Help on curing Calif Black Oak

[David Dalzell]

My neighbor had a Calif Black Oak blow down. Knowing I worked with wood he offered me some. I took two pieces. One straight log about 4 feet long and 12 inches in diameter. The other is a crotch piece about 3 feet long and 14 inches in diameter at the main stem end and 10 inches diameter at each branch stem end. I have painted the ends to prevent cracks. Now what? Should I let them sit for a year or so before opening them up? Or?
Any recommentations are gratefully accepted.

[Chris Padilla]

Slice 'em up, sticker 'em, THEN wait. :)

Where in Cali are you? You can fill it out on your profile if you so desire.

[Frank Drew]

David,

Coating the log ends was a good idea, but, as Chris says, getting the logs sawn into lumber asap is your best plan; in the round, logs want eventually to split or check, end-coat notwithstanding.

How you cut them up will depend on the use you have in mind for the material; if it's turned bowls you're after, cutting the logs in half down the middle (lengthwise) could be all that's necessary for the time being. If you want boards, then sawing overthick followed by stacking and stickering in an appropriate location with some air movement but sheltered from the direct sun will give you the best results. That, and patience.

[Dan Bertenthal]

Sounds like some potentially great wood, though one quick thought is whether you can be reasonably confident that your region is still free of Sudden Oak Death? (Not that it would necessarily have anything to do with the tree going down, just that if the fungus has already arrived, you could be spreading it onto your property.) I'm not very knowledgeable about this issue though a quick google search brought up some maps that might be worth double-checking, since these things change over time: http://www.suddenoakdeath.org/html/maps.html.
Sorry to bring up a downer topic and hopefully you're all clear, since it sounds like you've got some pretty amazing pieces there. For what it's worth, I'm looking to get into chainsaw milling and would like to go down that road myself.
Regards,
Dan

[Mark Norman]

I have black oak all over the place here where I live. Great stuff!

I'd cut it up into workable pieces and anchorseal em. Pull em out one at a time and turn em into bowls;)

[Jamie Buxton]

...whether you can be reasonably confident that your region is still free of Sudden Oak Death? ...

California Black Oak mostly grows in the Sierra. The SOD areas are mostly near the coast.

[David Dalzell]

Thanks to all who answered. I live in the Sierra Nevada mountains at 5,000 ft elevation. Near Hwy 4 (going up towards Bear Valley ski area). I haven't gotten into any lathe work. I like mostly small projects such as jewelery boxes, small furniture, etc. However I have only been doing woodworking for a couple of years. Still learning everything. Hope to continue to always learn. I am starting to acquire large tools. I have lots of hand tools, and now most of the powered tools from my wish list: PM2000 with Baldor motor (delivered last Friday), Grizzly G0514x bandsaw (one month old), General Intnl 50-200 drill press(one month old), Delta 50-760 dust collector (arrived today), PC 2 1/4 HP table mounted router (had for about 6 months). Next on my list is the Grizzly G0634 jointer/planer. After that ???
Anyway I will cut up the Calif Black Oak. I will have to split the crotch first with a chain saw since it is too big for my bandsaw to resaw. I will have to figure out how to wrestle the 4 foot log up onto the bandsaw table. That't be fun! I don't yet have any specific [plans for the wood. Since it will have to dry I have lots of time to plan.
By the way, I am retired so have lots of time to devote to woodworking.

[Mark Norman]

I look foreward to some pics of the shop and the wood. Maybee see it first hand?

[David Dalzell]

Mark - You are welcome anytime. It is kind of a long haul from Mariposa though. When I get the wood cut I will try to get some pictures of the wood and my shop. Never posted pictures so I need to figure that out. I am going to start by taking pictures of the raw logs before I cut them, then more after cutting (if I am successfull).

[David Dalzell]

Wood is now cut and stickered. Here are pictures of the wood and my shop.
For some reason I cannot upload more pictures.

[David Dalzell]

Here are pictures of my new shop. It seems I have to do this in stages, looks like 5 images is max.

[David Dalzell]

Basically all the tools in my shop are new. Cutting the log and crotch was my first use of the bandsaw. The tablesaw I have so far only used to do test cuts and cut stickers for the new wood. The dust collector got its first workout on the bandsaw for the oak resawing, followed by the table saw for the test cuts and making of 1 x 1 stickers. Everything seemed to work beautifully. The hardest thing was pushing, then pulling that heavy log through the bandsaw.

[Mark Norman]

Good job on wrestlein that log onto the bandsaw and getting her cut up.:eek:

[Frank Drew]

Good job on wrestlein that log onto the bandsaw and getting her cut up.:eek:

Boy, I'll say!

[Mike Thomas]

Hey David. We met a couple of weeks ago when my wife and I were over at John and Nancy's. Congratulations on all the new tools. Nice score on the Oak and good job on the resaw. I too have taken oak logs and sliced them up for lumber. I hope you cut some of it at 2 1/2 to 3 inches thick. I know you are into making furtiture. You will ocationally find the need for table legs and the like and will need thicker stock. I am gathering that box of cut offs, mostly walnut, and will send it up with John or bring it up when I come up next time. BTW, John has a dead pine of fir in the front of his place that will need to come down. You could probably talk him into a piece or two. How about a post with some of the work you have been doing.

Mike

[David Dalzell]

Hi Mike, nice to talk to you again. Actually getting the log onto the jury rigged infeed table was not too hard. Lifted one end onto the table, then lifted the other end and pushed. The hardest part was pushing the log through the bandsaw. Heavy and didnt really want to cooperate. And it never seemed to get any lighter. I resawed both the log and the crotch wood into slabs that vary from 6/4 to 8/4. The grain is nice on the log part, the crotch is ok but nothing spectacular.

By the way, yesterday I ordered a Grizzly G0634 12" jointer/planer combo with the spiral cutterhead.

Right now I don't have much work to show anyone. I sent off 6 jewelery boxes with my wife when she went to visit family in Spain. All gifts for various family members. All the other things have allreaday been given to the various females of my family. The only thing in process is the cherry end table which shows up in one of the above photos

I look foreward to seeing you again.