Ed , the log story is interesting.   My parents never log the place.  In
fact, 50 of the 65 acres is a private forest preserve owned by them but
under an easement to the State of Illinois.  These walnut trees and several
white oaks were in the part not covered by the easement.  The oaks had come
down and the walnuts were topped by a storm and dying.  Still, we had to be
minimally disruptive; heavy equipment on the road only.   We cut the logs
with Stihl 026 chainsaws (no longer made, but really great)  Hired a big
fork loader and ran chains from it down to the logs, pulling them a bit at a
time with the loader backing down the road as far as it could without
turning the log, and then back, re-chain and do it again.  Then the loader
would lift them onto the truck.  The truck is my old friend's pride and joy,
and is a Unimog.

We took about 16 or 18 logs to the mill.  Most were oak.  I asked the sawyer
to cut the walnut for quality, flat to rift, at 5/4 and 8/4.  I asked him to
quarter-saw the oak mostly at 4/4.  He did as asked with the walnut.
Somehow, I got NO quarter-sawn oak at all.  Normally you'd get a few boards
of it just by-the-bye, but nope, not a board.  I also took a couple of small
logs of black oak, and from those I did get a handful of quarter-sawn boards
They are low quality due to cracks and rot, but there are several  good
parts that can be cut to make smaller A&C stuff.   Interestingly, much of
the white oak was down for a couple of years and has very interesting worm
holes that I am using to advantage in design.  The walnut rages from good to
superb.  The best of it is about a dozen  boards that are 16" to 18" wide x
5/4 x 10', perfectly clear.  My late father in law who had been in the
hardwood business said he had never seen such boards. 

I am now making a small chest or footed box for younger daughter.  The sides
are made of a single board.  Lots of labor because it is too wide for my 13"
planer, so using scrub, jack and jointer planes to prepare the lumber.



Joseph Sullivan