is turkey oak any good to burn ?

[sammer]

hello all,i just picked up about 7 tons of turkey oak from a mates job with my lorry hoping to sell on but the man with the mill said its tottally useless to him as its turkey oak,also he said i'd be lucky if it burns,before i wade into cuttin/spliting is this true and why is so differentg than english oak ?? bloody waste of a tree then if true hey.

[skyhuck]

Like all timber, burns when dry.

[Hogs Breath]

Burns fine when dry but a bugger to split if knotty,the water will literally run out when split.

[tommer9]

Well your man at the saw mill doesnt know his stuff then.

Turkey was first thought to be the answer to the UK oak need for the navy- fast, straight growing oak. Unfortunately it was soon found to have no structural strength, massive movement in drying, and was very susceptible to decay out of doors. It became known as Wainscote oak, as the panelling in old houses (wainscoting) could be made out of it. It also used to be prized by furniture makers, because if you successfully dry it without too much movement and splitting, it is a VERY attractive timber, the medullary rays being particularly wide and strong, and present in alot of the boads from the log, even when live- sawn not quater sawn. I have twio cabinet makers who regularly ask me for it.

Like most things in the modern world, this knowledge has largely been lost, and turkey oak has a terrible reputation.

A sfar as burning it goes, it isnt a bad burning wood at all. It has a fairly high calorific value, as does most oak, hence its quality as a firewood, but it will need more drying to get the same M.C as (for example) pedunculate oak. It also has a very wide band of 'sapwood', which will rot fairly easily, so I have found that splitting and drying under cover or in a very windy place is necesary to avoid loss. It splits okay too.

[John Hughes]

I milled a turkey oak last summer, I don't know why it has such a bad reputation. As long as one accepts it is not durable then I don't see a problem. I have used some in a small turning job and have planed a few bits up. Most of it sits in a shed air drying slowly.

So anyone with any butts suitable for milling please get in touch.

John

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

I had a load of it in my woodshed this year - had to sell as unseasoned - just couldn't get the blanking stuff dry.

[sammer]

excellent stuff guys,i will show him this thread and make him eat his words,

i have a section of straight timber 11 ft long 10.5 ft centre girth,its about 66 hoppus ft so if anyone wants for milling i'm near taunton.

[si36]

It is used in oak barns ad it meets fire regs cause it does not burn so a chippy mate told me

[lendahand]

It is used in oak barns ad it meets fire regs cause it does not burn so a chippy mate told me

 

Now that's funny.

[Cracker]

excellent stuff guys,i will show him this thread and make him eat his words,

i have a section of straight timber 11 ft long 10.5 ft centre girth,its about 66 hoppus ft so if anyone wants for milling i'm near taunton.

 

You're not far from me. I've got no use for the turkey but I'm always looking for english oak and sweet chestnut. I can collect/mill-up from site.