Market for large slabs??

[foursaps]

hello everyone,

I have recently come across a job to take down a massive red oak. the trunk alone stands ~30' tall, with no knots or branches, and about 72" DBH.

i would hate to see this massive tree go to firewood, none of the mills in the area are capable of taking a tree of this size. i have already called around. I had the owner of (one of) the mills look at it and his eyes bugged out of his head and he said he would take it in a heartbeat if his mill would cut it. it is not from an urban neighborhood, but from an old growth forest i am thinning, not much risk of metal.


I have read on here that some people take trees like this and slab them into table tops and such, and was wondering what the market was for these? i have access to a husky 3120 to mill them, and have a alaskan style mill i can use, just have to get longer rails.

how would you go about selling these slabs? find a buyer first, then mill? how would you go about finding a buyer?

thanks!

phil

 

[smokinj]

My self I would put it in the shop and kiln dry it then advertise on craiglist if need be but my father been in the cabinet business 55 years and he can get rid of it faster than I can make it.

 

[gink595]

I just sold some 14/4 white oak slabs to a guy for benches around his campfire pit. I sold it really cheap too like .80 a bd.ft.

 

[smokinj]

I just sold some 14/4 white oak slabs to a guy for benches around his campfire pit. I sold it really cheap too like .80 a bd.ft.

Wow gink must be a friend!

 

[foursaps]

My self I would put it in the shop and kiln dry it then advertise on craiglist if need be but my father been in the cabinet business 55 years and he can get rid of it faster than I can make it.

would it be kiln dried whole, or slabbed? if slabbed, how do you counter natural cupping of the wood on a slab that big? (~6-9'long, 36-~72" WIDE) i have milled some, but none this big before.

 

[mikeb1079]

if slabbed, how do you counter natural cupping of the wood on a slab that big?

that's a good question. one route could be to stack all the slabs on top of each other (stickered of course) and let the considerable weight help minimize cupping, although there will be some for sure. then, after the slabs dry out, you could surface the slabs with a router and surfacing bit to eliminate any uneven areas. there's a good youtube video of some folks doing this, i'll see if i can find the link. good luck, i wish more people had your (and mine) mentality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t51SSP12Gk8

 

[DaltonPaull]

I take my slabs (widest I've cut is 36") into a local cabinet shop and run them through there 100hp planer/wide belt sander for $100/hour. It's expensive but a machine like that can surface a lot of wood in an hour.

 

[smokinj]

would it be kiln dried whole, or slabbed? if slabbed, how do you counter natural cupping of the wood on a slab that big? (~6-9'long, 36-~72" WIDE) i have milled some, but none this big before.

Me either just now getting the mill together but my Dad a 3 phase planner I think its 36in could be bigger its a hoss and an edger both set on the same 3 phase so you can only run one or the other.

 

[foursaps]

so other than posting on craigslist, how would you find abuyer for this log, and or slabs? I have been trying to find a furniture manufacturer or specialty company in the area that might be interested in something like this. I know i have seen slab tables in conference rooms, but no idea who made them or where they came from. i may cut a couple slabs off it, build a slab table with it myself, then try and sell it. i was thinking 3 inch slabs, then after drying plane them down with a router like the video to flatten them, probably end up with a 2"-2.5" slab when all is said and done. am i on the right track?

another idea i had was to cut 4-5 "cookies" per say off butt end of the log and make a round kitchen type table out of that, would those be susceptible to the same cupping as slabs?

 

[smokinj]

so other than posting on craigslist, how would you find abuyer for this log, and or slabs? I have been trying to find a furniture manufacturer or specialty company in the area that might be interested in something like this. I know i have seen slab tables in conference rooms, but no idea who made them or where they came from. i may cut a couple slabs off it, build a slab table with it myself, then try and sell it. i was thinking 3 inch slabs, then after drying plane them down with a router like the video to flatten them, probably end up with a 2"-2.5" slab when all is said and done. am i on the right track?

another idea i had was to cut 4-5 "cookies" per say off butt end of the log and make a round kitchen type table out of that, would those be susceptible to the same cupping as slabs?

look in the phone book for custom cabinet makers..My dad shops not hudge my any meens and he will take as many board ft of walnut I can get. One of hes friends at church wants hickory..I will not start milling until 2 week in May and need to dry first..So the 1/2 of what I will be milling is already sold and by the time they pick theres up you can bet they will eyeball the rest.

 

[Mike Van]

You may want to get this tree down before making too many plans. Lots of these are full of ants, hollow, rotton, etc. Any cookie type slices you make will crack, just about guarenteed. You can't kiln dry a tree, it has to be milled up first. If you should get to the milling stage, have a forklift or something like it around, as you won't move a 3" thick 6ft by 6ft oak slab very far by hand. I don't think you'll sell this product on craigslist, buyers there want something for nothing. You may have to run an ad somewhere like Fine Woodworking to find a market. The slabs closest to the heart will have the nice flake figure.

 

[smokinj]

You may want to get this tree down before making too many plans. Lots of these are full of ants, hollow, rotton, etc. Any cookie type slices you make will crack, just about guarenteed. You can't kiln dry a tree, it has to be milled up first. If you should get to the milling stage, have a forklift or something like it around, as you won't move a 3" thick 6ft by 6ft oak slab very far by hand. I don't think you'll sell this product on craigslist, buyers there want something for nothing. You may have to run an ad somewhere like Fine Woodworking to find a market. The slabs closest to the heart will have the nice flake figure.

+1 on the cookies didnt read the last part

 

[Daninvan]

I think it's great that you are trying to do something with what sounds like wonderful old trees. Sounds like you are a rookie at the slabbing though?

Maybe the easiest thing would be to call a lumber company that specializes in large slabs. Hearne, Groff, Talarico come to mind. Perhaps they would buy your logs and save you a lot of trouble!

If you slab them up don't waste your time trying to sell on Craigslist, it's too local. Try eBay. I also wouldn't spend any time flattening them once they are dry (probably three years if you cut to 3" thick). Let the buyer take care of that.

I am sure you can do better than campfire benches with these!

 

[glennschumann]

Just a thought, but if you quarter the log, would you be able to find buyers then? Your mill could be put to minimal use, then let the sawmill take over. Just a thought.

 

[Mad Professor]

Just a thought, but if you quarter the log, would you be able to find buyers then? Your mill could be put to minimal use, then let the sawmill take over. Just a thought.

+1, could get some nice 2-3' 1/4 sawn