Thomas Colson
11-21-2013, 7:08 PM
I’m a serial renovator, currently renovating my 2000 SF hand-hewn log cabin. I’m hoping to do all of the walls and ceiling with oak planks. I have a pile of 8 foot oak (red and black) logs that I’m about to have sawn. I’m interested in the greatest volume of cut lumber, not really interested in “furniture grade”, as this is a hand hewn cabin! I’m loosing sleep over whether I should get it quarter sawn, or flat sawn. The biggest log I have is 22 inches, some are 12, and I know you really can’t QS below 16. My question is, how much is flat sawn oak going to warp and cup in a cabin in East TN where sometimes it’s so humid you feel like you’re swimming? Bug holes, kerf marks, knots, don’t bother me but I loose my mind when I see drastically cupped, gapped, or warped boards. Is oak so unstable that I should give up on flat sawn? Is it going to cup, as sure as the sun comes up? I am going to have it kiln dried. Given the availablity of oak to me (not much left), I really can’t afford QS, as I’ll have to get logs elsewhere. The whole point of the renovation is to aquire and cut the wood in the same manner as the logs. The “Borgs” and even the local guys want so much for rough cut oak, it’s cheaper for me to go troll for logs and bring them back to my driveway…errr….logging deck. Thanks!