White Oak and Swamp White Oak

[emichaels]

From a boat building view, does Swamp White Oak have the same great boat building characteristics as White Oak.

[emichaels]

From a boat building view, does Swamp White Oak have the same great boat building characteristics as White Oak.

[emichaels]

From a boat building view, does Swamp White Oak have the same great boat building characteristics as White Oak.

[trull]

Is been my experience that framing with newly sawn Swamp White Oak was a treat. We used to bend 2x4 stock fairly easily. At Concordia it was the Oak of choice. Working with it all day would turn your hands blue. There was a lot growing in Southeastern Mass, but I've never seen any growing in Maine. I remember splitting it for ax handles and recall it was a bit stringy. Have you found a supply?

[trull]

Is been my experience that framing with newly sawn Swamp White Oak was a treat. We used to bend 2x4 stock fairly easily. At Concordia it was the Oak of choice. Working with it all day would turn your hands blue. There was a lot growing in Southeastern Mass, but I've never seen any growing in Maine. I remember splitting it for ax handles and recall it was a bit stringy. Have you found a supply?

[trull]

Is been my experience that framing with newly sawn Swamp White Oak was a treat. We used to bend 2x4 stock fairly easily. At Concordia it was the Oak of choice. Working with it all day would turn your hands blue. There was a lot growing in Southeastern Mass, but I've never seen any growing in Maine. I remember splitting it for ax handles and recall it was a bit stringy. Have you found a supply?

[emichaels]

We do live in Maine now and unfortunately we still have our house in Cincinnati (renting it out). On that property there is a couple of trees that an arborist told me is swamp white oak. The leaves definitely look like it. I have been conjuring a plan to take it down and mill it. There is about 3500-4000 bd-ft there. If it is good for steamming into frames and making keels from I would like to use it for that. And some cabinets also.

[emichaels]

We do live in Maine now and unfortunately we still have our house in Cincinnati (renting it out). On that property there is a couple of trees that an arborist told me is swamp white oak. The leaves definitely look like it. I have been conjuring a plan to take it down and mill it. There is about 3500-4000 bd-ft there. If it is good for steamming into frames and making keels from I would like to use it for that. And some cabinets also.

[emichaels]

We do live in Maine now and unfortunately we still have our house in Cincinnati (renting it out). On that property there is a couple of trees that an arborist told me is swamp white oak. The leaves definitely look like it. I have been conjuring a plan to take it down and mill it. There is about 3500-4000 bd-ft there. If it is good for steamming into frames and making keels from I would like to use it for that. And some cabinets also.

[Bruce Hooke]

You may want to keep in mind that living, healthy, mature hardwood trees add quite a bit of value to your average house (I recall hearing a figure of $10,000 a few years back) -- a good bit more value than you are likely to get back in wood, especially if you do the price comparison on green wood and add in the cost of getting it from Cincinnati to Maine. Also, you may have trouble finding a sawmill willing to touch yard trees, because trees near houses almost always have nails in them somewhere.

This all, of course, assumes that we are talking about a city or suburban house with a few trees in the yard, not a country home where these trees are two of hundreds down at the bottom of the field, but talk of arborists suggest to me that these are yard trees.

Of course if the trees are unhealthy or already need to come down for some reason then that may change the equation.

Also, don't even bother if the trees are not at least 8-10" in diameter. Smaller than that and once you get rid of the sapwood and the pith you will not have enough left to make into lumber for it to be a worthwhile exercise.

[Bruce Hooke]

You may want to keep in mind that living, healthy, mature hardwood trees add quite a bit of value to your average house (I recall hearing a figure of $10,000 a few years back) -- a good bit more value than you are likely to get back in wood, especially if you do the price comparison on green wood and add in the cost of getting it from Cincinnati to Maine. Also, you may have trouble finding a sawmill willing to touch yard trees, because trees near houses almost always have nails in them somewhere.

This all, of course, assumes that we are talking about a city or suburban house with a few trees in the yard, not a country home where these trees are two of hundreds down at the bottom of the field, but talk of arborists suggest to me that these are yard trees.

Of course if the trees are unhealthy or already need to come down for some reason then that may change the equation.

Also, don't even bother if the trees are not at least 8-10" in diameter. Smaller than that and once you get rid of the sapwood and the pith you will not have enough left to make into lumber for it to be a worthwhile exercise.

[Bruce Hooke]

You may want to keep in mind that living, healthy, mature hardwood trees add quite a bit of value to your average house (I recall hearing a figure of $10,000 a few years back) -- a good bit more value than you are likely to get back in wood, especially if you do the price comparison on green wood and add in the cost of getting it from Cincinnati to Maine. Also, you may have trouble finding a sawmill willing to touch yard trees, because trees near houses almost always have nails in them somewhere.

This all, of course, assumes that we are talking about a city or suburban house with a few trees in the yard, not a country home where these trees are two of hundreds down at the bottom of the field, but talk of arborists suggest to me that these are yard trees.

Of course if the trees are unhealthy or already need to come down for some reason then that may change the equation.

Also, don't even bother if the trees are not at least 8-10" in diameter. Smaller than that and once you get rid of the sapwood and the pith you will not have enough left to make into lumber for it to be a worthwhile exercise.

[emichaels]

Well the situation is this the trees are about 34" and 32" dia respectively and they hang over the house. It has been a consistent comment when we listed the house. Kinda scary looking. The limb wood is about 3 cord worth and I will split that and sell it at 250/cord in Cincny. I own my own sawmill and metal detector so I am set for the sawyering part. The trees will come down with a crane.

[emichaels]

Well the situation is this the trees are about 34" and 32" dia respectively and they hang over the house. It has been a consistent comment when we listed the house. Kinda scary looking. The limb wood is about 3 cord worth and I will split that and sell it at 250/cord in Cincny. I own my own sawmill and metal detector so I am set for the sawyering part. The trees will come down with a crane.

[emichaels]

Well the situation is this the trees are about 34" and 32" dia respectively and they hang over the house. It has been a consistent comment when we listed the house. Kinda scary looking. The limb wood is about 3 cord worth and I will split that and sell it at 250/cord in Cincny. I own my own sawmill and metal detector so I am set for the sawyering part. The trees will come down with a crane.

[gary porter]

I believe in the current WB issue in a continuing article about rebuilds and or restoring (7 part article) they mention swamp white oak and others and the bending properties as well as some very good advice on the sawing of such when the intent is bending. Its worth the read even if I'm wrong about the Swamp Oak. Love to get a hold of some of it.
Gary

[gary porter]

I believe in the current WB issue in a continuing article about rebuilds and or restoring (7 part article) they mention swamp white oak and others and the bending properties as well as some very good advice on the sawing of such when the intent is bending. Its worth the read even if I'm wrong about the Swamp Oak. Love to get a hold of some of it.
Gary

[gary porter]

I believe in the current WB issue in a continuing article about rebuilds and or restoring (7 part article) they mention swamp white oak and others and the bending properties as well as some very good advice on the sawing of such when the intent is bending. Its worth the read even if I'm wrong about the Swamp Oak. Love to get a hold of some of it.
Gary

[emichaels]

Originally posted by gary porter:
I believe in the current WB issue in a continuing article about rebuilds and or restoring (7 part article) they mention swamp white oak and others and the bending properties as well as some very good advice on the sawing of such when the intent is bending. Its worth the read even if I'm wrong about the Swamp Oak. Love to get a hold of some of it.
GaryI have not gotten to that article yet I was actually saving it for tonight. Have you used swamp white oak before to do any furniture ?? I read that from a cabinet wood view it is the same as regular white oak. Especially in the 1/4 sawn flavor. Thanks for the heads up on the article.

[emichaels]

Originally posted by gary porter:
I believe in the current WB issue in a continuing article about rebuilds and or restoring (7 part article) they mention swamp white oak and others and the bending properties as well as some very good advice on the sawing of such when the intent is bending. Its worth the read even if I'm wrong about the Swamp Oak. Love to get a hold of some of it.
GaryI have not gotten to that article yet I was actually saving it for tonight. Have you used swamp white oak before to do any furniture ?? I read that from a cabinet wood view it is the same as regular white oak. Especially in the 1/4 sawn flavor. Thanks for the heads up on the article.

[emichaels]

Originally posted by gary porter:
I believe in the current WB issue in a continuing article about rebuilds and or restoring (7 part article) they mention swamp white oak and others and the bending properties as well as some very good advice on the sawing of such when the intent is bending. Its worth the read even if I'm wrong about the Swamp Oak. Love to get a hold of some of it.
GaryI have not gotten to that article yet I was actually saving it for tonight. Have you used swamp white oak before to do any furniture ?? I read that from a cabinet wood view it is the same as regular white oak. Especially in the 1/4 sawn flavor. Thanks for the heads up on the article.

[gary porter]

No, haven't used much white oak of any kind for furniture much just red oak but I do have a lot of white oak from Indiana for boat work.
I use mostly Alaskan Birch and Walnut for furniure work and some red oak, cherry and mapel.
Gary

[gary porter]

No, haven't used much white oak of any kind for furniture much just red oak but I do have a lot of white oak from Indiana for boat work.
I use mostly Alaskan Birch and Walnut for furniure work and some red oak, cherry and mapel.
Gary

[gary porter]

No, haven't used much white oak of any kind for furniture much just red oak but I do have a lot of white oak from Indiana for boat work.
I use mostly Alaskan Birch and Walnut for furniure work and some red oak, cherry and mapel.
Gary