Lumber from dead red oak

[Willard Foster]

A coworker has a dead red oak that he wants taken down. The tree hasn't had leaves for at least two years (maybe longer). The trunk is about 50" diameter. First branh is 16 - 20 feet high. He says the tree died as a result of root damage due to construction equipment.

Is it this tree worth sawing into lumber? I know it's best to get a green tree to the mill ASAP, but I've never heard of sawing up a dead one.

If nothing else, there will be lots of firewood.

Thanks.

Bill

[Jim Andrew]

Oak degrades pretty fast when it is allowed to dry without being sawed. I'd guess there are cracks near a foot deep in the tree. Maybe firewood would be a good thing.

[Chip Lindley]

A tree that large may still have much usable lumber inside. It's a toss-up! The deeper into a tree, the more hidden knots, but it still may be too good for just firewood. Personally, I would have it sawed, since it is such a big clear log. Your gamble all depends on what your sawyer charges, and any cost of picking up the log(s) and transporting.

[Kevin Godshall]

Biggest problem I've run into with standing dead oak....... is ants. If the ants got inside of it, you will find a lot of voids in the middle, making felling the tree a "treat", and minimizing what you might get in usable lumber.

[Steve Bracken]

Biggest problem I've run into with standing dead oak....... is ants. If the ants got inside of it, you will find a lot of voids in the middle, making felling the tree a "treat", and minimizing what you might get in usable lumber.

I was just thinking how nice a *Tree Slice* desktop, riddled with ant galleries might look when it was polished :D

[Carpenter Mark]

Saw it-
Checks or not, there will be a lot of usable lumber there, particularly the wide slabs which are valuble as tables. I have a friend with a mill who saws older logs a lot and is pleasantly surprised more often than not.
Saw it to 5/4 till the grain shows rift, then saw to 12/4 through till the grain goes flat again. You should get some decent quartersawn edges on the slabs from the middle.