I have felled an oak on my property, and I would like to make a tabletop out of it.
Is there anyone on the forum who has experience with a similar project?
How do you find someone who can saw up a tree?
Joining boards together isn't so complicated, but the preliminary work cannot be done without the right knowledge/machines.
Is there anyone on the forum who has experience with a similar project?
How do you find someone who can saw up a tree?
Joining boards together isn't so complicated, but the preliminary work cannot be done without the right knowledge/machines.
Hello!
Building things from your own timber is one of the most fun things you can do, but far from the easiest...
1. Sawing the log
I saw by myself at my Jonsered sawmill. Before I had it, I sawed mostly at a friend's place in the countryside. Many farmers/forest owners have their own small sawmills, definitely easiest if you find someone like that within your circle of acquaintances. It can be a bit difficult to get into the large sawmills, so it's best if you find a small private one.
2. Drying
One of the most important things before you start working in the sawn timber is that it dries properly, otherwise it's just wasted time. Drying timber is a whole science, and everyone has their methods. Personally, I have the great advantage of owning a barn with a hayloft where the timber can dry relatively quickly. But naturally, it goes in most spaces, even outdoors. But the important thing is that it dries properly, preferably down to 6-8% moisture.
3. Processing
When the timber is dried, it's time to saw/plane it to the right dimensions. It's a matter of taste if you're making a tabletop whether you want many narrow strips or a few wider ones. If the grain in the timber is beautiful, it's very nice to have wider pieces so you can see the beautiful wood.
For this, you need a table saw and a jointer/planer. The planer is probably the most important so you can plane it to the right dimensions and get a good finish.
4. Gluing
Gluing larger pieces like tabletops, however, is not as easy as it sounds. It's very easy for the tabletop to become skewed and twisted if you don't have a gluing table or similar. It's also very important that you have planed all sides straight so there aren't any gaps in the table. This is especially important when you have wider pieces that don't shape themselves to each other as easily.
But as long as you have many clamps and a large flat surface, this shouldn't be any problem.
I hope I didn't discourage you from this project; as mentioned, it's really fun to use your own material for your projects.
/elof - fine carpenter
Building things from your own timber is one of the most fun things you can do, but far from the easiest...
1. Sawing the log
I saw by myself at my Jonsered sawmill. Before I had it, I sawed mostly at a friend's place in the countryside. Many farmers/forest owners have their own small sawmills, definitely easiest if you find someone like that within your circle of acquaintances. It can be a bit difficult to get into the large sawmills, so it's best if you find a small private one.
2. Drying
One of the most important things before you start working in the sawn timber is that it dries properly, otherwise it's just wasted time. Drying timber is a whole science, and everyone has their methods. Personally, I have the great advantage of owning a barn with a hayloft where the timber can dry relatively quickly. But naturally, it goes in most spaces, even outdoors. But the important thing is that it dries properly, preferably down to 6-8% moisture.
3. Processing
When the timber is dried, it's time to saw/plane it to the right dimensions. It's a matter of taste if you're making a tabletop whether you want many narrow strips or a few wider ones. If the grain in the timber is beautiful, it's very nice to have wider pieces so you can see the beautiful wood.
For this, you need a table saw and a jointer/planer. The planer is probably the most important so you can plane it to the right dimensions and get a good finish.
4. Gluing
Gluing larger pieces like tabletops, however, is not as easy as it sounds. It's very easy for the tabletop to become skewed and twisted if you don't have a gluing table or similar. It's also very important that you have planed all sides straight so there aren't any gaps in the table. This is especially important when you have wider pieces that don't shape themselves to each other as easily.
But as long as you have many clamps and a large flat surface, this shouldn't be any problem.
I hope I didn't discourage you from this project; as mentioned, it's really fun to use your own material for your projects.
/elof - fine carpenter
Thank you for a good and detailed answer, I don't have any acquaintances who run sawmills, so the question will go out to the forum.
Is there anyone in the Stockholm area who knows of a sawmill that can cut up an oak?
Signature: Grateful for an answer.
Is there anyone in the Stockholm area who knows of a sawmill that can cut up an oak?
Signature: Grateful for an answer.
It might be fun, but what a waste of time to make a tabletop when there are plenty of cheap oak boards in the hardware stores.
Keep in mind that you'll probably have to wait quite a while for it to dry.
When gluing, make sure to alternate the direction of the wood so that it warps evenly across the surface. That's the only advice I can give that elof hasn't already mentioned.
/CC
Keep in mind that you'll probably have to wait quite a while for it to dry.
When gluing, make sure to alternate the direction of the wood so that it warps evenly across the surface. That's the only advice I can give that elof hasn't already mentioned.
/CC
