whats your prefernce on oak!!

larry merlau

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Delton, Michigan
i have 4 red oak logs that will be cut into lumber, i have 2 that would make some good qtr sawn. so what would you prefer your oak lumber to be? if you had this choice,, will still have some flat and rift sawn out of these you never get all qtr sawn lumber from a log.. at least not the way i have had the cut thus far..if things go as planned i will have two maple and 3 walnut. as well..
 
As far as I am concerned you can never have enough quarter sawn. You use it everywhere, stiles, rails, aprons, etc. I really don't think plain sawn oak is anything special, so...
 
As far as I am concerned you can never have enough quarter sawn. You use it everywhere, stiles, rails, aprons, etc. I really don't think plain sawn oak is anything special, so...

I agree with Bill. Flat-sawn oak is soooooo overdone. Every discount dinette store is loaded with it and so much of the knockdown particle board stuff is made to look like it that is has become too common and, in some cases (when done poorly) it can scream "cheap". We have one of the national brand stores called "Oak Warehouse" in Boise. What does that tell you? Ever see a Mahogany Warehouse? Bubinga Warehouse? :dunno: Defense rests. :rofl:


(The aforementioned, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, comments are my opinion only and not meant to intentionally, or unintentionally, offend anyone's wood preference.)
 
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Quartersaw the oak.

For the maple and walnut, try to saw it for the best figure - which will likely end up being just flatsawn, but you never know...
 
well that was where i was headed.. i like red oak qtr sawn almost as good as qtr swn white oak.. i have been lucky in the past to get some real good qtrd red oak like what john daugerty showed us the other day:) the others were already head for the best figure i really am looking forward to see what is in this maple.. on the walnut i am looking at 8/4, seems to be a fair amount of call for 8/4 and i dont have any walnut 8/4.. thanks for the input
 
Well, I'll jump in and say if it's 8/4, go for riftsawn, that is the best material for table legs, gives the best appearance for front and side views. Otherwise, for 5/4 or 4/4 qtr sawn would surely be nice.
 
I would go for quarter sawn, as it is impossible or almost get it here unless you buy the full log.
I made some trials in carving oak, it carves well despite the hardness, however what bothers me is the fact that your hands become black very soon due to the contact of your hands with the wood and with the metal part of the gouges.
 
Quarter Sawn, Larry. I'd also do 8/4 for most of it, oak, walnut and maple. I've come to realize you can always re-saw an 8/4 down to the thickness needed. It's kinda hard and doesn't look good to get 1" up to 2". The last I had sawn I had the sawyer actually cut the 8/4 to 2.25" to account for the re-saw blade should I have to re-saw. That would theoretically give me 2 boards of 1" each. Haven't had the opportunity to check my theory to date.

Anywho, how do you come by all this great lumber? I gotta get over there with my trailer and load up some of that stash while you're at work.:D
 
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well karl, its for sale so stop on by:) got way more than i can use so its time to lower the inventory. they fall down and i grab the ones i can. or have found them that were headed for the wood pile and saved them to lumber.
 
Hey Larry, just to mention it, One of the guys I know who has a sawmill swears by sawing oak into thirds for "quarter sawing" He claims you get more figured brd. footage that way.

I suspect it may be because you have one less kerf (3 instead of 4) This would be our friend Kelvin over by Bath, Mi. Sounds like you are doing right well in the wood gleaning department.

I met a guy recently who lives a few miles away who needs some walnut trees removed from his property. I offered to help and he said, "I don't have the money to pay for it yet" :D

I offered to do it as a favor....:rofl: My neighbor asked me to cut down a fence row recently. Really nice sycamore growing there. I also had a friend cruse the woods I'm cutting firewood in and he told me I really underestimated the brd. footage of ash I started logging out. I guessed @ 10,000 brd. ft. So I hope to have ash for sale by spring.

I am looking for some white oak to saw 8/4 for decking for a bridge we're putting in next summer.
 
in the event my vote would count :rofl: i would go qtr sawn oak. Flat sawn competes with fake oak by which i mean ash made to look like oak. Also from what little i know of lumber red oak is not exactly in top demand so to add to its desireability i would qrt as much as possible.

I have not come across a red oak qtr sawn piece though. Every time i see the wood its flat sawn.

But i kick myself daily for not having bitten on the pile of wood that place had where we picked up your sander. Man i would have had a stash of 1/4 sawn white oak to rival anyone and for cents per board foot. Next time come around and simply smack me on the head dont talk nicely. :rofl:
 
in the event my vote would count :rofl: i would go qtr sawn oak. Flat sawn competes with fake oak by which i mean ash made to look like oak. Also from what little i know of lumber red oak is not exactly in top demand so to add to its desireability i would qrt as much as possible.

I have not come across a red oak qtr sawn piece though. Every time i see the wood its flat sawn.

But i kick myself daily for not having bitten on the pile of wood that place had where we picked up your sander. Man i would have had a stash of 1/4 sawn white oak to rival anyone and for cents per board foot. Next time come around and simply smack me on the head dont talk nicely. :rofl:

i believe i told you to get it then but you didnt listen..:)
 
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