Bendy oak beams

[mr kipling]

Hi we have been milling an oak butt today but have found when coming to the end of the cut the oak has been springing up by an inch or two we are milling through and through at 8" then vertical milling to 8" to give beams 8x8x6m long.When we lift them off there is quite a bend in them I guess this is tension but is there anything we can do or will it flatten out when they are stacked and stickered will try and get some pics up tomorrow

 

Cheers Chris

[agg221]

You won't get it to go flat now - just have to live with it and use them as best you can, fitting the bend accordingly.

 

For future reference, best bet is to run the first cut dead up the middle of the tree. If it springs badly you can then run a skimming cut to straighten up the face before carrying on - usually this can go into the flare without losing any real yield. If you then cut the half into quarters with a vertical mill it takes any remaining stress out and you can then carry on to get the best out of the tree.

 

Alec

[mr kipling]

That's a pain, have all trees got that stress in them as have watched dozens of milling videos but not seen anything like that. I thought we could just mill through and through.

Tomorrow we are going to start the top 6m of trunk from the same tree are these stresses likely to be in the top half as well, if so we can take your advice and saw accordingly

 

Cheers Chris

[muttley9050]

Likely be more stress in the top of the tree than the bottom.

An oak beams with a camber isn't a terrible thing. Can be nice and strong if fitted with the camber up.

Not all trees contain stress as bad as you have described. But a straight piece of wood is a rare thing.

 

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[kinderscout]

I mill through and through and found that I to got a bend in my beams always on the end the mill exists from,when using one end as the start point.

So I now work my log from both ends and always start my next cut from the end I exit from.

this seams to work for me, and keeps the beams straight.

[mr kipling]

Likely be more stress in the top of the tree than the bottom.

An oak beams with a camber isn't a terrible thing. Can be nice and strong if fitted with the camber up.

Not all trees contain stress as bad as you have described. But a straight piece of wood is a rare thing.

 

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Hi this oak is being used be for a cart lodge I'm going to build in my garden I cut the beams to 6m to save on joints but I could cut it in the middle and that would take the bow out, alternatively leave the bend in,but would I have to make the centre post a little bit longer or would the weight of a tiled roof push it down?

 

Cheers Chris

[mr kipling]

I mill through and through and found that I to got a bend in my beams always on the end the mill exists from,when using one end as the start point.

So I now work my log from both ends and always start my next cut from the end I exit from.

this seams to work for me, and keeps the beams straight.

 

That looks nice and straight I think tomorrow we will cut down the heart first, when we vertical milled the slab like you have, the beam pulls away as soon as we get a couple of meters in so we finish the cut with a gap of a couple of inches at the end we started. I will try to get pics up tomorrow.

 

Cheers Chris

[muttley9050]

Don't worry about it too much put your arch to the top and as you say middle leg can be a touch longer. . Don't rely on your roof to push beam down.

An oak beam with an arch facing up is supposedly stronger than a straight one.

Don't think about trying to straighten it through cutting the arch out as you will only weaken the beam.

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Arbtalk mobile app

[mr kipling]

Don't worry about it too much put your arch to the top and as you say middle leg can be a touch longer. . Don't rely on your roof to push beam down.

An oak beam with an arch facing up is supposedly stronger than a straight one.

Don't think about trying to straighten it through cutting the arch out as you will only weaken the beam.

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Arbtalk mobile app

 

Ok cool, long beam it is we have been milling up top half today and it's not been as bad although it's only 4m long so bend prob not showing as much.

The garage I want to build is 6m x7m with pitched roof and cat slide, posts and beams are 8" plate is 4" on brick dwarf wall I thought we would be able to cut All the 6x2 for the roof from this tree as well but it's amazing how much wood it's going to take I think I might need another butt or two

 

Cheers Chris