Please enjoy the following music as I did the past few weeks:
Sandra McCracken and David Ramirez - Running On Empty
I received a delivery (from 4 doors down) of northern red oak (quercus rubra). This was a substantially massive red oak that I've watched growing for my entire life. With plenty of sun and minimal competition, this was a very fast growing tree. If using deciduous trees for building and strength is primary factor, this is what you want. Large, thick, summer growth rings. For character or workability, smaller, tighter, older growth rings are more desirable.
I won't bore the read with why this is the case for deciduous trees and not necessarily the case for conifers. Maybe another time.
Much of the straight timbers I decided to rive out in the traditional manner. Riving is just like splitting firewood just in a larger scale. This is how structures were built before saws. This method will always produce the best timber in almost every way except economics.
Since I am the world's foremost authority on how NOT to be a good businessman and I reject all things economic or sensible, I gravitate towards methods like this.
Firstly, it's a lot of work. Like a lot.
All trees are under various conditions of tension (separating forces) and compression (condensing forces). This produces persisting growth patterns/grain direction in the timber that aren't always visible to the naked eye. A saw will indiscriminately cut through these forces and when the board starts to dry it may warp respective to those directions.
Not only that, you might cut a straight board and it dries straight but the grain runs out at an angle producing a weaker board.
Riving out follows the naturally weak points and growth patterns in the wood thereby relieving the stress. In oak especially, it also produces the most beautiful medullary ray fleck.
I'm usually milling on site or wherever the tree came down. Definitely not on my front lawn. But I had no choice with these beasts. The amount of attention I've been getting from passersby is unnerving.
I guess it's abnormal to see a guy sledgehammering iron and wood wedges into giant timber all day and sorting them out without equipment. Some of my favorite encounters:
Person 1: "Wow. I hope you have a lot of BenGay for tonight."
No, why don't you bring some over.
Person 2: "Doesn't that hurt?"
The timber or me?
Person 3: "Are you going to build something?"
I suppose so.
Person 4: "But WHERE did this come from?"
Well, (as I gesture around in 360º) we seem to be surrounded by trees.
I guess people are unencumbered by the sound of a 95cc chainsaw running at full throttle for about 20 minutes straight at each interval. They'll just stop and stare awkwardly waiting to say something to me. One guy was walking to the dentist office and wanted to stop and chat about the history of local greenhouses from 200 years ago. I guess I'm savvy enough to chat about that and make his day...
One of the many things I love about dissecting trees is seeing a narrative of the past. In front of me I have decades of information mapping out the local climate, growing conditions, soil composition, human interference, etc.
Just like imagery analysis, you can slowly build a very detailed narrative. Even if you never witnessed the tree standing.
Fun fact, iron and oak don't mix well. The tannins in oak will stain the oak black and if prolonged with moisture can destroy the wood. You can delicately use this to your advantage to ebonize the wood black if that's the desired aesthetic.
This big chonka was 37" wide. I was not going to rive this. Riving only works with straight timber free of branches or knots. This one needed to be slabbed with the Alaskan. And it produced some seriously gorgeous timber.
Each one of these slabs is 2 1/4" x 36"x 98" and weigh about 350 pounds. No, not the biggest slabs. I've moved bigger. Much bigger.
Person 5: " But how will you move these?"
Ancient aliens.
It's usually the case that help is not on the way. There is no QRF standing by. I just need to figure it the fuck out or else I miss out on this resource.
Person 6: "I once thought about getting an Alaskan."
Cool. Don't forget your BenGay.
Here's some fun news. The DoD has decided to stop importing restricted exotic timber for its trailer decking and start using domestic red oak. Wow. I'm flabbergasted and inspired by the logic here.
MTF.