Oak Score

[Bob95065]

So we had record rain this winter which caused tons of damage and downed trees. Many people thought it was horrible but I see an opportunity for free firewood.

I got a call from many people about downed trees to cut up. One said that a big oak went dine on their property that they would like me to cut up. I saw it yesterday. I think there is more there than the 4 cord estimate they gave me over the phone.

There is a flat and level pad in front of the tree near a 20' wide gate. It doesn't get easier than this. I have a bunch of friends coming to help. We are meeting onsite at 0800 to start working on it.

There is free firewood all over our county this year.

 

[Babaganoosh]

How tall is that bad boy? How big around? 4 cords out of one tree seems optimistic unless that thing is 5 feet in diameter.

 

[Homestead Garage]

Nice score. We had similar weather in Michigan this year. Alot of pines just fell over with roots in tact. There is good hardwood to be had tho. Some places someone already blocked it up and left it on the curb

 

[MrWhoopee]

Oooooh, that looks like Live Oak too! Some serious BTUs in that stuff!

 

[Rangerbait]

Nice!! That Live Oak burns HOT! My dad has a ton on his property on the western slope of the Sierra southeast of Placerville...between the beetle Pines and the storm damaged trees, everyone in his part of the woods is neck deep is as much wood as they can cut or mill. I wish I could get my hands on some of that Black Oak, Live Oak, or Manzanita that I took for granted growing up there!

 

[unclemoustache]

Nice! How much did you pay them for the privelege of cutting their wood??

 

[robespierre]

You sure the neibhbors aren't wanting to keep the wood nd pay you for tutting it up?

 

[Bob95065]

Nice! How much did you pay them for the privelege of cutting their wood??

We got it for free. They thanked us for taking it away.

 

[Dirtboy]

A lot of good BTU's there. Good score.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Nice!! That Live Oak burns HOT! My dad has a ton on his property on the western slope of the Sierra southeast of Placerville...between the beetle Pines and the storm damaged trees, everyone in his part of the woods is neck deep is as much wood as they can cut or mill. I wish I could get my hands on some of that Black Oak, Live Oak, or Manzanita that I took for granted growing up there!

Now that's a first! I don't believe I ever heard someone in the east "pining" for our west coast species.

 

[sb47]

Live oak. Gonna need a bad ass splitter for that wood. Great wood if you can get it split.

 

[Rangerbait]

Now that's a first! I don't believe I ever heard someone in the east "pining" for our west coast species.

That's the irony of it...some of the West's hardwood packs a bigger punch than those found in these parts. For example, most firewood BTU charts have Osage Orange, which is the highest BTU content fuel wood on the east coast at 30 million/cord, whereas the Live Oak is at 36+ million. Eucalyptus is well into the 30s as well, and those things are all over Northern California and HUGE! Although, I'm not sure if that's actually a native species or not.

http://northwestforestproducts.com/...ved=0ahUKEwib6cHi_tTTAhXKqlQKHY3ZBaYQ9QEIDjAA

 

[Ryan'smilling]

That's the irony of it...some of the West's hardwood packs a bigger punch than those found in these parts. For example, most firewood BTU charts have Osage Orange, which is the highest BTU content fuel wood on the east coast at 30 million/cord, whereas the Live Oak is at 36+ million. Eucalyptus is well into the 30s as well, and those things are all over Northern California and HUGE! Although, I'm not sure if that's actually a native species or not.

http://northwestforestproducts.com/...ved=0ahUKEwib6cHi_tTTAhXKqlQKHY3ZBaYQ9QEIDjAA

Holy balls, a cord of green live oak weighs almost 7900# according to that chart!! That's some dense stuff.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Eucalyptus is actually of Australian origin, but yes, some species are awesome firewood if you can get it. It was planted over huge areas in the East Bay hills by some get-rich-quick schemer in the late 1800s.

 

[Marine5068]

Nice score.
Wonder how Live Oak it is to split? I've never seen any around here.
I don't want to sound pessimistic, but that looks to be around about 2 cords of firewood.
But hey, cut 'er up and try and post some pics for us all.
Great score......I think it deserves a "screw you"....lol

 

[robespierre]

live oak will split really easy green.No problem at all with a fiskars on the majority of that tree. Most are one strike splits.

 

[sb47]

live oak will split really easy green.No problem at all with a fiskars on the majority of that tree. Most are one strike splits.

lol......You wont be using a mall on live oak down here. Every now and then I'll get some live oak that will split ok but most of it down here is extremely hard to split. It does make great firewood and cooking wood.

 

[MrWhoopee]

lol......You wont be using a mall on live oak down here. Every now and then I'll get some live oak that will split ok but most of it down here is extremely hard to split. It does make great firewood and cooking wood.

And that's the problem with common names. We have two species of "Live Oak" in California. The OP is, I believe, referring to "Canyon Live Oak", Quercus chrysolepis, but he may also mean "Coast Live Oak", Quercus agrifolia. Depending on where you live, "Live Oak" could mean any number of species.

 

[sb47]

And that's the problem with common names. We have two species of "Live Oak" in California. The OP is, I believe, referring to "Canyon Live Oak", Quercus chrysolepis, but he may also mean "Coast Live Oak", Quercus agrifolia. Depending on where you live, "Live Oak" could mean any number of species.

We have several types down here. I'm not sure how to tell the difference but some have very small leaves about the size of yopon leaves and others have pretty larger oval leaves. The ones with the small leaves seem to grow with lots of forks and are kind of brushey looking in the way they grow. The ones with the bigger leaves seem to have better branches and seem to have a better overall shape. Some have small acorns and some have very large elongated acorns.
I worked for a tree transplanting outfit for 30+ years and we planted tens of thousands of them when they were just seedlings. We transplanted them with a Big John after they got about 6" trunks. It takes about 10 years to get a sapling to transplant size about 6" trunk size and about 16/18 feet tall.
Most are started on a drip system for the first 3 years then the water is cut off so the roots can penetrate deeper so that there more sturdy. If they stay on the drip system too long the roots are too shallow and they will blow over after there transplanted. I averaged about 5 to 6 trees a day on long turnarounds but on sights I have moved as many as 70 in one day. I have not been able to figure out witch ones are the hardest to split. When I get my wood, it's just logs so I don't get to see the trees before they get taken down. I know there are lots of types of oaks, including cross breed trees.

 

[NSMaple1]

I love tearing into windfalls - that one is a beauty.

Let the chips fly!