Found some Oak!

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SamT1

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I’m always getting calls for oak. I never have oak. Guy at church tells me I need to come cut his giant dead oaks. Yes sir will head that way when I get caught up with orders. It’s 45 miles from home, no biggie I’ll make a Saturday and cut 3. Can a man split a 30” oak round with an axe? I’ve never had oak to cut. Kinda excited to need my big bar.

He says some are really monsters. Is there anything that would deem a trunk something I should save for the saw mill?
 
Not sure as to the sawmills question.
As for the splitting it just depends on how straight the grain is. I have split 24” oak with nothing but a Fiskars axe. Worst case you may have to noodle them in half with that big bar then split, I have luck with that method. I usually save a round about 12” tall to make a splitting stump for the rest of my rounds to sit on, helps when something solid is underneath the rounds to be split. Good luck and be safe!


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Not sure as to the sawmills question.
As for the splitting it just depends on how straight the grain is. I have split 24” oak with nothing but a Fiskars axe. Worst case you may have to noodle them in half with that big bar then split, I have luck with that method. I usually save a round about 12” tall to make a splitting stump for the rest of my rounds to sit on, helps when something solid is underneath the rounds to be split. Good luck and be safe!


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I’ve not seen them, but the guy says the trunks are straight as an arrow 10ft or more before they branch. Sounds like really beautiful trees. Fire killed them a few years ago and wind blew them down this spring because of dead roots and saturated soil.
 
Just read the natural split for your first break, once that happens it's all down hill. Use a 12lb maul and frozen one's pop easily. Twisted, knotty, limbs are a different story.
 
Splitting ease depends on the species.

Most red oak species normally split extremely easily. White oak splits ok but it’s more work. Some of the white oak subspecies are almost as bad as elm.

In regards to milling-unless you have a mill or have a friend with one it’s not worth it. Mills generally don’t want to buy small lots of logs.
 
Splitting ease depends on the species.

Most red oak species normally split extremely easily. White oak splits ok but it’s more work. Some of the white oak subspecies are almost as bad as elm.

In regards to milling-unless you have a mill or have a friend with one it’s not worth it. Mills generally don’t want to buy small lots of logs.
I’m not sure what kind of oaks they may be. Google says it could be a burr oak or a white. Those seem to be what grows in that area.

I have a friend with a good size band saw type mill. I have a granburg, but it’s a 24 and I’ve never used it.
 
That band saw mill will work, but are you able to move and transport large 30"+ logs? Tree service friend has a band saw mill and sells a lot of oak planks for stall building. Mills and planes maple and oak for flooring is quality is there. He cut a nice stand of clear white pine and sold that to a local mill.
 
That band saw mill will work, but are you able to move and transport large 30"+ logs? Tree service friend has a band saw mill and sells a lot of oak planks for stall building. Mills and planes maple and oak for flooring is quality is there. He cut a nice stand of clear white pine and sold that to a local mill.
Guy says they are live oak.

Yea I can transport them but it would be a pain in the butt unless my friend with the wood has a loader already there I can use. I suspect he does since he is a hay guy.
 
Straight grained oak in most species splits like a dream. Bigger the better for me, the rounds just sit there while you piece them off. Knotty white oak is about the only one that slows me down.

Same for me. Work the outsides and read the natural cracks. I got a load of 24-30” red oak logs this summer. I originally wanted to bust them down to size so I could get them to the hydraulic splitter, but after a few whacks I had to carry them to the wood pile instead.
 
That’s good to hear. I know the big mesquites are super easy to split, especially if I can drop them really hard and shatter them inside. But these oaks blew down with root balls attached so I bet they fell gently.
 
I believe live oak is more difficult to split. I know it’s hard to cut! Dense wood so you’ll be rewarded for your work.
It will be forsale, it does bring a premium over mesquite around here. I’ll definelty burn the short pieces and stuff like that myself though.
 
They should be a bit easier to cut being they are dead. When live they are a sappy mess that fuses on to your bar and chain. Again, worth the work for such high btu!
 
Going back to your original post. I don't think splitting 30" rounds with an axe is the best route to go. I'd either noodle them into smaller pieces with your big bar, and then use the axe, or use a maul to bust them in half or even quarters then use the axe. My Fiskars Isocore maul weighs 8 lbs, and in some of the fresh cut oaks it just bounces off. The best bet with an axe would be to start on the edges and work your way in. An axe center strike would just stick in.
 
I have some big mauls I’ll make sure and take one. I try my best not to need them though.
 

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