burr oak what to do?

[ben_inthewoods]

We are trying to start adding value to logs by milling rather than selling in the log.

 

We have a few oak that have succumbed to shading by beech and are unlikely to recover in the crown (just a couple of live branches left) a couple of these are pippy or burred.

 

 

As we are new to milling and not wanting to rush in and ruin a potentially valuable log we are seeking some advice on how to deal with these logs (assuming that they are not shook!).

 

We are thinking that we should slab the pippy oak (4" slabs) and dry it slowly (inch per year +) in a shed. But we are in two minds what to do with the burr oak - do we slice burrs off 'sort of boxing the heart' then mill the rest as slabs? Or do we do something else?

 

We are proposing to slap with what we have which is a Lucas mill with slabber attachment as this saves 3rd party processing costs and haulage.

 

 

cheers

Ben

[Big Beech]

a few ideas here frm my post http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/alaskan-mill/52848-burr-oak-questions.html

[ben_inthewoods]

Thanks for pointing me to those posts.

 

What was the outcome in your case? Did you fell the oak, find it sound and mill it with an Alaskan mill or wait for better conditions and drag it out and sell to a merchant who could maximise the value?

 

Having heard Rick Worrell talk last year about adding value by processing and drying I am keen to do that where possible, but perhaps heavily burred trees are special cases?

 

Interested to know how to realise the maximum net return from a tree that has stood 180+ years (planted be the Estate as a timber crop).

[Big Beech]

out come. its stil standing until the ground drys out so i can get in there.

but likely to be cut as big as i and my boy can manage to move on to the landy