I've got this standing dead twin chestnut oak on my property, it's been dead two years. Both trunks are about 28" at chest height.



There is a large chestnut oak thirty yards away. They both have the same distinctive bark. That one is living and I was able to make an ID with the leaves.



Any of you woodworkers ever work with chestnut oak? I know it's in the white oak family, is it similar to regular white oak?

I'm thinking about having the lower 8-10' quarter-sawn and the rest flat-sawn into 9/4 or 10/4. Think it's worth it or should I just cut it up for fire wood and wait for some regular white oak to mill? Should be about thousand board feet there.

Can't say I've ever had two known species of "white oak" when I worked in the cabinet shop so I can't say as to a direct comparison. However, I never saw a broad enough variation to be concerned, assuming we got mixed species as white oak.

Close to similar, color wise other than it splits easier, when i saw it it gos in with the whiteoak lumber for flooring around here. other than barrel makers dont want it for staves, its pretty much the same.

Chestnut oak and white oak are one in the same as far as woodworking goes. There are three or four white oak look alike’s that pass as white oak. This may be a result of the current high demand for white oak, especially for flooring. Chestnut oak is a bit darker than white oak but I like the darker color. The bourbon industry consumes an enormous amount of white oak trees and they likely have driven the price up. It’s really pricey now. I’m not positive but I think WO is tough to dry thicker than 8/4. I never see it in anything thicker than 8/4.

Wonder why it is also called "Rock Oak"?

Second question if the tree has been dead for a couple of years. does the wood colour become darker ?

What happens with our burr oak that after 2 years dead standing it becomes dark brown wood , and is actually graded as English Brown Oak

be careful when you tell who ever does the sawing that you want it quarter sawn.
Quarter sawn means different things to different people.
I go over in great detail how I want a log sawn when I take it to a sawyer.

I assume that when you say quarter sawn you want it saw so that the rays in trunk show up. That means that all the saw cuts need to be perpendicular to the growth rings, or from the pith straight out to the bark.
To some that means ray sawn, not quarter sawn.
I had one sawyer claim that you can cut up to a 45 to the growth rings and get ray fleck, don't believe it.

You get the most waste but the nicest boards from a true quarter sawn log.

its got bug holes in it if its been dead 2 years.

I think it might also be called rock oak because it often grows in some pretty craggy places. It does in NYS anyway.

Makes sense what warrior, logger coffey and learch said, Probably all the oaks in the white oak group are very similar.

Interesting Northof50, I've taken down a decent number of standing dead oaks and never noticed significant darkening. It wouldn't bother me if was darker though. I know oak and many lighter-colored woods darken with exposure to sunlight.

I'm on good terms with three sawyers Dirty D and have used all of them before. They are usually pretty good at following instructions but I will likely be right there on saw day to make sure if I do decide to have them quarte-sawn. 24" diameter is usually the smallest I'll have quarter-sawn. This twin is 28" on both trunks. I haven't decided if I'll have the lower trunks quarter-sawn or all of it flat-sawn yet.

It might have bugs and bug holes Ridge Runner. They don't eat much. They usually only infest the sapwood which I don't use anyway. I have to be careful with lyctid powder post beetles. They can be a problem around here but there are ways to keep them at bay.

I believe you are correct Rat Pack.

I'm thinking they will be going to the mill and not the firewood shed.

The lyctidae beetles do leave some interesting patterns in the wood. But it is quite a problem breathing their frase because it is so fine.

most antique furniture there is a premium paid for those fine holes because of air drying back then for 3-4 years was the norm.

English brown oak sells for X4 value of white oak. What's the old phrase; put some lipstick on it------

Is the fine powder they produce frass? I always assumed it was sawdust from their boring activities. I get a lot of it in my maple firewood at camp.

In the shop it wouldn't be much of an issue, I have good dust collection and wear a 3M mask with dust filters for anything more than a few cuts.

Might be because you have to drill out nail holes not hammer a nail in.

due to the filter of the forum the word frass is used, it is insect excrement, as they move forward they have to eat and out the rear it goes. It is probably the micro fauna bacteria that is the lung problem in people get

getting those rays to show in 1/4 sawn can be a challenge at the best of times
BUT with that other tree so close there should be some- push out effect in the growth rings on one side of the tree

because they have grown close together , probably both should come down because each other supported one another in growth

Rock oak: I always figured it was because it grew more prominent up in the rocks. Real white and red oaks grows lower.


Introduction: Chestnut oak is a member of the white oak group with chestnut-like leaves. The chestnut oak is noted for its ability to survive on steep, rocky sites where other oaks in its range cannot. Foliage unfurls pink and becomes silvery before finally becoming dark green. The chestnut oak is also known for its beautiful silvery-white bark.

Old timers used to call it whiskey oak down here. Said it made the best barrels for ageing whiskey.

There's money to be made in white oak lumber used for bourbon barrels