Oak slabs

[The Ruminant]

We recently milled a large field oak into 7 slabs. They are large - 4100mm long x 1000mm wide x 100mm thick - the pictures don't give a true idea of their size! Any idea what they would be worth and where is the best place to sell such things? We have two more equally large oaks waiting in the wings, assuming we can find buyers for these. Thanks

[Bob_z_l]

Can't price them as as well as a regional thing it'll be down to your outlays/overheads and how desperate you want them gone. 

 

Saying all that I have sold smaller boards on ebay and I've also registered on Woodlots and https://timbermarket.co.uk/

 

So far for me eBay has been best, still get some tw@ts and I'm always careful to not include too much of my kit laying around in any for sale pics. 

 

 

Good luck.

 

 

[Squaredy]

7 hours ago, The Ruminant said:

We recently milled a large field oak into 7 slabs. They are large - 4100mm long x 1000mm wide x 100mm thick - the pictures don't give a true idea of their size! Any idea what they would be worth and where is the best place to sell such things? We have two more equally large oaks waiting in the wings, assuming we can find buyers for these. Thanks

That is key….. finding buyers.  The size you have quoted is about fourteen and a half cubic feet, so in theory is worth maybe £450.  BUT the timber is not seasoned, and for most people is not a very useful size either.   The whole reason for milling logs is to turn a not very useful item (a large tree trunk) into a really useful item (a board or beam).  So the product you are trying to sell is impossible for most people to handle, not a useful size, and needs years to dry.

 

 Good luck selling those slabs, I think you will need it.  If you break them down into a more manageable size you might stand a better chance.

[The Ruminant]

10 hours ago, Squaredy said:

That is key….. finding buyers.  The size you have quoted is about fourteen and a half cubic feet, so in theory is worth maybe £450.  BUT the timber is not seasoned, and for most people is not a very useful size either.   The whole reason for milling logs is to turn a not very useful item (a large tree trunk) into a really useful item (a board or beam).  So the product you are trying to sell is impossible for most people to handle, not a useful size, and needs years to dry.

 

 Good luck selling those slabs, I think you will need it.  If you break them down into a more manageable size you might stand a better chance.

Thanks, good advice. We intermittently sell smaller pieces of milled timber - the estate is lucky enough to have a large saw mill that can handle up to 20" rounds up to about 18' long, though we do it as a sideline on a rainy day, not as our core business - but this was a dead and well-seasoned oak that we felled several years ago. It had lain there because we didn't have any means of processing such a large butt - finally got a guy in with an alaskan sawmill to do it for us.

 

Ironically, we mentioned it to a nearby wood joinery business yesterday and he's interested in buying a couple of them, with a view to making thinner boards of that length and width for his own kitchen, which backs up the point you're making. 

 

We're in no rush to sell it all either, which may also help to achieve a decent price. Thanks for your feedback

[Squaredy]

10 hours ago, The Ruminant said:

Thanks, good advice. We intermittently sell smaller pieces of milled timber - the estate is lucky enough to have a large saw mill that can handle up to 20" rounds up to about 18' long, though we do it as a sideline on a rainy day, not as our core business - but this was a dead and well-seasoned oak that we felled several years ago. It had lain there because we didn't have any means of processing such a large butt - finally got a guy in with an alaskan sawmill to do it for us.

 

Ironically, we mentioned it to a nearby wood joinery business yesterday and he's interested in buying a couple of them, with a view to making thinner boards of that length and width for his own kitchen, which backs up the point you're making. 

 

We're in no rush to sell it all either, which may also help to achieve a decent price. Thanks for your feedback

Re-sawing with the estate sawmill might be a very sensible option.  As long as time is on your side you will find buyers eventually.  Beams may sell well and you can get away with more faults.

[gobbypunk]

Those boards would make a stunning table and at that size you could just leave it outside to crack and move and it would just add to its rustic charm

[trigger_andy]

11 hours ago, gobbypunk said:

Those boards would make a stunning table and at that size you could just leave it outside to crack and move and it would just add to its rustic charm

Really? They look like they’re full of shake. Even at 4” thick they’ll end up as kindling. 

[gobbypunk]

Some bow ties a bit of resin and a metal frame underneath and no worries