stickering ?

[rarefish383]

I've got a large White Oak down. All the small wood is going to firewood. The trunk is an easy 3 foot across for the first 30 feet and arrow striaght. I know this is going to make a few of you cringe, I'm not gonna mill it. I'm going to buck it into 2ft sections and cut shingles out of it. To cut White Oak shingles you need really straight wood, quarter the rounds, split the heart wood off the quarter, and use a shingle knife or draw knife to slice off 1/2 to 3/4 inch shingles. The only pictures I've seen of old timers doing this they just stacked the shingles up in neat piles. But, I'm assuming they used them pretty quick. If I'm gonna cut the shingles and maybe store them a year while building the cabin, am I going to have to sticker them to keep them from mildewing? Thanks, Joe.

 

[rmount]

I can't add anything helpful as I didn't even know you could make shingles out of oak. But I am wondering, if you split them out of quartered rounds do you follow the circumference around such that the left side of the shingle is bark and the right heart? I've only ever seen them split out of squared blocks.

 

[rarefish383]

I can't add anything helpful as I didn't even know you could make shingles out of cedar. But I am wondering, if you split them out of quartered rounds do you follow the circumference around such that the left side of the shingle is bark and the right heart? I've only ever seen them split out of squared blocks.

Basically, yes. Once you quarter the block, split off a good size piece of the heart, then split of the sapwood with the bark. Now you have a big piece that is almost square. Split the shingles off in thin boards. I pulled out my old Foxfire book to se if I could copy a picture of the process, and probably answered my own question. It has a pic of a big pile of shingles, and they look ruff enough that they can be stacked and will dry without stickering, Joe.

 

[rarefish383]

Wow, the things I'm learning how to do just to hang out here. I had to scan the book, rotate the pics, put on Photobucket, and here they are. These pictures are from my Foxfire Book. I believe there was a series of Foxfire books, this may be the first, not sure. It was about life in the Appalachians, and the dieing traditions. It's a must read for do it yourselfers, Joe.

 

[Cody Colston]

The traditional tool for splitting shingles is a froe. That's what the old man in the pics is using. Drive it in with a wooden mallet, give the handle a twist and split off a shingle.

I am another who didn't know White Oak would make good shingles. I always assumed they were all Cedar.

 

[rmount]

Thanks for the info and the pics! I actually have a froe and mallet that I bought years ago at a yard sale, but I have never used it or seen one used. i might have to give it a try one day.

 

[Dave Boyt]

Yes, I am cringing! Seriously, stacking them loosely should be fine, if you can store them off the ground in a shed. White oak doesn't mildew or rot for a considerable time, which is why it makes good shingles. There is even a species in the white oak family known as "shingle oak". You will find that it splits easily when you nail it, though.

Biggest down side is the fire risk, especially if you have a wood stove.