tree sustainability

[ely]

i was thinking today.... yes i know its quite a stretch for me... about the quality of trees that are available these days. then jim stated the question he got from a customer in the other thread... made me want to discuss a few things here.

when i was younger in my teens and twentys we cut saw logs for the various mills and even cut some large pine for the chipper mill.the pine had to be about 30 inches on the small end to fit the chipper, we had no problem finding timber to cut because all the real loggers were cutting large tracts for pulp only....

no one would cut the bigger trees so we had it easy. but as i look around the same area today alot of the same areas we cut timber in are now bermuda grass fields... what few got replanted were done so in the fast growing plantation pines, they say its not much for making lumber, only pulp production.

i was talking today about the swing blade mill and how they saw lumber differently than my bandmill and how they have a purpose all their own, i really would like one with a slabber attachment too... but in reality around here the size of trees do not warrant the investment,imo.

looking ahead when i am 70 or so, i dont figure the tree situation is going to be much improved.

[Ianab]

Two thoughts.

Even if your local area is intensively managed and is 99% smaller "commercial" size trees, what about that 1% that is "oversize". That's probably still a lot of trees in your area, that no one has has the ability to saw. There are always trees that are missed, or left, or people that don't harvest an area for whatever reason. Cutting big logs like that, you may only saw one tree and call that a full days work. It's not like you are going to harvest 1,000 acres and cut them up with a swing mill. Well I guess you could, but it would take a lifetime, and once you got to the end your kids could start again  :D

Next, even if 90% of your logs are only 18", the swing blade mill cuts them perfectly OK. Arguably it has no big advantage over a band mill in that situation, but you aren't at any big disadvantage either. Then when you do get a 30, 40, 50" log, you smile  ;D

I guess it comes down to how many of those over size logs there are locally. But it need only be a very small % of the total to make a small mill viable. Locally 99% of the timber harvest is plantation, mostly pine, but good quality logs. The portable guys fill in the gaps. The different species, the single trees, remote locations etc.

Ian

[ely]

thats is true, there are a few very large trees out there. it would be nice to not have to quarter them with the chainsaw. none of the commercial mills take logs over 30 inches or larger,... so no one usually cuts them.

i would like to learn more about the swing mills, i spoke to an owner once about a field trip and dropped the ball on it. i may get that going again.

i am thinking about a circle mill too,...

[Ianab]

If you do get a chance to see one running you should take it. Quite a different approach to breaking down a log, and they make handling those oversize logs pretty easy. Often it's easier to just leave the log where it lays, and move the mill to the log. My theory is that if it takes more time to move the log, than the mill, then I move the mill, and it only weighs 1/10 of what a big log might.

Very portable as well. Simply getting someone to move a 40-50" log for you is going to cost. Mill is easy to move on a pickup or small trailer, as are the boards, once they are sawn.

Ian