Looking for opinions on what size white oak boards rough cut from average size trees are easiest to sell? What is realistic cost per board foot? Thanks

Cant help you on prices, but a lot of folks using white oak for trailer decking in these parts since treated lumber isnt what it used to be. 5/4 x 6 inch boards would sell in these parts. Treated with motor oil and it lasts much longer that treated. Bought my last ones from a local Amish sawmill...cant remember what I paid, but remember thinking it was more than fair.

I'm talking woodworking just so everyone realizes where my comments come form.

easiest to sell, I guess alot depends on area and what alot are using it for.
Around here 1" thick seems to be the most popular. Thicker stuff not as common.
I thick that the fact no matter the thickness the price per bd ft remains. Thus its about what sells quickest is best.

General Prices around here (SE WI)
Rough sawn and kiln dried.

1" boards

Select = $8 bd ft
#1 & "rustic" = $6 bd ft
1/4 sawn = $10 bd ft.

Myself when I have stuff sawn up I tell the guy doing the sawing that I want it "Ray Sawn". I have it sawn like you'd cut a pie so that every board has as much ray flecks as possible.
I usually have to explain it to them.
More time and more waste but much nicer boards.
I also tell them I'll pay them for their time and not for the board ft.
This switches their mind set from making a lot of boards quickly to making the most valuable boards.
I think most of them like being able to work this way and for once do something different.
Most of its 1" some 1 1/4, I've had some sawn at 2 1/2".
Next time I'll do some stuff at 1 1/2 and the rest at 1".

I use the wood I get sawn for myself and my own projects. I'm not reselling. So this is just my own taste.
I would gladly rather end up with 4 ray sawn boards vs 8 plain sawn or rift sawn boards of equal size.

I use the term "ray sawn" because a what a sawyer and what a woodworker perceive as "quarter sawn" are 2 different things.

Don't know if this helps Op. I would suggest that he market wood to wood workers as they are willing to pay more. If I was sawing for sale I'd spend some time at local woodworking clubs/shows and talk to the end users.
Best always to sell direct to consumers, no middlemen.

Company, I worked for had standing order from Strick trailer for WO. Also hay wagon decks and landscaping trailers/construction trailers.

I know not a lot of wood boat building anymore, but there is still some, plus repair work...white oak is the thing for framing, keels, etc....
Being in Va. might call around to boat yards around the Chesapeake....you could cut to order, especially if you can provide long lengths....worth a few calls

Board foot pricing is not very consistent looking locally. $5 per 8’ 1x6 oak is lower end of range. Will oak 4x4 post last in the ground if treated with the motor oil or other chemical? Termites would be main concern.

Depending on your soil. There are still some split oak fence posts in the ground on the family farm. I bet they have been there for 50 years. But our soil is quite sandy.

I was recently looking for kiln dried 4x4 white oak for turning project. Was easy enough to find white oak in what they call 4 quarter or 1 inch. I don't know what the price per ft was it varied. But based on my search the 1 inch seem to be what everyone had. So my guess most marketable.
I ended up buy 8 quarter boards and having to glue up my 4x4
Bit of irony I cut a nice white oak on my own property need down. Thought might sneak a turning green piece or two from some. 3 days down and the pieces I set aside grain started to check.

MTCW

Mac

Catfish slat boxes are seeing a resurgance is popularity and use since some states have started tightening up restrictions on trotlines and keeping larger fish. White Oak is best for slat boxes.

I know that some folks in past used white oak for wooden strip boats and skiffs. Probably was used for best tobacco lathes back in day.
There is a market for white oak whiskey barrel staves. Not sure how one would get into that. I think one of the bigger uses right now might be flooring? Im basing this info from my search for the white oak 4x4.

Mac

Thats interesting. Here, the one inch boards are called 5 quarter (5/4).

Our lumber salesman said white oak is up in price as now the cabinet trend is white oak, I prefer to buy quarter sawn what we get it seems to better than regular sawn, cabinet wise you want to plan for a .75 finished thickness, I’ve found that can change from buzz saw cut to band saw cut, experience for me is the bandsaw leaves a smoother finish so the board can be cut thinner.

Is that planed? Or rough sawn? 4 quart I was looking at is planed.

Markets change. Best I've seen is.
By the triaxle,
Whiskey barrel staves.

Both...5/4 ponderosa pine was the standard for treated (house) deck boards which is a true one inch board. I ordered 5/4 rough sawn for my (trailer) deck boards and it is a true 1 inch board.

I was told that the increase in craft breweries and micro distilleries that has made bourbon so popoular has driven up white oak prices.

the whole bit of calling board thickness by quarters is stupid.

they may call 1 inch boards 5 quarter. all that is the boards are sawn to 1 1/4 (5 quarter) so they will finish at 1" thick.

Its assumed that a rough cut board will loose a quarter of an inch to clean up.

Its all so tiresome.
You go to a sawyer/lumber yard and ask for 1" boards. They should ask are you going to be planing or jointing the thickness? If so is the 1" what you need to finish at or is finishing at 3/4 of an inch OK? Then give you either 1" or 1 1/4 thick boards depending upon your answers.

What even dumber is you go to a big box store and look at 1" boards and they are 3/4".

Why don't we just call boards what they are, it would solve so many misunderstandings and confusion especially for your average Joe.

Rough cut lumber should be referred to as the actual thickness it is. And for the most part it is.

Referring to boards surfaced on their faces as anything other than their actual thickness is stupid.

4/4 is 1" rough cut
4/4 4S is 1" 4 sides surfaced
4/4 2S is 1" 2 sides, top and bottom, surfaced

Rather simple.

Local market would be 5”x 6” - 20’ for skids under ice fishing houses or 2” for decking on equipment trailers.