Many years ago in the 1980’s a big storm felled a very big white oak tree in a neighbors yard. I was allowed to get 3 logs that were 9 feet long and over 3 feet in diameter, at the small end! It was quite a project to load them. My neighbor’s huge tractor would not lift them. We built a ramp out of 2 smaller logs up to the trailer bed, wrapped a long chain around and around the log, attached it to the tractor on the other side of the trailer and backed up. As the chain unrolled, the log rolled up the ramp and onto the trailer. My neighbor was a pretty smart farmer who knew how to use mechanical advantage.

I drove the truck and trailer to the sawmill with my 3 huge logs and they laughed, the logs were too big for their sawmill. They unloaded my logs crossways onto two other logs spaced a few feet across and told me to get a rip chain for my chainsaw to saw all three logs in half so they could be milled. I had never heard of a rip chain for a chainsaw but sure enough there was such a thing. My 034 Stihl chainsaw had a 16” bar that would not reach halfway through the logs. I ripped down one side, rolled the logs over and ripped down the other side. The sawmill guys came with a huge loader with forks and split all three logs like firewood. The half logs were small enough to be sawn by the sawmill. I had the logs quartersawn which reduces the yield but gives the highest quality lumber.

I air dried the lumber for several years before I used any of it. In 1994 we hired a crew of three guys to help us build the house of our dreams. We chose to build it with post and beam construction using red oak for the posts and beams. They tore down the Mt. Ulla Elementary School in 1993. It was built in 1928. My family helped me tear out the flooring from two classrooms. It was grade marked and dated on the underside. It was the original flooring. We put it down in our living room and kitchen. The stairs, dining table, desktop and breakfast counters were all made from the mighty white oak boards.

It’s hard to believe that these white oak stair treads have been in service for 30 years and show virtually no wear. The black is from an iron spike. Fortunately the sawyer pulled the spike before it tore up the saw blade.

So since this blog is supposed to be about bowls and bowl turning, I suppose I should get to the point. Below is a Wormy Quartersawn White Oak Wooden Bowl that I turned this week. The plank that I used to make the bowl was one of the few remaining pieces from the mighty white oak. I saved all of the “shorts” or “cutoffs” from the house projects and am slowly working through them. I try to do a variety of bowls every week instead of making a group from the same plank or batch of wood.

A Mighty White Oak

PPE - Personal Protective Equipment

Pommele Sapele - Again