Dead oak

[Ollie]

I've been offered the chance to buy a dead oak that's blown over in a field to mill. I've recently bought a lucas mill with slabber attachment and have an alaskan and 880 with 3ft bar. The tree is about 2ft diameter and 14ft to where the first branches are. It looks like its been dead quite a while. The roots have rooted away but left a lovely looking root ball.

 

What sort of money should i be offering for the wood? I'd probably mill into 2 inch through and through, seems too good for the firewood pile

[se7enthdevil]

chop off one end first to see what the wood looks like, then think about milling.

2" air dried should be about £30

[muttley9050]

As Steve suggests, cross cut at root ball, and at first branch . Asses quality of timber. If OK I would offer up to £200 but would start at £100. This is assuming I can leave saw dust where it is and doesn't need cleaning up. If so offer less. Expect lots of insect attack in sap wood and a little in heart wood. I have similar equipment to you, and If it were me I would quarter saw with your lucas with the circular blade. This will give you a stable product and allow you to cut around defects as they appear. You could take one or two slabs from the center if you wanted. But if you slab it all its lightly to move a lot. Depending on your ability you could offer a simple bench /table in return for the tree. I could quarter saw that stick and make a simple table in a day. Take a helper to pull the boards off As you cut them. That's my thoughts for you anyway.

[agg221]

I would have a very good look at the feature about 3/4 of the way up from the root to the branches, on the underside. If it's the bark falling off, fine. If it's a rot streak, factor that in.

 

It could be a trick of the photo, but it doesn't look dead straight - there appears to be a bend about 2/3 of the way up from the root to the branches. If so, this will seriously reduce yield of clean, straight material. It is a little bit on the small side for ideal, which will also reduce yield (more steeply slanting waney edges).

 

The burring on the side suggests you will get character, rather than perfectly clean boards. This could be a good thing.

 

How much do you want/need it, do you have a use for it yourself, or a quick home to move it on to, or is it for stock? How easily could you come by another if you wanted one? All these factors affect the price.

 

Price would range from £2 to £6/Hoppus foot, depending on above. I make it about 35 Hoppus feet, which would allow you to make a calculation.

 

Alec

[Big J]

I wouldn't be inclined to offer much on that stem. Brown rot (often in dead oak) is a right bugger and can render a stem useless.

 

I'd offer to chog up the firewood for them on the basis that you get the main stem for milling.

[Marc Lewis]

I wouldn't be inclined to offer much on that stem. Brown rot (often in dead oak) is a right bugger and can render a stem useless.

 

I'd offer to chog up the firewood for them on the basis that you get the main stem for milling.

 

Good advice. Keep your money in your pocket whenever you can. Often these pieces of timber are not the gold mine the owners think they are. Have you seen the animated sketch on youtube 'highly valuable black walnut'? Worth a look. Sorry i cant put up a link, dont know how.

[billpierce]

Good advice. Keep your money in your pocket whenever you can. Often these pieces of timber are not the gold mine the owners think they are. Have you seen the animated sketch on youtube 'highly valuable black walnut'? Worth a look. Sorry i cant put up a link, dont know how.

 

[ame=

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love it!

[Ollie]

Thanks for the replies, some food for thought. So far I've been sourcing all my timber from my tree surgery work or for free in exchange for help as suggested, unless I've got an immediate use our buyer for it. It's always painful the thought of potentially good timber going for firewood however!

[Homegrown]

I've been offered the chance to buy a dead oak that's blown over in a field to mill. I've recently bought a lucas mill with slabber attachment and have an alaskan and 880 with 3ft bar. The tree is about 2ft diameter and 14ft to where the first branches are. It looks like its been dead quite a while. The roots have rooted away but left a lovely looking root ball.

 

What sort of money should i be offering for the wood? I'd probably mill into 2 inch through and through, seems too good for the firewood pile

 

We have an ugly bit like that in the yard and several better near Gatwick if anyone wants to look.

[muttley9050]

We have an ugly bit like that in the yard and several better near Gatwick if anyone wants to look.

 

I might be tempted in good oak. How much in weight do you roughly have,, is access for truck ok. Any chance of pics and sizes. Thanks.

James.