Green Oak for Box Beams?

[ryan paulsen]

It seemed that every time I googled a woodworking topic, I ended up here so I decided to join up. I'm just starting to try out woodworking as a new hobby, as I was kinda thrust into it. You see, my wife and I are building a house, and I had to take down several mature White Oak trees during the process. Instead of cutting it all into firewood, I had a couple logs milled. I would like to use some of the lumber to add some box-beams to the house. Here's where my question comes in:

I have read up a good amount about the importance of properly drying wet lumber. I have also read that a lot of timber framing is done with green lumber, and allowed to dry in place. My wood is still green, having been milled last spring (most of it 5/4). I'm thinking of making 6" 3-sided beams. Am I asking for trouble making these before the lumber is dry? I plan on leaving the lumber rough-sawn, just knocking down the roughness a touch with some sanding. I'm going for a rustic look, and the beams will be from 9-16 feet overhead. Is this reasonable, or would I be much better off drying completely before assembling the beams? I'm new but thick-skinned, so feel free to send me back to the drawing board!

[Mark Bolton]

It seemed that every time I googled a woodworking topic, I ended up here so I decided to join up. I'm just starting to try out woodworking as a new hobby, as I was kinda thrust into it. You see, my wife and I are building a house, and I had to take down several mature White Oak trees during the process. Instead of cutting it all into firewood, I had a couple logs milled. I would like to use some of the lumber to add some box-beams to the house. Here's where my question comes in:

I have read up a good amount about the importance of properly drying wet lumber. I have also read that a lot of timber framing is done with green lumber, and allowed to dry in place. My wood is still green, having been milled last spring (most of it 5/4). I'm thinking of making 6" 3-sided beams. Am I asking for trouble making these before the lumber is dry? I plan on leaving the lumber rough-sawn, just knocking down the roughness a touch with some sanding. I'm going for a rustic look, and the beams will be from 9-16 feet overhead. Is this reasonable, or would I be much better off drying completely before assembling the beams? I'm new but thick-skinned, so feel free to send me back to the drawing board!

You would definitely have trouble if you dont allow for movement but that being said, if your lumber has been covered for almost a year, and is stickered in a dry location, its likely pretty dry by now anyway. If you had the time you could move the material into the space for good while and it may help. If you construct your boxes in a manner that they can move (sides are allowed to shrink slightly and the bottom also has room to shrink) you would likely be OK. The hard part is that a beam wrap is in the hottest part of the house (up high). At least your wraps are small (not very wide) so it would likely not be too bad.

[ryan paulsen]

Thanks for the quick response!

Here's an attempt to post some pics:

One of the logs getting milled:
sawmill.jpg

Stack of wood #2 (I have another stack of mostly slabs, 8/4, and other thicker stuff)
stack of wood.jpg

Here is one slab that I'm working on for our mantle:
mantle.jpg

[Kent A Bathurst]

You might ask the guy that milled the lumber if he has a moisture meter you can borrow. That info would tell you a lot.

Stickered outdoors, covered, for a year would make me nervous in general, but you are going for a rustic look, so maybe this will work out OK. Depends on your definition of "rustic" and "rustic-er" after it gets fully dry.

Also, keep in mind that timber-framing is not using 5/4 boards - that uses seriouly honking chunks of wood, with very strong and purpose-designed joinery. Lrtting that dry in place is probably a different cat than you are looking at. Plus - I've never done it - but I wonder what "square and plumb" looks like after all the moisture has left town, and the timber frames are dry?

EDIT: Oh, yeah - almost forgot: Welcome. Glad to have you in the gang.

[Mark Bolton]

Id have no problem with 5/4 dried outside for a year covered for even slightly rustic its probably in the low teens by now anyway. Its not imperitive to have 6-8% for this kind of work. The house may average out in the low teens anyway.

The mantle is going to move without a doubt. But if rustic is the goal the more charecter the better.

I have worked in homes that have a 400k timber frame (just the frame). The look astounding. The homeowners are usually pooping themselves for the first year or so while the frame is drying and it sounds like cannon shots at any point (usually in the middle of the night when the building is cool).