Nice oak find

[joefromga]

Got me a sweet piece of Old southern live oak yesterday.

City was removing a tree with disease and I able to grab this limb from the pile.

Took forever and I didn't have the tools so I had to go get my trailer and a cone along and straps but we finally got it. Weighs about 600 lbs. 18" across.

This is from a southern live oak tree from Savannah that is most likely 175-200 years old.

The tree is about five feet across in diameter neck high. The spread is probably 60ft at least.

Sad to see it go and I wish I had the tools to get a table sized cross cut from the trunk. But this should make for some nice boards though.

 

[oosik]

That was a really BIG tree. Nice chunk of wood.

 

[Garandman]

The USS Constitution was restored some time back.

....the Navy acquires the needed live oak through donations and works closely with private and public sectors to enable this process.

Live oak grows in the southern states, e.g., Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Texas. Principal sourcing contacts are the forestry service, cities, park service, commercial logging companies, and private individuals that may share the interest in acting as a resource for this much needed timber.

Places live oak timber was used in the Rehabilitation and Restoration of Constitution:

Futtock and Top Timber sided 11 1/2", molded 9" at the port sill.
Pin Rails, Sheet Bitts, Fife Rail
Main Mast
Rails
1 ea. 5" X 13" X 17'
2 ea. 5" X 12-1/2" x 8'
Sheet bitts
2 ea. 11" x 11" x 8'
Stanchions
6 ea. 9-1/2" X 9-1/2" x 7'
Coamings, Hatches, upper deck and gun deck.

 

[kthompson]

What a majestic tree Live Oaks are. Large old ones can be large enough to handle many many squirrels. Not great for timber but shade, low limbs for children to climb, big low limbs to sit on. kt

 

[dstig1]

If that was a limb, I'd love to see the actual stump! But I see checking already in that. Was it dropped a while ago, or is that typical for that species of oak. i don't see that here with red and white oak.

 

[polkwrangler]

plenty of huge live oaks in florida ,sometimes the huge ones blow over during hurricane season being their roots are not deep in the soil

 

[joefromga]

If that was a limb, I'd love to see the actual stump! But I see checking already in that. Was it dropped a while ago, or is that typical for that species of oak. i don't see that here with red and white oak.

It was just cut down this week, actually the day of the pictures so it must be natural or not a check but just the way to wood is. . If the stump is still there I'll take a pic. It was in a neighborhood so they will probably just cut it to ground level.

I may wax the ends if I can't get it milled this week.

 

[joefromga]

plenty of huge live oaks in florida ,sometimes the huge ones blow over during hurricane season being their roots are not deep in the soil

Actually Southern Live Oaks are commonly called "hurricane proof" because of their deep tap roots. They are low center of gravity trees with wider limbs and roots than height. They are very resilient and difficult to blow down. That's why they live so long.

 

[kthompson]

Actually Southern Live Oaks are commonly called "hurricane proof" because of their deep tap roots. They are low center of gravity trees with wider limbs and roots than height. They are very resilient and difficult to blow down. That's why they live so long.

We have lots of live oaks in this area of South Carolina and to the coast a distance of about 25 miles. Not sure I have ever seen one blow over. Large limbs break out yes. When Hugo hit us in 89 it may have uprooted a few but if so not I remember. At least here the larger ones normally have massive limbs just few feet off the ground almost like outriggers so being "blown" over would think was hard.

 

[joefromga]

I find it amazing that some of the trees saw Indians and founding fathers resting on them many generations ago. Survived civil war battles and even revolutionary war battles. Imagine what they've been through.