warping and splitting oak

[malc]

recently i tried milling for the first time with some 2ft diameter oak that had been felled 6 years ago. thinking that this would be ok I sanded it to make into chopping boards for Christmas presents. but some have cracked and others have warped to the point that they move so obviously can't be used.

I came across a dead oak that has been hanging in another tree for years. which the land owner says I can have.

my question is that do you think I could cut and sand these for Christmas? and do you think they will still dry and crack, even though the tree has been dead for years?

 

thanks

[54gka]

I find Oak a real pain to dry and mill as posts or beams and that old tree will still have some moisture in it. If you are desperate for some kiln dried Oak some b&q stores sell milled boards as do some of the lads on here sell plenty but still good chance of movement once brought inside.

Edited December 16, 2016 by 54gka

[Haironyourchest]

Yeah, oak is a bugger for warpage. Did a campervan worktop for a friend in inch oak a few weeks ago - wide laminated boards from the shop, ready sanded and shrink wrapped - supposedly a stable product. Two days out of the wrapper in her house and it warped about a quarter inch over 16 inches.

[devon TWiG]

There is a lot to know and understand about " seasoning " of wood , moving wood to an indoor environment from out doors at this time of year is almost certain to cause problems , try to use quarter sawn boards for more stability . If you make chopping boards from one piece warping is more likely , I often cut them in half and turn one half over before joining back together , before finishing , Ash and sycamore are more stable in my experience .https://www.facebook.com/446049848933646/photos/pcb.448003152071649/448002828738348/?type=3 A 2 piece chopping board 18" dia (oak )

Edited December 16, 2016 by devon TWiG

[Forest2Furniture]

The tree in the photo still has part of its root plate in the ground and therefore will still have some water flowing through the pores.

Planks milled from a felled hardwood log regardless of how long it is since being felled all require about the same amount of time to dry, with Oak it's a year per inch of thickness.

 

Even if you put them in a kiln, you're still better to leave all tannin woods a year to air dry first.

[adamelder]

Oak is a nightmare to dry. It's also not good for chopping boards. It's too hard and blunts knife edges very quickly. Beech is ok but sycamore or ash is best. Mill the oak, it might be really nice but use it for something else.

[malc]

thanks for info regarding this, with some interesting views.

I decided to use a old section of walnut in the end, which came out very well.

I will hopefully plank up the oak over Christmas and then think about what to do with it

[rich crowther]

The centre and sapwood are a waste of time milling, get rid of those and quarter saw the rest oversize to allow for warping,bow and shrinkage prior to machining

 

 

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[Rough Hewn]

Once cut rub some pure tung oil in. Should help.

[Beardie]

The tree in the photo still has part of its root plate in the ground and therefore will still have some water flowing through the pores.

 

Will this really be the case, when it has been dead for years?