Hijack!

[wtnhighlander]

1 hour ago, RichardA said:

But he'll be playing with Elvis in no time at all.

Never saw 'Men in Black'? Elvis didn't die, he just went home! 

[RichardA]

On 7/28/2021 at 6:50 PM, wtnhighlander said:

Never saw 'Men in Black'? Elvis didn't die, he just went home! 

[Coop]

@phinds, Paul, are these photos enough to identify the wood. Supposedly they are Chestnut from a 1700’s log cabin and came from Augusta TN.

This piece is 3.5” thick and 12” wide if that makes any difference?

[phinds]

On 7/29/2021 at 7:23 PM, Coop said:

@phinds, Paul, are these photos enough to identify the wood. Supposedly they are Chestnut from a 1700’s log cabin and came from Augusta TN.

This piece is 3.5” thick and 12” wide if that makes any difference?

Coop, there is no way this is chestnut. I can't see the end grain details very well at this level of magnification, but I CAN see clearly that this has moderately strong rays which immediately rules out chestnut.

As to what it IS, I'd have to see better details on the end grain but it's a fairly good guess that it's oak (but don't bet money on that unless you get good odds )

[wtnhighlander]

I have to agree with Paul, if for no other reason than that oak seems to be the most common hardwood (by far) found in Tennessee! Really tight growth rings on that one, but it sure does look like the white oak I've been working with recently. Of course, the reason I'm using white oak is because it is supposed to resemble chestnut.

[phinds]

On 7/29/2021 at 9:23 PM, wtnhighlander said:

, the reason I'm using white oak is because it is supposed to resemble chestnut.

Well, the face grain of white oak can look a bit like chestnut but chestnut never has the ray flakes that show up (if you know what to look for) even in the most flat cut pieces of oak, to say nothing of the completely different look of quartersawn pieces between oak and chestnut.

[RichardA]

If my old memory still works, "live Oak' has tight rings as well.

[Coop]

Thanks Paul. I had no idea what I was going to do with them in the first place other than to say I had 300 yo chestnut slabs, bragging rights if you will? As these are consecutive cut slabs, maybe I can sell them for tabletops or something. With the check down the center, they wouldn’t even be worth having them milled. Or have a $150 bonfire or wiener roast. 

[phinds]

On 7/29/2021 at 10:32 PM, RichardA said:

If my old memory still works, "live Oak' has tight rings as well.

ANY oak can have tight rings or loose rings. It depends on the rainfall and other growing conditions.

Also, live oaks have a different pore structure and are easily distinguishable from other red and white oaks but they still don't look like chestnut in the end grain.

[Coop]

Now I question the validity of the age of these planks, I guess, not that it matters.

[phinds]

On 7/29/2021 at 11:44 PM, Coop said:

Now I question the validity of the age of these planks, I guess, not that it matters.

Yeah, they don't look anywhere near as old and decrepit as I do and I'm not even close to 300 yet.

[Chestnut]

Coop that looks like some nice lumber. Just don't use it as full slabs. Split them down their center and use them for quarter sawn material or resaw boards off of it. Going out on a limb  but I'd bet that it won't have as much internal drying stress as you think. It dried very very slowly.

I'd personally use it for some door panels or drawer faces depending on how much ray fleck is in there. It's tight grained white oak it has to look pretty dang good.

If it was felled in 1700 that tree is cool. Just rough counting he rings it has to be at least 150 years old which would put it back to the early 1600s for when it started growing.

[Mark J]

@Coop, that wood (or some it) could be cut up into turning blanks, as well.  Based on your rough measurement you might be able to get a few 6x6x3.5 blocks, which would make nice bowls.  Bigger and smaller blocks are also good.  Beware, if you're cutting a blank, the ends of the boards may have cracks & checking that is undesirable.

If you don't have long board uses for all of it reach out to your local wood turning club for some advice before you go with the $150 bonfire .

Too bad there isn't some way to find the age of the wood.

[Coop]

I do have the man’s name and phone number that my neighbor bought them from and he told her if I had any questions, to give him a call. Maybe his info on their history is more correct than the species. 

[TerryMcK]

On 7/28/2021 at 11:16 PM, RichardA said:

Another beard bites the dust.  But he'll be playing with Elvis in no time at all.

So sad to hear of his passing. I never saw ZZ Top live but have watched them on videos over the years. I keep watching their appearance on Howard Stern on Youtube 

 playing La Grange one of my favourites. My recently made Les Paul has the same electronics that Billy Gibbons has in his - Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates.

[Coop]

Terry, do you know the history of the town of LaGrange and thus the basis for the song? 

[wtnhighlander]

13 hours ago, Coop said:

I do have the man’s name and phone number that my neighbor bought them from and he told her if I had any questions, to give him a call. Maybe his info on their history is more correct than the species. 

Check the moisture content as-is, then at any cuts you make. A board that old ought to be pretty consistent, through and through.

[Coop]

If solid has anything to do with weight, each one of these weigh, IMO , about 80 lbs. each. I will check the mc. Thanks. 

[TerryMcK]

2 hours ago, Coop said:

Terry, do you know the history of the town of LaGrange and thus the basis for the song? 

No but would like to know

[Coop]

On 7/30/2021 at 11:34 PM, TerryMcK said:

No but would like to know

In the early 1900’s,  a lady by the name of Miss Jessie moved to La Grange and opened a house of ill repute and it continued to operate until 1973. Early on, due to the depression, chickens along with money, were accepted as payment, to feed the ladies. It became known as The Chicken Ranch. It was a well known operation and was visited by many including, as was later reported, dignitaries of all walks of life. A Houston news reporter, Marvin Zindler, out to gain a name for himself, exposed the house in his news cast and the governor of Texas at the time, was forced to close it down. A Broadway musical was later made, “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”, staring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds. 

[JohnG]

I’m going to need to make a longer power cord or extension cord for my new sawstop. Can someone remind me which type of wire is ideal for this application? I’ve looked up the cord type abbreviations a bunch of times and it never sticks. SJOOW SOOW SEOOW THHN THWN blah blah blah! 
 

240v 3hp motor, manual says 13 amps for this configuration. 
 

[Tom King]

First two letters SO means it's a heavier protected cover than SJ.  TH are single conductors, needing to be inside conduit.

I would use 12/3 SO with the following letters being what you can get at your local electrical supply.  From an electrical supply store might not be more than half the cost at box stores.

[JohnG]

Thanks!

[Robby W]

On 8/2/2021 at 2:55 PM, JohnG said:

....... SJOOW SOOW SEOOW THHN THWN blah blah blah! 
 

240v 3hp motor, manual says 13 amps for this configuration. 
 

If the cord is going to be stepped on, SJOOW will work. The J says it is a lighter weight rubber cover and is rated for 300 volts. Still plenty good cord. SOOW is a heavier cover and is meant for severe duty and rated for 600 volts. It is the cable used by the entertainment industry for cords that get stepped on and abused.

Use 12/3 for up to 20 amps.

Having said all of this, either one will work in a normal hobby shop environment. For commercial, use SOOW the code people can't give you any grief.

[Mark J]

When I made my extension cord I went one guage heavier that the machines power cord and at least as heavy as the wires supplying the outlet.  And I used the twist lock type of plugs.