Red Oak that didnt make it to the OWB

[Farmall Guy]

A couple years back I posted a few pics of a big red oak that blew over in a storm on the neighbors proporty, but since we all like pics (particularly pics of big trees and big saws) I'll re post a couple to make the story complete.

Ever since I was in high school I had wanted to buy an 880 but never could justfy spending close to 2000 on a saw but this tree pushed me over the edge. My 066 was more than up to the job but ya only live once right so I bit the bullet and bought the big dog. she's wearing a 41" bar in these pics, and yes I still love that saw.... for 1 or 2 tanks then its time to step back to a small saw like an 066 or a couple nice cold ones

The neighbor that owned the proporty told dad we could have the tree for fire wood if we could get it out, I think dad saw a few years of free heat here but when I started cutting on it and found it was solid I decided it might be better to skid it out and have it sawed up for flooring to be used in the house I was planning to build. Dad also thought it would be a waste to burn so much straight clear oak so after pulling 10 logs out off this tree 2 from the trunk and 8 from the 2 main leads I ended up with 2200 board feat of red oak flooring and some 2X10's for my stair case.

We did end up with alot of good fire wood from the limbs (limbs being everything that was 20" and smaller) so I guess some of it did make it to the OWB in the end

Fast forward 2 years and alot of work later and today I finally got to use some of that nice red oak that has been drying since spring of 09. The stringers and the landing are beach that was cut last srping from behind my house to make room for my OWB the treads and risers are the red oak.

The 8X8 holding the landing up also came out of the big red oak, the 6X6 is the only hard wood that didnt come from with in 500' of my house. The framing lumber was all hemlock that I bought from my buddy who sawed all my lumber. Its been a long project and I still have a long way to go before its finished but hopefully by fall I'll be able to get it finished up... Oh and to keep this on topic just a little I couldnt be happier with my CB5036 its kept my basement nice and warm all winter .

Hope everyone enjoys the pics I know I'm alot happier seeing this oak in my house than seeing ashes from the OWB and the bill for the same amount of lumber from the local hard wood supplier :msp_tongue:

 

[ks_osage_orange]

Looks great. Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Nice work.

 

[mizzou]

Great pics, and great looking stairs. Even better that it's wood that's from close to home. You'll have some fine memories and cool stories.

 

[indiansprings]

Nice work, great post. Rep sent!

 

[zogger]

I like it

Lot of nice wood in the house, outstanding job!

 

[cedarman]

THATS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO DO!!!!! AWSOME JOB MAN!

I want to cut down a big oak and have it milled for flooring/ moldings/cabinets in my new house (whenever I decide to build). Much more sentimental that way. Plus a good conversation piece to tell the grandkids and friends years down the rd.

excellent craftsmanship!!! rep for you!

 

[Hank Chinaski]

looks great!

love that you were able to build so much with what you had. That'd be a crazy expensive staircase if you were to pay retail for the wood.

 

[cnice_37]

Nice - but we're missing the step in between. Where's the milling pics???

 

[Farmall Guy]

Thanks for the compliments, when I'm all done I'll have wide plank red oak flooring and oak on the ceilling from this tree. I got enough oak 18-24" wide to do thefloor in my living/dinning room so I gues tht would qualify to be called wide plank The Hard maple that will go on the walls that came from 2 trees I had to cut to make room for the house. I havent quite decided on what I want to use for molding yet probably what ever I have left over when the rest is done.

I dont have any pics of the milling process, I wasnt there when my buddy milled it for me but here is are the 2 stacks that came from the 8 logs that formed the top of the tree. (I did resticker this stack sortly after this pic was taken) at this point he didnt have the 2 butt logs cut yet so there was quite a bit more left to get cut at this point. After he got the butt logs cut he told me he would never mill a log that size again. I guess it was about all the wood mizer would handle after he ripped it down the middle with a chain saw.

I just took delivery on a 25" woodmaster planer last month and ran all of this through it 3 days since then I have been itching to get to use some of it. The rest will stay safely tucked away in the barn until the plumbing andinsulation it done. I dont want to mar up my floor before I even get moved in. The stairs will get covered over soon to protect them but for now my boots come off the go up them.

A picture of the skidding process, 2 backhoes, 3 snatch blocks and a lot of cable. The tree was down in a low spot that is real soft so driving back in t get it was out of the question. The 2 bigest logs we had to set up with a 3:1 advantage with the snatch blocks to get them out. In the end after pulling all of the logs out through the same spot there was only one spot that we broke through the ice and dug into he mud. When spring rolled around it was lke we were never there, just a big stump left out in the midle with no tree attached.

The proporty that this tree came off belonged to my grandparents until about 15 years ago, so I guess you could say that I can thank my grandfather for not logging it back in the 50's. The proporty my house (and my folks house) are on has been in the family since 1947 and the only logging that has been done in the last probably 150 years was back in 47-48 when grandpa cut all the chestnut to build the camp that my parents now live in. needless to say we live among alot of big trees out here, just cleaning up the dead and storm damaged stuff each year gets us a good chunck of our fire wood.

 

[Laird]

Outstanding! I plan before long to do some of the things that you are currently doing. I see a Woodmizer and a planer/moulder in my not too distant future. We have about 200 acres of timber and I would love to do everything you are with it!

 

[Hedgerow]

Rep for the good pics and ideas...

 

[Ironworker]

Very impressive, how about some pics of the house.

 

[Farmall Guy]

Outstanding! I plan before long to do some of the things that you are currently doing. I see a Woodmizer and a planer/moulder in my not too distant future. We have about 200 acres of timber and I would love to do everything you are with it!

when you get ready to buy a planner check out woodmaster I bought the 725 and I couldnt be happier with it, the variable fead lets me take 1/8" off a 24" oak plank in one pass, just slow the fead down. Seems to be a very well built machine and is made right here in the US which was also a big selling point for me.

Its been a good project the nice thing about doing everything my self is knowing exactly where everything is and how its built. I also am learning alot along the way which is always a good thing. The only thing I have hired out was putting the steel roof on, I put the rafters and roof deck up but when it came time to do the steel I didnt want to be up there on a 12 12 pitch trying to figure out the best way to put the steel down.

When I nailed all of the 1X6's down for the decking I bought a climbing saddle and rope so I could lower myself down to where I wanted to work and didnt have to worry about slipping. Also used the climbing gear to install the sheeting up in the peak, was a whole lot more stable than a 40' ladder would have been. I'm about 30-35' off the ground here, with the walk out basement its a long way to the peak. Made me glad I went with a 2X12 ridge board :msp_smile:

 

[Farmall Guy]

Very impressive, how about some pics of the house.

Thanks, heres a couple pics of the rest of house over the course of the last year

easter sunday last year, we built the upstairs walls in the pole barn during a rain storm then carried them up to the house with the backhoe. I wish I had extend on the hoe took 3 of us to get the walls to swing up the last inch to get them onto th top plate. I ended up with my mother running the backhoe so my father, brother and myself could pull the walls into place. It was ma's first time in the backhoe, I'm not sure who was more nervous her or me. But in the end we got the walls up and didnt wreck anything so it was a goo day.

Nailing some roof boards down calk boots and climbing gear came in real handylast year :msp_smile:

This one was taken last fall after the tyvek was finishd and I was getting things ready for winter, I started climbing trees after climbing the house. I'm about 45' up a hard maple in my front yard here.

 

[audible fart]

I love the justification of MS880 purchase.
Nice pics.

 

[tjbier]

Awesome!
Thanks for sharing!
What phase is your planer? I am looking for one but dont want to buy the smaller ones.
did you check the moisture content ? I always like to know what people get it down too by air drying.
Congrats on a great home! Isn't it more fun/satisfying using your own lumber?

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

I remember that pic of that oak! I like the lumber you got out of it!
How/what are you going use to finish the steps?

On another topic, have you considered foam insulation for your house? No gaps around the electrical and such…. It might cost more upfront....but the long run I don't think you'll notice the extra cost.

I have two ash logs that I want to mill and build kitchen cabinets out of. Those should be some nice cabinets!

 

[TMFARM 2009]

nice pics, but what are ya going to do with the saw now????
guess you'l have to find another big tree to cut..:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[arlen]

Nice Work

Wow what a beautiful wood house with a nice tin roof. Thanks for sharing your building project. rep sent David

 

[Farmall Guy]

The planer is a 7.5 horse single phase motor for the drive and a 1/2 horse variable speed motor for the feed. I didnt really have much choice but to buy a big planner i I wanted to keep my 24" planks. I managed to get the lumber down to 6-8% moisture content, it has been in my basement since fall of 09 and I kept it heated with the OWB this winter and had a dehumidifier running also so I'm guessing that helped also.

I am planning on having the foam inulation sprayed in, thats about the only way I can see to get this place tight with all the rough cut on the walls. Fortunatly I built small 20X20 with a 12X12 off one side so even if the foam costs more it shouldnt be to bad and the savings over the rest of my life should be well worth it. I used the insulated concrete forms for the basement wals so I've got 5 inches of insulation down there with 8" of renforced concrete in the middle. No sense in cheaping out on the fondation or insulation.

The building inspector thought I was crazy for using 1" sheating but I'm old school and it also let me spend my money with a freind instead of sending it to who knows where for osb.

I run the 880 from time to time, its a blast with a 30" bar and 8 pin rim... I also have a spot picked out for it in the living room, mount the 47" bar and I'll call it art :msp_rolleyes: fortunatly I'm single so theres no complaints about orange and white clashing with the drapes :hmm3grin2orange: