What to do with a 3' dia oak tree?

[Tom Jones III]

I got an email from my Dad last night, he says a 3' diameter oak tree fell over on his land and he wants to know what we can do with it. I'm not interested in milling it for lumber or for turning it. The only thing I could think of is a slab desk or bench. What would you do with it?

[Prashun Patel]

Consider cutting some of it into turning blanks and selling/trading them. You can get some very large quartersawn blanks that turners might covet.

[Paul Steiner]

I there a local woodworking club in your area? You could contact them and a member(s) may come and mill it and leave you with a few good boards.

[Gary Herrmann]

Personally, I'd find someone with a woodmizer - especially if it's white oak. You could get 12-14" wide qsawn boards out of that.

A friend of mine just lost a 250 yr old white oak. Almost 4 ft in diameter. My chainsaw wasn't big enough for the trunk, but even the branches were 20" in diameter. Branch wood isn't good for boards, but it works fine for turning. They're leaving the trunk for carving on the spot. That will be a big job.

If nothing else, rent a chainsaw with a big enough bar and cut some 2-3" thick slabs straight through the trunk. You can get some outdoor table tops for you and your Dad.