46" red oak

[fearofpavement]

This is a water oak my son (pictured) and I cut down a few years ago. I didn't measure the diameter of where we cut it but the DBH was a circumference of 13' 2" which comes out to 50 something inches. Water oak has a white looking wood but is in the red oak family. This is by far not the largest oak tree around these parts, just the biggest one I've cut down.

 

[fearofpavement]

Once the above tree was on the ground, the customer had someone else lined up to cut it up for firewood. We just cleared the driveway of branches, collected our check and drove off.

 

[Redfin]

Keep track of how many splits you get out of a round.

I guess 88

 

[Ron660]

This is a water oak my son (pictured) and I cut down a few years ago. I didn't measure the diameter of where we cut it but the DBH was a circumference of 13' 2" which comes out to 50 something inches. Water oak has a white looking wood but is in the red oak family. This is by far not the largest oak tree around these parts, just the biggest one I've cut down.

View attachment 5691

Yea that's definitely a big Water Oak. There's a lot of big ones one my hunting lease too. Hope they never cut them in my life time.

 

[czar800]

Honestly, you should reconsider your method of transporting those rounds. I see they are not strapped down. I think your buddy was smart not to ride with you. If you got into an accident and the truck/trailer stopped immediately those chunks could become .

This Just made me remember my dad telling Trucking stories of hauling coils of steel loaded suicide...just some old trucker lingo.

 

[KZ1000]

Heck of a tree.

 

[redoakneck]

Honestly, you should reconsider your method of transporting those rounds. I see they are not strapped down. I think your buddy was smart not to ride with you. If you got into an accident and the truck/trailer stopped immediately those chunks could become projectiles.

You are right, definitely need to up my game on that aspect.

Drive SLOW, had a guy following me. All back roads, top speed 40 mph.

 

[Elim]

Great hunks of wood. Wish I could find some like that to sink a bar in. Nice score!

 

[fearofpavement]

The real challenge of that water oak above is that it was a sectional takedown. I was in that tree for hours lopping off chunks of it with my 019T. We felled the stem pretty much intact except for the top. It was a yard tree and not room to fell it intact in any direction...

 

[fearofpavement]

The tree in my avatar was also a sectional removal. That one was totally rotten inside. I didn't enjoy climbing it at all since I was concerned the whole thing would break off. Once ya take off a ton of branches or so it's less stressful. I don't do much climbing anymore. Too old and fat...

 

[fearofpavement]

Might try to make a couple table tops?? Guy cut it every 16" for firewood about 20" in al the way around, so the good quarter sawn stuff not happening.

Prolly mostly firewood, and a bunch of noodles!!!!

Why didn't the guy turn it into firewood? With a 20" bar he had what he needed as you can do a combination of bucking and noodling and make any diameter tree into 16" firewood if you have a 20" bar.

 

[fearofpavement]

Does anyone else feel sad when bucking up a large log of pretty wood thinking that firewood is too low of a use for it? I visualize it as lovely furniture or whatever but I just refuel the saw and start whacking. Once it's cut and split the guilt is gone. And right now with warm air wafting from our wood furnace, I'm happy I cut those lovely logs...

 

[MustangMike]

Yea, I often feel guilty about it, but then you try to sell them, and they give you less than firewood prices, and you get pissed!

So I may start milling some my self.

 

[fearofpavement]

Well, if they had lumber value, I would sell them but the reality of it is as you alluded. They're more valuable as firewood. I occasionally mill a few slabs to use as cribbing but never tried making my own lumber. I don't have a planer for one thing.

 

[Al Smith]

By weight those two rounds of red oak would be an RCH over a cord .Couple years back me and one of trimmers cut up a big ash that was a tad over 60".Fattest ash either one of us had ever seen and there were two of them .Tad over 30 feet of log .He had a stock 660 with a 36" bar and I had my souped 038 Mag with a 32" .They cut about even .

On that one just one 16-18" piece was about a cord by weight .We had to get three guys on the back of the skidloader just to back it up the ditch the tree grew in .Got pics on the other computer .

 

[exSW]

Those big pin oak/water oaks don't make good lumber. They just grow to fast and haven't the structural integrity. Really don't even make good cribbing because their crush weight is to low. I had a dandy four footer,thirty feet to the first branch. In a stand, not a fencerow or yardtree . Amish faller wouldn't take it. Said he'd work all day cutting and skidding it to maybe get 200 bucks. I guess there's a market for them if someone's building landing mats.

 

[Ron660]

Does anyone else feel sad when bucking up a large log of pretty wood thinking that firewood is too low of a use for it? I visualize it as lovely furniture or whatever but I just refuel the saw and start whacking. Once it's cut and split the guilt is gone. And right now with warm air wafting from our wood furnace, I'm happy I cut those lovely logs...

I agree. I've noodled several nice pieces of red oak in half to make a candle holder for my wife. Just drill a couple of round holes on the top bark side. Whatever size of candle she wants.

 

[fearofpavement]

I've made 2" thick slices of red oak for people to make centerpieces at weddings. I think it's "odd" but hey, if the girl wants cookies to put her centerpieces on, she gets cookies...