# Help on loading big white oak log



## kcurbanloggers (Jul 11, 2018)

Hey guys,
So a year ago a big white oak fell on my moms property in Connecticut. She grew up with the tree and it was very special to her, so I’ve decided to haul the log home (to Kansas) to have it milled and make her a dining table out of it. Here’s the problem: it is about 10 ft long and 25in in diameter, and it still has wood from the root ball left on it making it extremely heavy. I know my truck can carry it home, but I have no idea how I could begin to load it. I have to tow a car home too, so putting it on a trailer isn’t an option. I just need to figure out how to lift it high enough to get it in the bed. Any cleaver ideas? I have plenty of winches, high lifts, and log peavys at my disposal. Thanks in advance. 


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## kcurbanloggers (Jul 11, 2018)

kcurbanloggers said:


> Hey guys,
> So a year ago a big white oak fell on my moms property in Connecticut. She grew up with the tree and it was very special to her, so I’ve decided to haul the log home (to Kansas) to have it milled and make her a dining table out of it. Here’s the problem: it is about 10 ft long and 25in in diameter, and it still has wood from the root ball left on it making it extremely heavy. I know my truck can carry it home, but I have no idea how I could begin to load it. I have to tow a car home too, so putting it on a trailer isn’t an option. I just need to figure out how to lift it high enough to get it in the bed. Any cleaver ideas? I have plenty of winches, high lifts, and log peavys at my disposal. Thanks in advance.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk









Here’s a photo of it. It’s not quite as long as it looks in the photo. 



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## M.R. (Jul 11, 2018)

Six of One & a half dozen different ways...
Slip over to the ‘Milling & Saw Mill’
side of the site... https://www.arboristsite.com/community/forums/milling-saw-mills.62/
Read through the sticky at the top, likely get the wheels
a turning... you could get it down into more manageable
sizes & save your back, then Mom would be a smiling
with anticipation.


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## northmanlogging (Jul 11, 2018)

Hi lift jack, and a come along, takes forever and is a lot of work can be done.

Probay a good idea to have some cribbing blocks handy


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## CUCV (Jul 12, 2018)

Get a chainsaw mill and mill it onsite or find someone on AS or craigslist to mill it onsite for you.

I've lifted many things with pipe staging, some 2x12's and a come-along. Put a hot tub on the 2nd floor of a friends house this way.


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## hseII (Jul 12, 2018)

Chainsaw mill it on site & haul it home as lumber.


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## Canyon Angler (Jul 12, 2018)

How big is your truck? That log's gotta weigh close to 200#/ft...


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## kcurbanloggers (Jul 12, 2018)

Canyon Angler said:


> How big is your truck? That log's gotta weigh close to 200#/ft...



It weighs around 2,000lbs I have an 2001 f250 diesel. I know that I’ll be a touch over weight, but it has carried more and done well. 


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## Canyon Angler (Jul 12, 2018)

Heh, cool. I have the same truck, same year. 7.3 baby! Not sure I'd want to haul a ton in the bed of mine while towing a car from CT to KS, though. In an accident, they'd be all over you...


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## KYLogger (Jul 12, 2018)

White Oaks in Connecticut must look different than in Kentucky  Honestly, it's going to be a bear, what about the possibility of ripping it with a powersaw first? Still gonna be heavy, and I guess if you can load half than you can probably load it all...... Half day rental on a skid steer, and some straps.

-Tom


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## kcurbanloggers (Jul 12, 2018)

I think I fingered it out. I called a tow truck company with a crane that’ll come the day before I leave. They can pick the whole thing up high enough for me to back up under it. 


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## KYLogger (Jul 12, 2018)

Nailed it!


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## Canyon Angler (Jul 12, 2018)

KYLogger said:


> White Oaks in Connecticut must look different than in Kentucky



That's what I was thinking. My best guess would have been maple.


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## kcurbanloggers (Jul 12, 2018)

Canyon Angler said:


> That's what I was thinking. My best guess would have been maple.



I remember being pretty sure it was a white oak last year when I cut most of it up. But now that I Im hearing you guys I’m second guessing myself... it is definitely an oak, but how can I verify it’s a white oak? 


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## chipper1 (Jul 12, 2018)

Looks like red oak to me.
Nice looking place.


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## Canyon Angler (Jul 12, 2018)

Shave off some end grain with a razor or something and look at it with a magnifier. With white oak all or most of the "tubes" will be filled. With red oak most of them will be hollow, like straws. Look for images online...

Also, white oak often smells like bourbon, or vice-versa, because bourbon is stored in white oak barrels. Some white oaks (live oak, maybe?) smell like vomit. But no live oak in CT, I don't think.


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## kcurbanloggers (Jul 12, 2018)

Canyon Angler said:


> Shave off some end grain with a razor or something and look at it with a magnifier. With white oak all or most of the "tubes" will be filled. With red oak most of them will be hollow, like straws. Look for images online...
> 
> Also, white oak often smells like bourbon, or vice-versa, because bourbon is stored in white oak barrels.



Welll red it is then. Oh well, it’ll still make a nice table 


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## Canyon Angler (Jul 12, 2018)

Red oak makes beautiful furniture. I'm sitting at a desk my dad made from RO.


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## chipper1 (Jul 12, 2018)

I still like the idea of finding someone to mill you some nice slabs like that @hseII guy said.
I would think you could make a thread in the milling section asking for help and probably get someone from the area to help out, you could even give them some of the wood and some of the cash you were going to give the towing company.
Edit:I see you already got the same advice on milling it on site.
Try a new thread in there asking for members in the area.


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## kcurbanloggers (Jul 12, 2018)

chipper1 said:


> I still like the idea of finding someone to mill you some nice slabs like that @hseII guy said.
> I would think you could make a thread in the milling section asking for help and probably get someone from the area to help out, you could even give them some of the wood and some of the cash you were going to give the towing company.
> Edit:I see you already got the same advice on milling it on site.
> Try a new thread in there asking for members in the area.



I’ve looked some. There’s someone here who would lend me his Alaskan mill, but I’ve never run a chainsaw mill before and I’m not sure I trust myself to be able to turn out nice slabs. I have someone in Kansas that will do just what you suggested. He mills it on his bandsaw mill in exchange for a few slabs. I figure I have to take it home either way, so milling it here doesn’t make it any easier for the truck. I’ll ask around while I’m here to see if there’s an easy alternative, but as of now, milling it here doesn’t seem all that much easier that taking it home in one piece. 


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## hseII (Jul 13, 2018)

kcurbanloggers said:


> I’ve looked some. There’s someone here who would lend me his Alaskan mill, but I’ve never run a chainsaw mill before and I’m not sure I trust myself to be able to turn out nice slabs. I have someone in Kansas that will do just what you suggested. He mills it on his bandsaw mill in exchange for a few slabs. I figure I have to take it home either way, so milling it here doesn’t make it any easier for the truck. I’ll ask around while I’m here to see if there’s an easy alternative, but as of now, milling it here doesn’t seem all that much easier that taking it home in one piece.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



You don’t haul the scraps home if you Mill it there.

Is there anyone near your mom with a woodmizer if a CSM isn’t in the cards?

Traveling with the log will not be pleasant if it’s big enough for a table.


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## 2dogs (Jul 17, 2018)

Some states have restrictions on hauling logs out of certain areas due to a disease. California has many due to the plethora of diseases like pitch canker, SODS, root rots, etc. Also make sure you can haul logs with bark across state lines.


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## kcurbanloggers (Jul 17, 2018)

hseII said:


> You don’t haul the scraps home if you Mill it there.
> 
> Is there anyone near your mom with a woodmizer if a CSM isn’t in the cards?
> 
> Traveling with the log will not be pleasant if it’s big enough for a table.



Found Someone with a bandsaw mill who milled it for less than what my guy at home charges. The slabs turned out great


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## Huskybill (Jul 17, 2018)

I have white oak trees on my property. Only because the deer prefer the white oak acorns. I haven’t cut them down yet. I also logged white oaks in the forest here cutting access roads for loggers.


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## chipper1 (Jul 17, 2018)

kcurbanloggers said:


> Found Someone with a bandsaw mill who milled it for less than what my guy at home charges. The slabs turned out great
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## kcurbanloggers (Jul 17, 2018)

chipper1 said:


> View attachment 663622

















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## chipper1 (Jul 17, 2018)

kcurbanloggers said:


> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That's some good looking wood.
Was it pretty easy getting it all back home.


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## kcurbanloggers (Jul 17, 2018)

chipper1 said:


> That's some good looking wood.
> Was it pretty easy getting it all back home.



I’m make the trip in August. I’ll let you know how it goes when I get there.
Most the planks are 2 3/4. Air drying it down to %6 will take nearly 3 years.... how risky would it be to make a table out of it after 1 or 2 years? 


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## Canyon Angler (Jul 17, 2018)

You ain't gonna air dry it to 6%. Maybe 10-15%. Need a kiln for 6%, but even then, even after you "seal" and finish it, its moisture level will fluctuate around 10-12% in your house – drier in winter. I prefer air-dried wood anyway. Kiln-dried wood is dead.

Don't forget to seal the end grain if you haven't already. It'll check less. If you're drying it outdoors, I'd also tarp the top of it to keep the sun and wind off it. 

After 18 months I might start messing with it.

Nice looking stuff.


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## chipper1 (Jul 17, 2018)

kcurbanloggers said:


> I’m make the trip in August. I’ll let you know how it goes when I get there.


Sounds like a plan.
Don't forget we'll need more pictures then too .


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## Huntaholic (Sep 27, 2018)

its a red oak.


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## Luckysaturn (Oct 18, 2018)

Where do you have your stuff milled at over on the Ks side?


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## kcurbanloggers (Oct 19, 2018)

Luckysaturn said:


> Where do you have your stuff milled at over on the Ks side?



I have a pretty good deal with Tim at Urban Lumber. He’s near Kansas City 


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## Luckysaturn (Oct 19, 2018)

I'll have to look him up. I'm in the northland's on the mo side. We run Walnut to St Joe on occasion and I have a few clients that do wood working as a hobby


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## Marshy (Oct 19, 2018)

I dont see how you are going to manage this without putting that log in an agressive weight loss program. A ported 60 or 70cc program will get that thing into shape. Only take what your need for matimerial for the bench. If there is another nearby sturdy tree I would find a big branch and use it as a rigging point for the chain fall or come-a-long.


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## Marshy (Oct 19, 2018)

kcurbanloggers said:


> Found Someone with a bandsaw mill who milled it for less than what my guy at home charges. The slabs turned out great
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Guess I should have read the second page before posting lol. Congrats.


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## chipper1 (Oct 19, 2018)

Marshy said:


> Guess I should have read the second page before posting lol. Congrats.


I hate it when that happens, but I wouldnt worry about it, cause I didn't do it .


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## hseII (Oct 21, 2018)

Huskybill said:


> I have white oak trees on my property. Only because the deer prefer the white oak acorns. I haven’t cut them down yet. I also logged white oaks in the forest here cutting access roads for loggers.



I would recommend leaving them standing unless they are in the way until they start dying.


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## hseII (Oct 21, 2018)

Marshy said:


> Guess I should have read the second page before posting lol. Congrats.



Just like an Injun Ear: 3 months late & on the wrong sheet of Music!

[emoji8]


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