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Oak Boards and Blocks, Milled and Air-Dried
Woody

Created by

Woody

11. October 2026NO
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Oak Boards and Blocks, Milled and Air-Dried

The same chainsaw mill that cuts pine boards cuts oak, but oak dries slowly and checks if it dries too fast. The old rule of a year per 25 mm of thickness is close for oak. Thin boards are cut for joinery; one thick slab is kept for blocks. Compared with pine: a slower cut, a heavier log, and a drying time measured in years, not months.
Intermediate
1 day milling, 1–3 years drying

Instructions

1

The milling method

Setting up the mill and the guide board, as for pine.
2

Mill the boards

Mill a straight oak log into boards a few millimetres over 25 mm, and one slab 80 mm thick for blocks. Oak is harder: feed slower and keep the chain sharp.

Materials for this step:

Hardwood LogsHardwood Logs1 piece
Wood ScrewsWood Screws6 pieces

Tools needed:

Chainsaw (professional forestry grade)Chainsaw (professional forestry grade)
Chainsaw MillChainsaw Mill
Pine BoardPine Board
Cordless DrillCordless Drill
StraightedgeStraightedge
Spirit LevelSpirit Level
Safety HelmetSafety Helmet
Ear Protection MuffsEar Protection Muffs
Leather Work GlovesLeather Work Gloves
Steel-Toe Safety BootsSteel-Toe Safety Boots
3

Seal the ends at once

Coat both ends of every board and the slab with wax end sealer the same day.

Materials for this step:

End Sealer (paraffin wax)End Sealer (paraffin wax)0.5 liter
4

Sticker in the shade

Stack on a level base 30 cm off the ground, with 19 mm stickers every 30 cm, one above the other, in a shaded, airy place. Strong sun and wind make oak surfaces check.

Materials for this step:

Wooden Sticker (drying spacer)Wooden Sticker (drying spacer)40 pieces

Tools needed:

Wooden PalletWooden Pallet
Spirit LevelSpirit Level
5

Cover and weight

Cover the top against rain, weight the stack, and leave the sides open.

Tools needed:

TarpTarp
6

How long to wait

Loading Jupyter Notebook...
7

Measure, then bring indoors

Read a board from the middle of the stack each season. Air drying stops at about 12–15 %; bring the boards indoors to settle at 6–8 % before furniture work.

Tools needed:

Moisture MeterMoisture Meter
8

Cut the blocks

When the slab reads dry right through a fresh cut, saw it into blocks of the lengths you need.

Tools needed:

Crosscut SawCrosscut Saw
Tape MeasureTape Measure
Moisture MeterMoisture Meter
9

Troubleshooting

Oak drying troubleshooting.

Flow

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Materials

4

Tools Required

15

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