Oak End Tables from my own harvested trees.

[Mark Waltrip]

I'm new to woodworking and am learning as I go, so please bear with me.

I am going to be cutting down a 60' Red Oak next week that I've been planning on harvesting for lumber. The wife took one look at the trunk and said that she would like to have 3 or 4 end tables and a small round breakfast table out of the trunk wood.

My question is this.......

What is the best way to harvest and dry the wood to ensure that it doesn't crack during the drying process?

A friend of mine suggested sealing it prior to drying, but he's the same guy that told me to 'burn out' my chimney when it was full of creosote build up. So, I'm reluctant to follow his advice if you catch my drift.

[Danny Hamsley]

If you saw rounds (cookies) off the trunk for the tables, the cookies will split because the inside and outside dry at different rates. There is no way to prevent them from cracking; even if sealed, they will crack from drying stress. The best way to go in my opinion is to have the tree sawn into boards, sticker and dry them under cover, and make the tables from the boards. If you want circular tables, you can glue up the top large enough so that you can cut the circle sizes that you need. There is likely a portable sawmiller in yuor area that can saw the tree for you.

[Mark Waltrip]

So even under controlled conditions the wood will still crack?

The reason I ask is because I have a neighbor who has a "drying shed" for 'wet' wood, and could use it for this purpose if I asked.


How do woodworkers get round tables from stumps if they always crack?

[Frank Trinkle]

Just so you know who answered your original post, Danny lives on a BUNCH of acres where he grows a phenomenal number of species; cuts and mills them himself! He is located in South Georgia, about 30 miles south of Macon.

I had the opportunity to go out and get a bunch of wood from him this week at VERY reasonable prices. He is a great guy and a LOT of help.

He originally was advertising some black walnut for sale on another forum, and that's why I went out. What I found however, was a TON of various species... hard and soft in some very large stacks. (All air dried, but good nonethless). I bought some Black Walnut, some Cedar, Poplar, china - something or other... and some others that I cant for the life of me remember the names of, but that had great color or patterns. I was ecstatic!

He is definitely worth a trip if you are in South Georgia... and now he's on this board as well (by my suggestion I might add ) If you're looking for wood or questions ABOUT wood... Danny Hamsley is your guy!

[curtis rosche]

you can seal the "cookies" with minimal cracks, that can be planned off. bring this post over to the turners forum. we do this kind of drying all the time. you just have to drill the pith out.

[Frank Trinkle]

Here are some of the other species that Danny has. 4/4 and larger:

pecan, red oak, red cedar, yellow poplar, sweetgum, and sycamore plus others

[Danny Hamsley]

Like Curtis points out, you have to relieve the stress by cutting out the pith or making a sacrificial kerf to the pith. If you do not relieve the stress, you will probably be disappointed in the results. Even if sealed, the wood will still have to dry over time, and the conflicting drying rates across the growth rings to the pith will be an issue at some point.

[Lee Schierer]

If you saw rounds (cookies) off the trunk for the tables, the cookies will split because the inside and outside dry at different rates. There is no way to prevent them from cracking; even if sealed, they will crack from drying stress.

What if you covered the the entire cookie with plastic, and gradually removed strips of plastic moving out from the center? This would allow the center to dry more quickly than the edges. Maybe something like cover the entire cookie for say a month. Then open a 1-2" dia hole on both sides in the center of the plastic, and remove a 1" band every month there after until all the plastic is removed. Anyone ever tried this?

[Art Mulder]

...a 60' Red Oak next week that I've been planning on harvesting for lumber.

I'll be the wet blanket... Red Oak is a very, very, common hardwood, and pretty inexpensive. I've read a few times that it's not really cost-effective to have a red oak sawn up for you for lumber.

Don't get me wrong! I'm all for making something from the tree for sentimental reasons. But you might not necessarily save any money over buying the lumber. So just go in with your eyes open.

That said... you can sometimes find someone with a portable sawmill who will cut up a log for you for barter -- taking part of the wood in payment -- rather than for cash.

Stack and sticker the wood. Put the worst on the bottom of the pile. Ensure it has good air flow through the sides, but cover the top to protect form the elements. Air drying is usually at the rate of one year per inch of thickness. You can speed that up by bringing it in a shed/garage and blowing an oscillating fan on it. The current Fine Woodworking had a blurb in it about how to stack wood to air dry your own lumber.

have fun!
...art

[curtis rosche]

getting your own lumber milled can save tons of money if you find the right place. there is an amish owned saw mill near me, and we got 1300bdft of red oak and cherry milled, for them to pick it up, mill it and bring it back was only $180. thats a HUGE savings over just buying wood.

depending on how much money you want to spend you can get the "cookies" with out cracks.
heres how.
cut them 3 times as thick as you need them.
then get a bucket that it will fit in and will cover the top when filled. then put the slab in the bucket and fill the bucket with Denatured Alcohol (DNA) the dna sucks the sap out of the wood and replaces it. let it sit for a week or two, or more just to be safe. for a roughed out bowl it is let soak for a minimum of 24 hours. after you let it soak, wrap in towels, or papertowels, or newspaper. then place it in a cool dry place where it wont get any wind, (garage isnt a good place, basement is best) and let it sit for a couple months. the alcohol that replaced the sap evaporates more evenly and results in way less cracking if any. i use with with burls and i havent cracked one yet.