Milling Table tops

[Billhook]

Due to the money I have saved last year ( no eating out and no drinking!), I decided to splash out on a planer, a sander and a lap board maker for the Lucas Mill 8 inch cut.

I already have the slabber which I have used to slab some Evergreen Oak and some Ash into three inch slabs about 30 inches wide which have been stacked and sticked for a couple of years now

I would like some advice on the best way of tackling these trunks in the yard 

The first four are the Elm which had been standing dead for at least two years. It is four feet at the base ending up at three feet

Then at 5 and 6 there is a Sycamore  about three feet in diameter which was blown down in a storm and has been lying there for a year.  Someone suggested that I should have cut it up earlier to avoid deterioration

7 is an Oak that snapped off in a storm, 8,9 and 10 are Ash and 11 is Evergreen Oak ( very gnarly and twisted)

 

I was going to take the first third out in boards with the circular saw so I could see what the log looks like before slabbing.  Is that a good idea or would you just slab the whole trunk?

I intend to build a large wooden shed with lapboard sides in the yard and really only want to make five or six tables so there is a lot of wood needed for the shed

 

Is it best to slab these logs as soon as possible or better to wait a while?

 

What is the ideal thickness of slab?

 

Is it obvious to plane the slab only when totally dry?

 

I presume Ash will dry much more quickly than Sycamore or Evergreen Oak.  Is a year an inch still the perceived wisdom?

 

What is the ideal distance between the sticks when the slabs are stacked for drying?