# White Oak Logs



## Gerald (Aug 21, 2008)

My son scored me couple of white oak logs. Hauled them home last night. The one in the back is 38" dia just shy of 8 ft. long. Nice and straight. 

The log on the front of the trailer is a little more wild. Also 38" dia x 8 ft long. Not sure best way to mill this one. Any help here would be appreciated.

The clean straight log on the back of the trailer. I plan to quarter saw. Will white oak split like red oak if I score it and drive some wedges?

Yes that is a fire truck in the back ground. A 1972 with a Mack diesel . It was a water hauler/pump truck before the water tank was removed. You can see some fire wood loaded if you look close. 
The fire truck is a long story but a handy horse not to mention the conversations.
It will run the quarter in 25.6 seconds. :laughing: 

More pictures to come.
Thanks,
Gerald


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## Gerald (Aug 21, 2008)

More pictures seem to be an issue?
The rest of my pictures keep failing to upload. Must be to large still. I tried to crop them but they must still be to large. I'll keep trying.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Gerald said:


> Will white oak split like red oak if I score it and drive some wedges?


Yes the bottom log will.








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## Gerald (Aug 21, 2008)

Thanks, Daren.
I was hoping that it (straight) would split. 
I figured the other log has grain running every which way at one end. 

Would you try and whittle this down? or would you just cut off the ball and mill shorts? I would have to cut 3 ft off. Make sense?


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## fromthehills (Aug 21, 2010)

Don't know if I need to say this, but I'd wear a dust mask. White oak can be pretty nasty to the lungs. 

Nice score!


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Gerald said:


> Would you try and whittle this down? or would you just cut off the ball and mill shorts? I would have to cut 3 ft off. Make sense?


I would have to see a better picture to make that call. There may be some figured lumber up there where it branches out, but it will cause some milling and drying problems.





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## Gerald (Aug 21, 2008)

Couple of more pictures of the knarly log.

What should I do with this one? Try and split it with the knarly section or cut the knarly section off, split it and mill 5' shorts?

Update: My son left this morning with the trailer. Came back with 2 more WO logs.  Now I have 4 big WO logs to mill... One is real nice and the other is a little knarly. So I have 2 knarly logs and 2 nice straight logs. 

So any advise on milling will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Gerald


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## Gerald (Aug 21, 2008)

End view of the straight log. This is the mirror of the good end of the knarly log.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Nice. That butt log looks like an absolute beauty. If you wanted to tackle the knarly section it could look like this. http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f26/funky-milling-12983/ You won't get the live edges since you have to trim it to fit the mill, but the stuff inside should look cool. I would advise milling thick slabs on the crotchy part. My first thought would be cut the knarly part off and try to mill lumber from the part just below it and thick table slabs from where all those hearts are.




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## Gerald (Aug 21, 2008)

Thanks Daren, I'll do just like you recommended. Looking forward to working on these logs. They will have to sit for a little while though. I am in the midst of replacing the roof on my barn. I held off for the weather to break. Been a hot summer. But all is good. Fixing the roof because I need the space to stack and sticker. 
Hopefully the knarly end produces something real cool. I'll post pictures of what nature has hidden.:thumbsup:

Thanks
Gerald


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Well, being white oak it's not going to rot until you get a chance to mill it 








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## Gerald (Aug 21, 2008)

I should change the topic from WO Logs to RO Logs.:icon_redface:
I was helping unload some firewood and found a log with some leaves intact. They are oak leaves but the lobes are pointy not rounded like WO. I was going by what the tree service guy told my son. So I have 4 large RO logs to mill.

Daren-- does this change any of your recoomendations on milling?
Is the knarly end worth milling?

Also now that they are RO how long can I let them lay before milling?

Sorry about the prior poor information.

Thanks,
Gerald


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## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

Gerald said:


> So I have 4 large RO logs to mill.


 Looking at the cross cuts in your pictures, I would have sworn that was WO, especially that last photo. I can't offer any advice on milling, but I hope you still plan on QS at least some of the logs. I've seen some nice QS RO, don't think it's as dramatic as WO QS, though. Could be wrong on that, though.


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## Gerald (Aug 21, 2008)

I'll take a picture of the leaves and post. See what you guys think. 
They did haul in logs from two different trees. Could be one is WO and other RO. Not likely but possible. Trees were about 30 yards from each other. 

*djg--* I am like you I looked at the end grain and thought WO. That's why I believed the tree service. They could be right. I have known myself to be wrong before. No matter what I will QS. I like QS stock for my door stiles and rails when I build cabinets. Much more stable and easier to get a nice fitting door.

I have been wanting to build a new entry door to my house so I was very happy when I thought it was WO. But I want to be sure before I build. RO won't last. Will just turn black and ugly in no time at all.

Anyone know a way to determine difference between WO and RO lumber? 

Thanks


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## Mizer (Mar 11, 2010)

I would vote on those logs being R.O. The Pic of the end-grain of that nice log looks like R.O to me and the bark looks like it too. Those are some wide growth rings that log have you counted them? I am guessing around seventy five years. 
If I were sawing that gnarly big one I would split it four ways if I had a decent chainsaw before I sawed it off into a five foot section.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Gerald said:


> Daren-- does this change any of your recoomendations on milling?
> 
> Is the knarly end worth milling?
> 
> Also now that they are RO how long can I let them lay before milling?


No

Sure why not. It's not less funky, _if_ that was what you wanted, just because of species. I mill anything like that elm-ash-maple...just to see what is inside.

Keep it off the ground and in the shade and since you live up north like me you have no worries for quite awhile. It is cooling off now for fall, winter it will degrade none. Obviously the sooner the better, but if you didn't get to it until next spring it's not going to hurt it too bad.

I looked twice at the growth rings on the end thinking they were too far apart for WO...but figured it came from a yard and might have been a fast grower and didn't give it much more thought. 

If you don't want to 1/4 it here is another way. http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f26/working-logs-too-big-mill-9592/





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## Mizer (Mar 11, 2010)

Halving will work also like Daren said. I would also agree with Daren about having more time now that it is starting to cool off. Although it is always best to mill as soon as you can.


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## Gerald (Aug 21, 2008)

Thanks guys,
I went out and counted the rings. I counted 70 with a few left to go. They are wide .So you guys have a really good eye.

*Daren,* glad to hear that the gnarly one is still worth milling. I am looking for funky stuff. Also Glad to here I don't have to rush milling them.

These are yard trees. Insurance company wouldn't insure a couples house unless the tree's were removed. 
My understading is there may be more trees to be had from this neighborhood. 

*Mizer,* I do have a good chain saw. So halving and QS is the next decision.

Thanks for all the advise and help. 
I will post pictures when I open these up.

Thanks,
Gerald


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