# Making useable lumber from standing dead trees



## Paul Allison (Jan 1, 2013)

I planted three Pin Oak Trees 30 years ago and two of them died at the same time last year. Someone told me it was due to a blight. This week we felled the two dead trees that were about 30 inches in average diameter. The trunks provided about twelve nice 36 inch long sections. The center of the tree trunk's wood looks just fine. The trunk of the tree still has all its bark on it with no cracks or bugs. The sapwood looks fine and the core is clean and very hard.

*My question is: Will this material make good lumber for me to use in my woodworking shop to make furniture?*

I plan to split the 36" long sections of the trunk in half using an axe, a maul, and hammer and wedges. Then I plan to use a froe to section each half of it, then a broad axe or hatchet to very roughly shape it into planks that I can use. After that I plan to seal the end grain with latex paint, or whatever is best, and set it aside in a controlled environment for three months. I then plan to true it up using a Scrub Plane and a #5 Jack plane to get it shaped as a useable board and put it away for three more months. Then I will take each piece of approximately 5/4 x 10 x 36 and finish truing it up using a #6 Fore plane and #7 or #8 Jointer plane followed by a #4 Smoothing plane.

*Will this material from the dead tree hold up over time as I work with it or does the fact that it was standing dead for one year make a difference in the quality of the finished product?*


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## MidGAOutdoor (Apr 7, 2011)

syamdomg dead is ok if its sound. id take it to someone with an LT40 or LT50 mill. or get a gig chainsaw milll setup.


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## Rob Brown (Jul 7, 2009)

*standing dead trees*

There are many standing dead trees out there just waiting for someone to come along looking for lumber. I waited for 3 years to get permission from a neighbor to take down a dead oak tree in her front yard. I eventually got 2 beautiful logs from that tree. I have also taken down dead oaks and was able to recover some wormy oak boards from that,too. Even the wormy stuff has some desirability for outdoor projects.


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