Needing to have logs sawn to lumber

[Paddy]

I'm in the process of selling our home on 20+ ac. As a departure move, I've planned on cutting a few select trees. The lumber will be used as trim/furniture in the new home. The big one, a 35" dia Cherry came down first. This is a crazy big tree. It is 35' to the first branch. At that point it is a perfect "crotch". It is 29" dia at 35'!! The bottom has some rot, but common in old Cherry. I hope the rot is in the first 5', but I'll see...

I have several 20+ dia Walnuts and several 16-18" dia walnuts. So a good pile of saw logs. I may select a few others

What is the going rate in your areas to have lumber sawn these days? I think most of it will be cut to 1x8s. The crotch I'd like to have sawn special if I can.

Patrick T

 

[4720 OWNER]

Buckets of grapes!! What a nice parting gift!! Sounds like it will be some beautiful wood to work with.

 

[Youare]

Rates will vary for custom sawing. Some charge by the hour others by log scale and some tally the sawn boards. The fairest to the log owner is to pay by the board foot for what comes off the mill. As far as rot goes just remember as long as a board holds together it doesn't make any difference to the sawyer if the wood board is solid or not.

Paying by the hour is the least attractive for the log owner, I can work slower for more money. Paying by log scale is a bit tricky. A good man on a saw mill should be able to beat scaled volumes some of the time. Allowing for defects and sweep or crook in a log takes a skilled person and the scaler is generally going to see a log one way if he is selling it and another way if he is selling it. You may not agree on the percent of defect.

When I customed sawed a few years ago I would get $0.25 per board foot for hardwood or $250.00 per thousand board feet. There may be a set-up or transportation fee with the price of fuel these days.

Sounds like you should get some nice material out of those logs. Make sure you stick them properly and get them air drying right off to avoid mold.

Randy

 

[ToadHill]

If you have any Amish in your area check with them, around here they get 15 cents per board foot for sawing.

 

[Paddy]

I finally got the Cherry dragged out of the woods. Not an easy task even with my 45Hp 4x4 tractor. I had to cut about 4' off the but log to remove most of the rotten center. I'm glad that was as far as it went. I did get a price from a friend of a friend, $65/hr. He is a carpenter by day. Not sure if the price is good but, with out knowing how fast he can cut....The $65/hr compared to 25 cents a bd-ft, is 260 bd-ft/hr.

I will have a lot of work moving, sticking and stacking. I plan to weight down the stacks with concrete blocks to keep it all flat.

How long can the logs sit before I have them cut? I have applied a coat of paint to the log ends to slow the drying and checking.

See photos. The Cherry shot has a 25' tape measure at the bottom for size ref.

Patrick T

 

[dmccarty]

Paddy,

You might want to contact a portable saw mill company like wood mizer, Wood-Mizer Portable Sawmills to see if they have a list of people who have bought their mills n your area. I could have sworn they had a list online years ago but I just looked and could not find it.

There is another website regarding forresty and wood mills which I also can't find. I'm a member but I cant find the book mark. They could answer your questions if a TBNer can give us the link.

Later,
Dan

 

[WayneB]

Paddy, you really shouldn't try to cut those few logs, just too bad you are so far away as I would have you drop them by my place for keeping.

You might try going to one fo the wood working forums and see if someone in your area might know of a mill that would help you out.

WoodNet Forums: Viewing list of forums

http://www.forestryforum.com/

WoodCentral Messageboards & Sightings

You might have to join the forum / site to be able to post a message, but most of them are pretty good old boys and I am sure if there is someone in the area they will have information for you.

Wayne

 

[Reg]

Try to find someone who can quarter saw it for you.
Not the highest yield, not the lowest price, but the best wood.

Awww, anyone with a band mill will SAY they can get the most quarter and near quarter wood possible, but unless they're halving, quartering and then using wedges or a tilt bed... it ain't happenin'

 

[Paddy]

Dan,

That "wood" be great. If the $65/hr is standard and or fair, I'll keep with the friend of a friend. I have some nice walnut and cherry crotches I'd like custom cut and not looking for a guy that wants to hurry past that part. But I do need to look at the big picture, it's gong to cost a few bucks to get this pile cut to lumber..

Patrick T

 

[Paddy]

Wayne,

The pile is growing. In the photos, there is one Cherry and one walnut. I have 4 more walnuts to drag up and the Cherry had 2 branches. Those branches were 12' long and about 20" dia. Beyound that there are several decent 12" dia Cherry logs.

Patrick T