green wood

[morris]

I have been given a oak tree, took 3 men, a tractor and a truck to get it home.
can someone tell me how to store, turn and dry this ??
thanks a lot for anyones help in advance

Morris

 

[Digit]

You can't dry it as it stands, you will need to convert it into planks first.
No easy job on your own unless you have a suitable chain saw, otherwise you'll need to have done professionally.

Roy.

 

[CHJ]

Welcome to the forum morris,

If it is your intention to convert it all for turning the first thing you need to do is get it into manageable lengths and seal the ends with wax or a couple of coats of old paint to reduce end splitting.

Then as you get time cut into suitable pieces, a multiple of the diameter or a little over and split the logs down the middle to reduce the tendency for the core to split.

Eventually ending with pieces something like this.

At each stage you need to coat the end grain to reduce the splitting.

Store in shaded place out of direct sun, preferably under cover but with plenty of air movement.

From this condition you are in a position to start rough turning green wood to put to one side for further drying.

Edit: This is a typical green wood turning example You do not have to save the cores, and with oak would be a hard task anyway.

 

[Pecker]

Chas, is it me or does the top piece look like theres a pair of white Y fronts on top? :lol:

woody

 

[morris]

thanks a lot for your answers, my tree trunks are about 21 inches in diameter , so do I still cut them down the middle and cut the core out?
I am trying not to waste any of it
morris

 

[Losos]

Chas, is it me or does the top piece look like theres a pair of white Y fronts on top? :lol:
woody

Don't think Chas would want to be seen dead in a pair of those pants :lol:

 

[CHJ]

thanks a lot for your answers, my tree trunks are about 21 inches in diameter , so do I still cut them down the middle and cut the core out?
I am trying not to waste any of it
morris

If you want it for turning then IMO unless you have a large bandsaw that would allow you to slab it into pieces lengthwise 75-100mm thick then splitting through the middle is your best chance of saving the maximum.

If you can slab it the central slab will need splitting/cutting along the core centre line else it will inevitably split here anyway.

 

[CHJ]

Chas, is it me or does the top piece look like theres a pair of white Y fronts on top? :lol:

woody

Looks more like the rear of a pair of bikini bottoms off a cheaky 1940's post card to me :lol:

 

[morris]

It does remind me of a pair of pans, but who wears white ones now??

my bandsaw will never slab this size of wood so I need to cut them pieces lengthways, loose the core and then use quarters for turning, have I got this right, sorry to ask so many questions, but I am new to this game .

 

[CHJ]

Halves or quarters, halves will save the most wood for turning bowls, don't be too worried about the core material splitting if you just halve them, keep an eye on them and only divide up further if you are getting deep radial cracks starting. When it comes to turning you may get the rim of the bowls splitting if you incorporate wood too near the core but better to discard this as, when, if necessary.

Important thing is to seal ends well and leave shorter pieces destined to be stored for some time about a third longer than the diameter to allow for the removal of any short end splits.