getting wood milled

[bobo]

Hey there-
Not sure this is the right forum, but...
I'm an arborist, so I occasionally come across some nice logs. I've started saving some, and right now I've got some beautiful red oak logs to get milled. They're over 30 inches in diameter, three logs about 16 feet, perfectly straight, even rings. I'm really very new at woodworking, I'm wanting to play around with different furniture projects, not even sure what yet, but with that much wood, I'll never get through it anyway. So I'm wondering what multi-purpose size should I get it milled in? 5/4 is what I'm hearing, though I might want a few beefy chunks for...well...something, I don't know. Any good suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.

[leehljp]

I would find a place that could quartersaw the oak. That is worth plenty in value and usage. Any miller that can QS should also tell you the best cuts it can make and give you some 2Xs and even some 3X3 or 4X4s for posts.

With 30 inches, you should be able to get several 12" quartersawn boards per log. Bear in mind that maximizing QS does waste more wood. But never the less, you can get several QS and still get plenty of other cuts too. A good miller will know what to do and it will be worth far more doing it this way than just having them flat sawn. Probably cost a little more to have it done this way too.

[bigsteel15]

Hey there-
Not sure this is the right forum, but...
I'm an arborist, so I occasionally come across some nice logs. I've started saving some, and right now I've got some beautiful red oak logs to get milled. They're over 30 inches in diameter, three logs about 16 feet, perfectly straight, even rings. I'm really very new at woodworking, I'm wanting to play around with different furniture projects, not even sure what yet, but with that much wood, I'll never get through it anyway. So I'm wondering what multi-purpose size should I get it milled in? 5/4 is what I'm hearing, though I might want a few beefy chunks for...well...something, I don't know. Any good suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.

Welcome!!
Stick around. This is the best forum on the net.
If you let us know what area you're in, you might even be able to find someone here that would help you use up that wood in a year or so when it's dried.
I know that if you have red oak, you're certainly not from my neck of the woods.
Sigh...it's lonely up north here.

[Ken Massingale]

What Hank said. QS it.
k

[cabinetman]

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

Don't think of it as making a molehill out of a mountain. You first might think of what you might want to use it for before cutting it all up. The mill may suggest some sizes for you. If you're thinking of 3/4" final after planing (if you have the planing ability) 5/4 rough gives away a lot. My sources would give me a real decent 4/4, that I had no problem getting a full 3/4 from.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[bobo]

Sorry for the delay, I posted and am only just checking back. I've already got it at my guys place, he's got a woodmizer and I was certainly intending quartersawing. Like I said, I'm not even sure what I'll be doing with it, that's why I didn't know if there was a versatile size to get it cut for general use. It's southern red oak, by the way. Nice dark color, almost too dark. Thanks very much for the responses.

[Knottscott]

3/4" is the most popular finished size, so I'd suggest rough sawing most of it to between 4/4 and 5/4 (hey, 9/8 would be ideal! ). You'll want some 6/4 and 8/4 too...maybe even thicker, but the drying process takes alot longer as the thickness increases. It'd be pretty cool to make furniture from some lumber than I milled. Have fun!

[JR]

I'd definitely want some 8/4 out of that. This would be useful for the posts on Morris chairs, heavy table tops, frames on crafstman furniture. It's better to cut some to 8/4 now (or even some 12/4). Gluing it back together would not be good!

JR

[bobo]

Right on, thanks. I'll mix it up a bit...