Hickory Logs; What to do with them?

[blucoondawg]

If you want the boards for yourself you may find a guy with a portable wood miser mill who could come to you and cut it, or you may talk to a log buyer and sell them if the price is good?

 

[dougrout]

Where are you? I have a portable sawmill and would be willing to cut the logs up for you if you're not too far away.

Rule of thumb: if you're air drying count on one year of drying per inch of thickness.

Good luck with the wood - not sure of uses for hickory but I'll check into it.

Doug

 

[RobertBrown]

Need some baseball bats? Just don't leave them outside.

Have a look at this.
Seems like everything you would want to know of wood cut from the Shag bark Hickory.
I have no experience with this wood, just trying to help.


Shagbark Hickory | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwoods)

 

[jejeosborne]

I have a lot of wood sawn and dried from our property. It cost about $0.25-0.35 per board foot for sawing and about the same for drying. I would not make a trade with the saw mill for a 50/50 split. Hickory is too desirable for woodworking and once dried will easily fetch $1.50-2.00 even in this soft market. Look up an online log volume calculator and see what quantity you have. As mentioned check locally for someone with a portable saw mill. It needs to air dry on stickers for about 4-6 months before the kiln. Craigslist is your friend when it comes time to sell. I have a guy coming 9 hours each direction buying my Spalted maple next week.

 

[Deere Dude]

Where are you? I have a portable sawmill and would be willing to cut the logs up for you if you're not too far away.

Rule of thumb: if you're air drying count on one year of drying per inch of thickness.

Good luck with the wood - not sure of uses for hickory but I'll check into it.

Doug

Thanks for the offer Doug. One inch a year, is that after the sawmill goes through?

After sorting through the pile about half way, some of the logs that were huge were split and I don't think it pays to sent them to a mill. I am trying to find straight ones without cracks but that seems almost impossible. Maybe that's from air drying as a log, but I don't know. But after cutting the big forks off and the major split stuff, I have a number of them that aren't that long, like from 5' to 8' or so. I was disappointed but I have about 6 logs to look at yet that have promise.

I don't plan on selling anything, but just want to get a few cut up for projects around the house. Possibly an ash urn, for my ashes someday. :cool2:

Maybe I'll take a couple down to an Amish mill about 40 miles from here and see what they can do.

Never having done this or knowing anyone who did, possibly I am getting to picky, trying to get clear solid long chunks.

Thanks for everyones input.

 

[jejeosborne]

End checking is normal. Cut 6" off the end and see if it continues. I seal my ends with green wood end sealer which helps prevent some loss. Post an add on craiglist looking for someone to saw close by or go to your local wood working supplier and ask. Woodmiser used to publish a list of people on their website who bought and you may find someone local.

 

[Stimw]

About 30 years ago I looked at a business for sale. They were cutting hickory into blanks for hammer handles and making drum sticks. They were even shipping container loads to Europe!
If you could find someone in your area doing something similar it might be worth money and they can use smaller pieces for blanks.

 

[Pete Judd]

When I mill logs into lumber, I paint the ends with melted wax. That will stop the end splitting and checking. I have a old hotplate and pot in the shop so the wife stays off my back about using her kitchen pots and pans.

 

[clemsonfor]

It could have turned punky now. And once sawn or split for firewood still needs to dry, they dry very little in the log form.

 

[Deere Dude]

Okay, here's what I got. I went through the pile and was very disappointed. A couple logs about 18-20" x 10' or so looked good on the outside but I cut a few inches off and ants were in the center 1" diameter. The rest of it looked alright. A few smaller diameter logs and shorter logs look alright.

The question I have now is, would it pay to take something like that to a mill? Would there be any benefit to take some 6'x12" diameter logs to a mill. Obviously a huge, long solid log would be more cost effective, but would the time setting up the smaller diameter log for cutting be cost prohibitive? I have never been to a mill so I don't know. Maybe I will just take one down and see how everything operates.

Thanks, Chuck