Selling lumber or slabs out of state ? Advice Request

[OffGrid973]

Hi Guys,

My official website is going to be launched next week and I am tweaking the final verbiage. My latest tree guy mentioned you can not sell certain lumber from NJ to someone out of state.

My operation is targeting local woodworkers so I am not sure what to look out for:

- Are there an species I should not sell?
- I am all air dried, no kiln so any issues there?
- Do any states not allow importing slabs or lumber from NJ?
- If I build a slab table is it no longer subject to "lumber" rules?

Sorry if any of these are dumb questions but couldn't find the details on DEP or any websites that I considered valid or truthful.

Thank you for comments on the thread or direct messages.
- chris

[drobertson]

Slabs leave a wide door open in my mind. Most wood from state to state, and for sure depending on the state depends on many factors,,. Contacting the states in mind would, should be the first course of action,,

[TKehl]

There are quarantines for Ash and Black Walnut in a lot of the eastern US.  Lumber is pretty much okay (the bugs stay in the bark and just into the sapwood), but slabs with our without bark is a concern.  Doesn't necessarily have to be kiln dried, but would probably need a heat treat to kill any bugs. 

These are the only two I'm aware of, but there could be others. 

Also, there seems to be less concern shipping into an already infected zone.

Search "thousand cankers" and "emerald ash borer" for tons more details. 

[YellowHammer]

My advice is that if you are seriously going to go into business selling dried wood to end users (woodworkers), you should very much consider getting a kiln or other heat treatment system that is capable of a sterilization cycle.  It will let you and your customers sleep well at night.  If not, you should get some form of product insurance to protect you when, not if, one of your customers complains they were sold wood with bugs in it.  Or worse yet, the customer files a claim.  Or you can have a disclaimer statement on every receipt that the wood may have insects and mold and your customer signs it.  Of course, that doesn't help the business reputation.

At this very moment, I have some wood in my kiln from a customer of mine who strayed and bought some air dried wood from another local small mill.  He began working with it and discovered it had various types of insects in it, and asked me if I would sterilize it for him, or otherwise he said he would burn it.  I agreed to help him (he's a nice guy, he just thought he was getting a good deal), and he now realizes the perils of buying non sterilized wood.  If nothing else, the mill who sold him the wood will never get his business again.  So having a kiln and properly operating it will more than pay for itself in very short order.

My experience is that slabs with bark on will have insects.  I can't remember the last time I put some "bark on" slabs in the kiln and didn't find dead insects carcasses when it finished.  I have refused to sell slabs that weren't fully processed because I know they will have bugs which will lead to an unsatisfied customer.  Of course not all insects are necessarily harmful, but unless the customer is an entomologist, they won't care.  Bugs is bugs and bugs are bad.  They bought wood with bugs in it, and it came from your business.

Certainly there are quarantine rules for certain species, especially walnut.
http://www.thousandcankers.com/media/images/WTB_TCD_Counties_04-2015.pdf

Anyway, just my 2 cents.

[OffGrid973]

Thank you guys...I was told that the inspections from state on your kiln if trying to be certified are more trouble then it's worth unless you are a full-time business.

I will read up on the items mentioned...thanks again

[Cedarman]

Slabs should be treated with the same rules as firewood.  Lots of rules on firewood movement.