack them.

[beenthere]

Awesome. Good job for that Peterson and slabber.

Any nails to speak of  : : ???

[metalspinner]

The big black marks on the end of the log had us worried, but we did not hit one nail.  The metal had been removed from the tree, and the spot healed over. 8)

However, we did find plenty of these :...

[WDH]

So, it was a "bullet oak"?  Quercus bulletus? ;) ;) ;)

[Don K]

There's just something about a big ol oaktree that begs to be a backstop for a target. I have seen it happen all my life. :D    Don