# milling dead trees



## smitty12 (Jan 2, 2007)

I have a standing dead oak on my property. It was hit by lightning 3 years ago and all of the bark has now fallen off of the tree.

I know there are probably all sorts of variables but, would this likely be ok to mill? 

I haven't bought a mill yet. still trying to decide exactly what to get. But I have alot of land with many oak, hickory, walnut and cherry trees and have become very interested after following this forum for a couple months.

Thinking of going with the alaskan 36 and a husky 395. I've never milled and done very limited woodwork so I am planning on making a workbench out of it. I think that would be pretty hard to screw up and a good first time project.

anyway, this particular tree is either a red oak or a chestnut oak, about 30" at the base. 

I can get pics next week.

One more thing. I have hundreds of huge old Osage orange trees on my property. Can this be used to build a deck and or boat dock? Will I kill myself and or chainsaw trying to mill it?



Thanks


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## woodshop (Jan 2, 2007)

Be careful when felling that dead oak tree. When I worked for a pulpwood company as a logger years ago, dead trees were called widow makers. Even a 4 inch dead branch falling from 30 ft up can kill you. 

Trees that have been dead a while in general, will be harder to mill than wet ones, but not to the point where you can't mill them. Being only 3 years dead and still standing, you are probably OK.

Osage orange is hard alright, but I have milled it, nothing too difficult, about like pecan or hickory. 

If I were closer, I would come on over and "help" you mill that osage... I love that stuff.


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## flht01 (Jan 2, 2007)

smitty12 said:


> I have a standing dead oak on my property. It was hit by lightning 3 years ago and all of the bark has now fallen off of the tree.
> ...



Be careful dropping it, make sure the limbs aren't going to fall when you start cutting it. If you can get it down safely it would probably be ok to saw.



smitty12 said:


> I haven't bought a mill yet. still trying to decide exactly what to get. But I have alot of land with many oak, hickory, walnut and cherry trees and have become very interested after following this forum for a couple months.
> 
> Thinking of going with the alaskan 36 and a husky 395. I've never milled and done very limited woodwork so I am planning on making a workbench out of it. I think that would be pretty hard to screw up and a good first time project.
> 
> ...



This site adds fuel to the fire on a very addictive hobby. Sounds like you have the perfect environment for a portable mill, whether it be a csm or bandmill. This is a good site with a lot of various opinions on the different styles of mills. Hopefully you'll be able to use the info to help with your decision. 

The cherry, walnut and osage orange sounds like a gold mine.

Welcome to the forum.


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## hautions11 (Jan 2, 2007)

I cut a several year dead white oak a few months ago. It milled fine, but it had a million little worm holes through it. Still good for a work bench, dock etc. Not as nice for fine furniture.


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## Trigger-Time (Jan 2, 2007)

woodshop said:


> Osage orange is hard alright, but I have milled it, nothing too difficult, about like pecan or hickory.
> 
> If I were closer, I would come on over and "help" you mill that osage... I love that stuff.



Woodshop, I have not milled any Osage orange, but I have cut it for post,
after it dries I have to drill pilot holes on most of them for the fence
staples, that stuff gets rock hard. We have some corner post, that
the best we can find out are about 70 to 80 years old. So what do you
make out of it? and is it harder to work with than other woods after
it dries?


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## woodshop (Jan 2, 2007)

Trigger-Time said:


> Woodshop, I have not milled any Osage orange, but I have cut it for post,
> after it dries I have to drill pilot holes on most of them for the fence
> staples, that stuff gets rock hard. We have some corner post, that
> the best we can find out are about 70 to 80 years old. So what do you
> ...



Yup it's hard alright. Yes it is one of the most, it not THE most rot resistant wood in north america. When I built my picnic table I put osage orange "feet" on the bottom of the legs. They have sat in wet moist ground for 12 years, and still solid as when I screwed them on when it was built. No you can't nail into it, but then you can't nail into many hardwoods without predrilling. Ever try and hammer a nail or staple gun into Sugar maple or hickory?

Working it in the woodshop is no problem at all, it machines well. Again, kinda like hickory or rock maple. Hard, but no match for sharp tools or carbide router bits. 

If you sand the wood in steps down to 220 or 320, and then put a coat of wax on it, you can get it as smooth as silk but hard as a rock, and thus it makes perfect fences for machinery or jigs. The fence on my router table for example I built using osage orange, as well as the fence on my jig for my resaw bandsaw that I ride the wood against as I am resawing. It is hard and tough and takes a beating. It doesn't wear and get as scratched as say cherry or walnut or even oak would. 

Nobody wants a yellow/orange Shaker side table or chest of drawers, just doesn't look right. So I don't make furniture out of it even if I had lumber that wide. (most osage I get around here is small chunks, 3x3x24... stuff like that). I do make small craft items out of it, as it shines up nice and looks unique, but I don't really get enough of it to do that. 

People that make bows use it, as it is one of the best bow woods. Trouble is you need a long strait defect free piece to start with, like a 3x3 6ft long. 

Sorry for the longwinded explanation... but you asked me about my favorite wood to work, and I could'nt resist.


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## Trigger-Time (Jan 2, 2007)

Woodshop, Not long winded......just good to know info, Thanks

I have cut some dried, with the chainsaw that the cut would be smooth
and shinny, I Know it sounds silly but it was like glass, and heavy
a piece of it dried feels like it weighs the same or more than wet Oak.
I have some blocks on my work bench at work and home. I drill holes
in them for when I'm driving pins out of the gun parts that I'm working
on.


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## dingo (Jan 5, 2007)

hautions11 said:


> I cut a several year dead white oak a few months ago. It milled fine, but it had a million little worm holes through it. Still good for a work bench, dock etc. Not as nice for fine furniture.



About all I cut is oak and walnut. The worm holes I found out add character. I have a good market from the guys that make rustic, stressed furniture. I felled an oak that dropped a twig the size of pencil that put a man on his knees; if he hadn't had a helmet on it would have been a satistic; hence the name widow makeropcorn:


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## dustytools (Jan 5, 2007)

Ill have to agree with Woodshop that Osage Orange which is more commonly known around my parts as hedge-apple is probably the very most rot-resistant wood known of. I have never milled any but when cutting it up for firewood It has been hell on my chains as far as dulling them quickly.


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## smitty12 (Jan 8, 2007)

Thanks for all the input. Sounds like since I'm new at this I should save the osage orange for later on.

Here's a couple pics of a walnut that fell last year. I decided to get some nice logs all staged for milling before I went out and bought my milling equipment in case this proved to be "too much work".

Pulled out this walnut that fell over last year and drug it up to the shed. I'm getting my husk 385 and alaskan 36 this month so this will be my first project other than screwing around with a hudson boardmaster.


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## Adkpk (Jan 8, 2007)

Looking forward to the pics. Great shots so far. Maybe a better one of that tractor. I see the dogs are eager to help.


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## smitty12 (Jan 8, 2007)

*how about sycamore?*

I also have alot of sycamore trees. I was wondering what they would be good for?? Again, I am finishing about 1100 square feet in my pole barn and making a hunting cabin (nice enough to be acceptable for the wife)


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