Replies

1. 
   Ejc | May 02, 2005 01:31am | #1

   Hello John,

    not from montana, couldnt begin to tell you, here in new jersey I am having the same difficulties.  You might try going to the website http://www.windsorchairresources.com perhaps someone can there can help.

   Dont be overly hopeful however, I just posted this exact question for any help in my area of new jersey, the only reply was to check with tree trimmers in my area. "A" yea I had already thought of that, "B" Didnt have any luck with that. If your lucky enough to have a sawmill in your area, perhaps you could try to buy a log from them.

   Ps. How did you enjoy your class at the windsor institute? Been wanting to go for years.

   Good luck ,         E

    

1. 
   jcfd1st | May 02, 2005 04:57am | #2

   Hi E...Thanks for responding.....As a matter of fact there are plenty of sawmills in Montana...there are not, however, many oak trees ..About the only oaks will be what you might ,now and then, find in someone's yard...Asking if I can cut down their tree is not a way to make friends......:-)  I'm surprised New Jersey is a problem for oaks....the east coast seems full of them.  The Windsor Institute does sell green oak logs but they do no ship them...so, if you're feeling up to a trip to Hampton NH don't forget to bring your truck or trailer. 

   If you get the opportunity to take a class at the Windsor Institute...do it.....  The experience is fabulous.  The instructors are knowledgable, helpful and quite a resource..... I came away with many new techniques that I can, hopefully, shape into skills.  Making a Windsor Chair was a blast....plus, you meet a lot of "kindred spirits"...and Hampton and the surrounding area have lots of great seafood restaurants...It was truly a great experience and I plan on taking classes in the future...maybe I'll see you there....Thanks for the response...One way or another I'll find a source for "green" red oak.....John

    

1. 
   DarrylM | May 02, 2005 05:40am | #3

   John,

   What part of MT are you in? I've got a friend out there in Butte and he's been telling me that he gets his Oak from a lumber mill in Billings(I think that's where it is). I'll be talking to him tomorrow, I can find out more details for you then.

   Darryl

1. 
   jcfd1st | May 02, 2005 06:25am | #4

   Darryl:  We do have plenty of oak here......  What I need is oak that is "green"...freshly cut.  Most all Windsor chairs require wood bending for either the bows and/or the arms.  Dried wood does not bend very well....If your friend has a resource for fresh cut oak I'd be interested....By the way, I'm in Billings, about 230 miles from Butte...John

1. 
   LeeGrindinger | May 02, 2005 10:51pm | #6

   John, I hope you find your way to MontanaFest this August. Info is in the link below.As to green oak, use http://www.woodfinder.com to find a mill in the midwest that will ship the stuff to you. You might try to touch bases with George Hessenthaler in Logan, Utah. George is, or at least was, heading up an urban forest-to-lumber effort there a while back and oaks are plentiful there. I don't have contact information for George but a white pages search should turn him up.LeeMontanaFest

2. 
   KeithNewton | May 03, 2005 04:47am | #7

   You shouldn't have much of a problem finding green oak, It is one of the most plentiful woods in NA. Of course for your bend, I know that you need perfectly straight grain down the length of the board. Even knowing that, there are so many small mills around these days, someone should be eager to help you. Have you ever visited woodweb.com? It is meant to be more for the professional, as in industrial end of woodworking, but the sawing and drying section is visited bay a lot of small operators, and I would bet that if your willing to buy more than just a few boards, you would be able to find someone willing to ship you a bundle. I was just wondering why you are choosing red over white oak though. I don't recall ever having read that the red bends any better than white. When all else is considered, I usually choose white, what are your reasons for wanting red?Here is a link http://www.woodweb.com/Resources/RSSDG.html If this doesn't work, you may post a question in the forum @ http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/forums/sawdry.pl

3. 
   jcfd1st | May 03, 2005 06:58am | #8

   Rootburl: Well, I use red oak because thats what we used at the Windsor Institute.   I understand that white oak does bend well and I would not be opposed to trying it. I was hoping that somewhere in Montana there lived someone who had access to a good supply of "bendable" oak....I'm going to try bending dried woods as I understand it is  "doable"..John

4. 
   SamWilson | May 03, 2005 08:19pm | #9

   Does white oak split well?

   Sam

5. 
   KeithNewton | May 04, 2005 05:25am | #12

   That depends on the growing conditions. Some will split just fine, if it has a nice straight trunk. Then again you can have a straight trunk with spiraling or interlocking grain. Even the straight trunks will often have some interlocking grain near the heart in the juvinal wood. Otherwise, I prefer white because it has better rot resistance, a better smell, and if you want to color it a color that doesn't have red in it, you don't have to get rid of the red.
   The pores are also smaller, and are filled with tylose, so it doesn't suck the finish in so bad.

6. 
   DarrylM | May 04, 2005 04:28am | #10

   John,

   That lumber mill my friend goes to is in Helena, not Billings, sorry... He agreed today though that you may have a tough time getting green oak over there.

   I use tommila brothers over here in NH http://www.tommilabrothers.com. Check in the retail section, they have green oak listed in the timber pricing sheet... I know there doesn't seem to be any shortage of Oak here and they ship stuff all over the world. I'm not sure if they would ship a personal order or not, but it never hurts to ask...

   Hope it helps,

   Darryl

7. 
   jcfd1st | May 04, 2005 06:25am | #13

   Thanks for the lead Darryl...I did receive a memo from a contact in Carolina and he assured me that I can bend both kiln and air dried oak....My next step is to experiment with a steamer and some of the scraps I have in my shop...I'm hoping for surprises....John

8. 
   SWW | May 04, 2005 03:05pm | #14

   I'd post your question about working and bending kiln dried oak to http://www.windsorchairresources.com/chairtalk if I were you. I don't know about steaming kiln dried stock, but I do know that it's miserable to work it with hand tools. Green wood is so much better.

2. 
   cherryjohn | May 05, 2005 12:24am | #15

   Thanks for helpig our thriving economy...............

   Been to the the chair shack twice myselfWicked Decent Woodworks

   (oldest woodworking shop in NH)

   Rochester NH

   " If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"

2. 
   BOBABEUI | May 02, 2005 03:36pm | #5

   I noticed you said you lived in NJ, but your profile doesn't give any more information.

   Might want to give Riephoff Sawmill in Allentown NJ (central NJ, near Trenton) a call, I believe they are on Monmonth Country route 524,  Phone (609) 259-7265, they saw a lot of wood for pallets got to believe that they have some some green Oak hanging a round.

   Best of luck

    

   Edited 5/2/2005 1:46 pm ET by BOBABEUI

2. 
   PnCbWshp | May 04, 2005 05:10am | #11

   John,

   I have access to an almost unlimited supply of red oak, white, and just about any other kind of oak here in Missouri. That's not to mention cherry, ash, walnut, pine, etc. Most is still standing in the woods (can't be any greener). It gets logged, cut to order on a Woodmizer LT70 bandmill and stripe stacked ready for shipping.  You specify the grade (most often FAS, 1 common or occasionally 2 common).

   It's at or below midwest retail market prices per green board foot at this point.

   The rub, however, is shipping. Small quantities tend to drive the board foot cost up in a hurry.

   The ideal situation for both buyer and seller is--buyer orders 250 + board feet, shows up at the mill here in central Missouri with a 3/4 ton or larger pickup truck. Seller forklifts custom sawed lumber onto truck.  Buyer writes seller a reasonable check; drives home with a real treasure.

   For details: [email protected]

   MikeC