Green oak outdoor furniture

[Mr. Squirrel]

Hey folks.

what are your collective thoughts on making outdoor furniture, benches and the likes, from freshly milled oak? I have a client with an oak down that wants something done with it; but can’t really be bothered waiting years. I thought milling 2-3” thick and building it green would probably be passable. 
 

Interested in others opinions. 

[trigger_andy]

At

Hey folks.
what are your collective thoughts on making outdoor furniture, benches and the likes, from freshly milled oak? I have a client with an oak down that wants something done with it; but can’t really be bothered waiting years. I thought milling 2-3” thick and building it green would probably be passable. 
 
Interested in others opinions. 

Would be interested in other views as well. I can’t see it being much of an issue really. Timber frames are generally made from green oak and don’t move much. Granted they’re 6”+.

[AHPP]

Do it. The point of green woodwork is expedience, pragmatism and character.

[lux]

If your using green boards / planks you can get a lot of movement on them. You’ll be gutted when you make a nice oak bench and the board propellers leaving you with something like a rocking chair to sit on. There’s rustic and there’s unusable ….
Been there, tried it.
Even 3 inch boards can cup and propellor more than you ever think.
Any movement will snap fixings/screws / timberloks like matchsticks.
When Green oak framing beams will still settle and move but not as bad as boards.
If you peg mechanical joints use kiln dried oak pegs
As the green timber dries it contracts around the stable peg giving a vice like hold.
Best thing would be to piggy back a few boards into a local kiln. They won’t have to be super dry as if it was for indoor furniture etc where you may well double kiln down to something like 8%.
Get the worst of any movement out of the way and reshape the boards they’ll be fine for out doors

Or simply write a little disclaimer s as bout using the timber green so you aren’t into remaking a bench in 18 months time ….

[muttley9050]

Done it a few times.
As long as you follow methods fro green oak construction and the oak is of good enough quality it will be ok.
Any fixings must be pegs or stainless timber screws. Stainless timber screws are expensive so price them in.
Don't try to make anything too long.
If the oak is low quality it will move more.
However good the oak is 10% shrinkage is inevitable so design it in.
Timber fixings may need tightening in a couple of years if they will move

[Mr. Squirrel]

Some varying opinions then. I’ve told them I can do something with it anyway, would be a fun project. 
Unfortunately some pesky joiner has told them the stem is worth £7k though, so they’re now planning to get rich off it 🤦🏻 Funnily enough he isn’t offering them that…

[Squaredy]

7 minutes ago, Mr. Squirrel said:

Some varying opinions then. I’ve told them I can do something with it anyway, would be a fun project. 
Unfortunately some pesky joiner has told them the stem is worth £7k though, so they’re now planning to get rich off it 🤦🏻 Funnily enough he isn’t offering them that…

My goodness this is fantastic news for me; based on a few assumptions about dimensions it looks like I am a millionaire as I have about 130 oak logs in my yard.
 

Mmmmm, how to spend all that lovely money!

[Stubby]

Just now, Squaredy said:

My goodness this is fantastic news for me; based on a few assumptions about dimensions it looks like I am a millionaire as I have about 130 oak logs in my yard.
 

Mmmmm, how to spend all that lovely money!

Buy an island and retire Squaedy !

[Squaredy]

1 minute ago, Stubby said:

Buy an island and retire Squaedy !

No, I’m going to invest it all in more oak logs if I can sell them for £7000 each…

[gobbypunk]

Its the "very valuable Black Walnut sketch "again I still laugh when I watch that cartoon,back to the green oak furniture  if there is enough just make it out of 6x6 peg it all together as long as they dont want to move it it should be ok and look stunning could even put casters on it to move it around hope you get the job and photos of what you make if you do .

Cheers.  Mark