Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[Jstpssng]

During the winter I cut Spruce and Fir stud wood which is worth $325 per 1K Board Feet now locally. The weatherman is going to shut me down real soon so I thought I would show a few pics of how it goes.

I cut when I can (this winter was good) and skid out wood to make logs with a minimum top diameter of 6" and a minimum length of 12' plus 6" of trim which are the specs. I cut mostly 12's and a few 14's. When I get about a 1K board feet on the landing like this yesterday afternoon I ship it on the next good day weather and road wise.

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It takes a couple of trips to the log yard 7.5 miles away. 5 miles on back gravel roads and 1.5 miles on State Hwy 5.
I took this load late yesterday afternoon. It was 30 degrees but with the sun it was starting to get soft in spots.

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Then this morning when things were froze up solid again I loaded the second load.

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It looked pretty much like the first one except the sun was on the other side.

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When I got to the log yard he told me to dump it in front of the loader on the upper section up close the the pile. When I took the picture my back was against a pile of spruce/fir about 20' high.

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I took a pic of the lower section ,which is similar and in the back ground above, because the sun was at a better angle.

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Right now it is 50 degrees and the south and west facing town gravel roads are softening up fast.

gg

It's that time of year when things start to get soft. That's some nice looking studwood, it will sequester carbon for many decades.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Gordon are your roads posted for weight limit yet?...here it's 6 ton.

Not yet but it will be any time now.

 

[Peter 315]

The roads are posted down here 33,000 GVW....

 

[BackRoad]

Mr. Gordon, very interesting!

1. How do you keep track of the board feet tally as you deliver it?

It seems that might be a bit subjective, or vary, with how you might estimate it, vs. the yard.

If a 2"x4"x12' piece of lumber is 8 BF...how do you know how much you have in each of your logs?

(It's not like weighing gravel at a rock quarry which is 100% objective!)


2. How many board feet do you estimate to be in the pile in your first picture of your tractor and the log pile?

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Also, I PM'd Mr. Oldpath about a week ago, asking him to reconsider...no word back from him.

I miss him on this thread...

 

[Loaderman22]

Just stage your big blocks on a trailer or wagon with your loader, and then roll the blocks right on the splitter. I've been doing that for years, it works perfectly

Work smarter, not harder!

SR

I don't have a tall enough trailer. yet. But I have been thinking of making a cutting table then I can just load the logs from that to the splitter.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Mr. Gordon, very interesting!

1. How do you keep track of the board feet tally as you deliver it?

It seems that might be a bit subjective, or vary, with how you might estimate it, vs. the yard.

If a 2"x4"x12' piece of lumber is 8 BF...how do you know how much you have in each of your logs?

(It's not like weighing gravel at a rock quarry which is 100% objective!)


2. How many board feet do you estimate to be in the pile in your first picture of your tractor and the log pile?

-------------------------------------

Also, I PM'd Mr. Oldpath about a week ago, asking him to reconsider...no word back from him.

I miss him on this thread...

It is not really any guess work. There are log scaling rules that are used to covert the diameter and length of a log into how many board feet of lumber can be cut out of it. Here in Northern New England the International 1/4" Scale is used for determining how many BF are in a log. All you need is a ruler and a Scale chart and a little practice to get a good scale on a load. You take the average diameter inside the bark on the small end of the log and the length of the log and get the board footage off the chart. The scaler at the log yard I use rounds up at the 1/2". I have been to mills where they don't do that so it does vary a little but you get to know. A scaler will also deduct for defects which will change things. For S/F the defects are simple: excessive crook or rot is about all, and there is only one grade of saw logs. So if you bring in sound fairly straight logs all you need is the ruler and chart. Hard wood or w. pine is much more complicated with multiple grades and knot sizes to consider. Here is the Int. 1/4" chart

I try to be on the conservative side when I measure each log and add them up. Robinson's log yard treats me very fairly and their measure usually comes out better than mine by a little.

On the picture of the pile I measured 950 BF. There were 36 logs I just put 18 in each load. Next week I will get a check for what I brought in this week.

As an aside the log scales favor the mill. A good sawyer will always get more footage than the chart with sound wood but then some times there are some hidden defects that are not seen until the log is cut.

gg

 

[Gordon Gould]

BackRoad - If you have a International "stick" you don't need the chart. Goes up to 36". On the back 14, 16, 18, and 20 feet.

gg

 

[Gordon Gould]

Also, I PM'd Mr. Oldpath about a week ago, asking him to reconsider...no word back from him.

I miss him on this thread...

Me too. I totally understand his position but am hoping his urge to give us needed guidance will become over powering..........

 

[hunt4570]

BackRoad - If you have a International "stick" you don't need the chart. Goes up to 36". On the back 14, 16, 18, and 20 feet.

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gg

So the number below the dia in inches is the BF for that particular length?

I've yet to sell any wood, or even try..

 

[Molalla1]

So the number below the dia in inches is the BF for that particular length?

I've yet to sell any wood, or even try..

You use it up on your own projects too fast . . .