Any use for live oak trunks or thick branches fallen from storm?
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No, you can’t use downed trees. Residual stress from the wind will make the wood behave in an uncontrollable way. Your wood will not end up flat, not sure about turning.
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How big is the tree? As a Turner I’m always looking for free wood. Worse case bowl goes into the Solo Stove
Have chainsaws will travel
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Should be fine for the lathes, but green lumber is not allowed on the main woodshop tools (tablesaw, planer, jointer, etc.)
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There is no rule against using green (aka “wet”, aka “not dry”) wood on the planer, jointer or tablesaw. I know the rules fairly well. I am responsible for communicating the wood shop rules at DMS. Note: I do not make the rules - only the woodshop committee and the board can set rules for the woodshop.
However green wood will very likely trigger the Sawstop safety feature.
There is a rule against using wood with visible sap (think SYP with beads of amber sap on the surface) in the wood shop.
I cut and turn a lot of green wood (think 25% to 75% moisture content). The water acts as a lubricant. Makes it a lot easer to cut on the lathe and bandsaw. I rarely plane or joint wood until it is fairly dry (<15% moisture content). There is no point until the wood has warped (if at all) during the drying process.
Live oak is really nice wood - but it warps like crazy when drying. There’s a reason you never see it at hardwood stores. If you want lumber out of live oak suggest you cut thick (1 to 3") and short (2 to 3’) pieces. Air, solar kiln or kitchen oven to dry down to 10% or so, then joint/plane.
FYI: moisture content i quote above is defined as [water weight/wood weight]. Wood weight is weight of just the wood if all water is removed. Yes, moisture content it can be > 100%. Rare, but it happens.
@simurghi
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All you have to do is drive around in most of the north Dallas Area. Lots of trees down, lots of pretty big trees, too. Just mention that you want to take the tree, and I’m certain homeowners would give their permission. It saves them a little from having to haul it off. I lost some pecan branches, but none really large enough to want to turn them, although I have in the past made pens from them.
I’d just drive around a little in Plano, and you’ll likely run into oaks, Bradford pears, pecans, elms, who knows what kind of tree wood from the storm. Get it soon though as most of the cities are hard at collecting all of the debris from the neighborhoods.
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If anyone has like an 18 in or so trunk, I’m definitely willing to rent a chainsaw and a truck from Home Depot and head on out there!
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Dan, there is a rule against the bark. On all the tools mentioned except for the big Laguna and the Crecent bandsaw.
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I’d be interested in a few small chunks actually! I’ve got a Lionsmane starter kit I can use it on!
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Yes - that is true - I always remove the bark (if it doesn’t fall off in the drying process) before jointing/planing.
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Here is a picture of live oak I cut from a log, dried, jointed and planed:
Very similar to white oak you would find at Dallas hardwood. .
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I was told green wood wasn’t allowed on the tools (excluding lathes and bandsaw). I’m assuming because it would set off the sawstop as you mentioned. Can we get this clarified in the rules?
You might be able to find what you’re looking for at the Hurst Rec Center. There is a very large downed tree trunk that has been cut into sections. I have a chainsaw you can borrow too if you needed
A friend / client was just here and have 2 very large oaks down in on his property on Copper Canyon road (google copper Canyon)
What length section do you want?
This is a “shyt or get off rhe pot” offering meaning decide today or tomorrow otherwise the tree won’t be available.
I’m actually looking for cookies right now. But I’m never going to say no to some harvested timber. Call it like before - 5 ft length?
Zach,
How 5’ isn’t a problem but what is your plan to move, lift and haul away a 5 foot log ?
Well for one thing, I’m going to be cutting it apart. I’m not moving a, that looks like a 16-in trunk?, in one piece. LOL I’m going to be roughing out some timber from that. And I will be getting a truck from home depot. Probably one of the heavy duty pickup trucks. (Although if people want to meet me there and we all work together, and we all help each other cut this thing up, I’m not saying no!)
I’m looking for two chunks about 2-3ft. long and around 4" diameter. Flexible on exact dimensions though, my application isn’t sensitive to that lol.
I can make it out there sometime over the weekend or meet at the space. Whichever is practical 
The guy is older and retired so he would prefer one interruption vs 5 separate ones.
If i can get an idea of who is willing and available for Sundayet me know
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Also, there’s a big ass tree directly in front of my apartment that fell over. I’m going to check with them tomorrow to see if we can harvest it, but it’s in the middle of downtown dallas. Near Northwest highway and i-75