milling oak

[Gerbutt]

Inside a barn, provided there is good air flow. Stack off the ground, with an air gap between the stack and the walls. You are far better stacking in large stacks than small - the more weight you have the flatter it will stay.

 

This is what an example of how I construct my stacks:

 

 

Jonathan

 

Some of the stuff you've milled in your pics looks amazing Jonathan👍

[openspaceman]

 

I cut my own stickers, usually from spruce or poplar.

 

I was told use softwood stickers for hardwoods but cannot remember the reason given.

 

One reason for not leaving oak in the round in the south is because borers can migrate from sapwood into the heartwood.

 

Traditionally oak was selectively felled in late winter to early spring (if tan bark harvested), left in the round over summer until horses available after the corn harvest and extracted in late autumn depending on ground conditions. One of the forestry books suggested delay extraction till Novmeber so the hooves would bury acorns.

[agg221]

Disposable pallets are a good source of stickers on the more 'domestic' scale. The slats can be cut out down the line of the crosswise brace, giving a series of lengths of about 15", each of which can be ripped down to about a 1" width. A pallet yields about 50 stickers. Just be careful not to mix up the thicknesses (or chuck the lot through a thicknesser to standardise).

 

I'm slightly more optimistic than Jonathan on the milling season - I'll start at the end of September, so actually next weekend, and don't anticipate any problems with overly rapid drying. Even if we do get a few warmer days, they will be shorter and the humidity is up. I have to stretch the season a bit due to available daylight hours. I'll leave the oak for a bit though as it surface checks particularly badly, and start with some elm and hopefully plum.

 

Alec

[Big J]

Disposable pallets are a good source of stickers on the more 'domestic' scale. The slats can be cut out down the line of the crosswise brace, giving a series of lengths of about 15", each of which can be ripped down to about a 1" width. A pallet yields about 50 stickers. Just be careful not to mix up the thicknesses (or chuck the lot through a thicknesser to standardise).

 

I'm slightly more optimistic than Jonathan on the milling season - I'll start at the end of September, so actually next weekend, and don't anticipate any problems with overly rapid drying. Even if we do get a few warmer days, they will be shorter and the humidity is up. I have to stretch the season a bit due to available daylight hours. I'll leave the oak for a bit though as it surface checks particularly badly, and start with some elm and hopefully plum.

 

Alec

 

I suppose I ideally like to keep my milling in the depths of winter as with the larger bandmill, it doesn't take me too long to produce my whole years stock.

 

That said, this year wasn't ideal for oak milling as all the timber that I had lined up over winter didn't turn up roadside until April, which meant milling it later than was ideal. Consequently, I am going to suffer a higher than normal wastage rate. Such is life.

 

Gerbutt - many thanks! That Oak was especially lovely and is all long gone. It came from the clearance work for the new Forth Road Bridge and was milled 18 months ago.

 

Jonathan

[carpenter1]

is it best to get my oak, and sweet chestnut inside, before i mill it in november time?

 

or leave it out side in the yard?

[agg221]

is it best to get my oak, and sweet chestnut inside, before i mill it in november time?

 

or leave it out side in the yard?

 

Makes no odds really. I'd leave it outside as I would want to stop it drying through the cut ends any more than necessary and it will stay a bit wetter that way.

 

Alec

[carpenter1]

covered outside or just left in ellements?

[agg221]

Just left.

[Rob D]

I'm putting off milling now until Oct/Nov time...

 

 

Milling and drying wood is something that takes a few years to get a feel for. Initially I would not worry too much about getting all details exactly right first time. Look to build your knowledge over years rather than trying to hit the ground running.

 

 

 

But when you come to mill try and be tidy. Get your planks the same thickness and when you come to stack and stick it do it neatly with even stickers.

 

 

 

 

[Eddy_t]

I'm putting off milling now until Oct/Nov time..

 

Great time to maintain your saw then rob

 

 

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