Cracked oak

Been wondering about that, myself.

Thanks for finding the pictures, Butch.
Those are the ultimate lightening struck tree shots.
 
I dont think your oak tree was whacked by lightning. Im just not feelin it. Is dirt blown out of the ground anywhere near by? Any foliage browned out immeadiately? Bark blow off the tree? Do the folks living in the home remember hearing an ear shattering crack in a recent storm? I know I have a fraction of the experience of some of you guys but Im just not seeing a lightning struck tree. Im thinking torsion from the wind. I think its hollow down low on the tree and some twisting and puching on the crown in a storm fractured the weak shotgun shell trunk at the base. With a lighting split, I would think that split would be more pronounced even farther up. But, theres a 50% chance Im dead wrong.
 
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  • #29
Just don't be 50% dead. ;)

Good possibility you are right, Tuck...the tree sounds hollow at 3-5 feet above ground but I assumed that was from the crack. There is no obvious lightning blast damage but there is some callus at the base of the crack. I will try to get a picture of that next.

A well-hollowed out tree would be subject to wind-produced torsion and cracking.

I look forward to getting into the base and seeing what the innards of the tree looks like. We did not get to work today...our best laid plans were subverted, diverted and converted to "later."
 
Now of course I'm not there to see but that tree which appears to be a white oak is not really that huge for an oak ..On that size in my own personal experiance I've not seen one that were hollow .Now a fat old 4-5 footer ,all knobby ,yes .

I guess you'll soon find out though one way or the other .
 
So Stig, unless I missed it, you didn't post the cutting of that tree, maybe it still stands (leans).


Gary, carefull!
 
On the slight derail...I traded emails with Jer earlier this week, just checking if all was well with him and Terri since neither of them had posted in a while. He reports they both are fine and that he's wrapping up a long-term project that has been gobbling most of his time.

So no worries there, friends. He says he'll visit more soon.

That doesn't really look like lightning to me either. Since the tree is weakened by having an unknown amount of rot and hollow, I'd guess a quirky wind gust gave it a twist, like Willie postulated.

Definitely arrange a face cut with the crack in the center and oriented 90 degrees to it, like Erik recommended. If there's enough of a sound rind, it'll hinge just fine. What's "enough"? At least 1 inch sound rind for every 12 inches diameter at the felling cut. 2 inches per 12 would be alot better. You can easily determine this with a long 3/16 drill bit...most hardware stores carry an 18" one for running telecom wires.
 
Indeed; I can see how the wind can do it, I've just never seen it. All of mine were known strikes.

Good on Jerry; we miss them.

Go with your gut, Gary; you're there, we're looking at a picture. :)
 
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  • #34
Yah, will do...and face 90 degrees to crack as you suggested. I think there is going to be enough sound wood to flop it once I get the top 20-30 feet out.
 
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  • #37
Dang it, Willie...I'm not sure if that is a compliment or not. I was gonna just lay low and try not to stick my foot in it this time...now you had to go and...uuhhhh..well you did something. And whatever it is it's funny!:lol:
 
Heckuva crack! Erik may be right about torsion cracks always going with the grain--oak grain sometimes spirals, right? I also see no lightning signs, but then no two strikes are ever the same.

take Care, Gare-E and thanks for posting the pics.
 
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  • #40
Hey, Guy...glad to share the picts...and glad to see folks interested in something I found pretty unusual, too. Treeguys can sure get some good mileage out of a few pictures of a busted tree.:D

Thanks, Burnham, for the suggested numbers on recommended rind thickness...good to have a starting point for evaluation.
 
I have seen Oak grain spiral, but the bark has always given that fact away. Doesn't appear on Gary's tree. I agree with Al that White Oaks that size aren't known to be hollow. Could it be because it is split that it doesn't thump solid?
 
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  • #42
Tom, that is what I figure..that the hollow sound is due to the crack. I don't expect to find much true hollowness.
 
cory said:
So Stig, unless I missed it, you didn't post the cutting of that tree, maybe it still stands (leans).


Gary, carefull!
Click to expand...

It has long been cut and the pictures posted.

In the same thread, actually, but they were apparently lost during one of the changeovers.
 
I can't wait to see the cross section.
Two sound half trees with a 3-6" crack could make a hollow sound?
There has to be some kinda trunk rot for a bass hollow thump sound, I'm thinking.

I'm awaiting the arbortopsy
 
Actually you could most likely bandsaw it and get some usable lumber if you choose to .You'll have some loss but that's just firewood more or less .
 
Bodean said:
I can't wait to see the cross section.
Two sound half trees with a 3-6" crack could make a hollow sound?
There has to be some kinda trunk rot for a bass hollow thump sound, I'm thinking.

I'm awaiting the arbortopsy
Click to expand...

Yep, a crack could sure sound hollow
 
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  • #48
I took some video today of the cracked oak...looks like the tree IS hollow, at least at the base:

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ms615BImGD0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I am still not sure about the callus at the base...if it was related to a previous crack event or just that hole at the base. The impending arbortopsy may help know. I had a 3 lb. hammer and did some sounding whacks...meant to video that but forgot.

Now that I know there is some hollowness to the tree I am starting to ponder a bit the ramification of hollowness combined with crack. We have taken a lot of weight off the spar and haven't been able to discern any further cracking.
 
No rigging? I'd climb up, dropping everything as I went, orrrrr something to that effect. I see no targets to speak of...

Am I not seeing something? And too bad for the tree... it was a cool tree...
 
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