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Cutting Telephone Poles

Started by woodweasel, February 19, 2014, 02:16:51 PM

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hunterbuild

The western cedar ones we get here are only treated on the bottoms. The upper part is clear of the black mess on the bottom. I'm still very careful and wear a respirator when cutting, and keep the saw dust separate. I use it for fencing and decks. I go over each pole with a metal detector and get out all the metal which can take a lot of time, but we don't have any other supply of cedar here. Store bought is expensive. 

Woodbine Saw

I have a sawmill and live in Airville, Pa. I am looking for used telephone poles. The person I was getting them from can't get them any more.
Does anyone around my area have any to sell.

Nadine

delvis

I can tell you first hand that sawing standard telephone poles (even ones that have never been in the ground but have been treated) is not an easy proposition.  The very first job we took when we bought our second mill was sawing 30 telephone poles flat on two sides.  They were clean and free of metal and had never been in the ground as they were purchased new.  They were treated with creosote and that is the stuff that kills the job almost as much as any metal in them.  I made an arrangement with the person we were sawing for to pay for Wood Mizer's carbide tipped blades plus the sawing which we did by the hour.  Those blades are about $75 each and we bought a box of 5 as I had no idea how many we would need.

Just making 2 cuts per pole I ended up using 2 blades because of the creosote in the logs.  I keep hearing people talk about cutting the butt ends off poles but the standard telephone poles are treated all the way from one end to the other.

Anyway, considering the distance you have to travel and what the job entails, I would steer clear off it unless you can get the customer to agree to have you saw by the hour and pay for the blades you'll need.  Good luck.
If I never saw another board I will at least die happy having spent the last few years working with my dad!

Magicman

Welcome to the Forestry forum, Woodbine Saw.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Nvfd3052

Their are quite a few mills around me, and none will cut poles. So I jumped on that opportunity and now that is all I cut. Always where a mask, glasses, face shield, and long sleeves. Stay up wind. Lay down tarps to catch the dust, and haul it and the scrap wood to the dump. It will have to be manifested and they charge me $45 ton. If you dont the epa will have a cow.. Poles are dryer than a popcorn fart so dont use any water or lube on the blade till after the cut is made, then run it full bore for a sec and let the blade spin dry for a sec before you start the next cut. I cut 6" off of the butts,they are full of sand and mud. Just my 2 cents
Woodmizer LT35HDD18 diesel
Stihl ms290
Deere 260 skid loader
01 Chevy 2500hd duramax
And a wife that loves me!

stephen tillery

Are you still cutting poles? Anything new as to government regs?

Magicman

The above was his last post and he has not logged on since July 17, 2015.  ::)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Bruno of NH

Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

Al_Smith

The guy I had mill me about 3500 Bd feet of ash,oak,cherry is one of three brother who are IBEW linemen and have worked out of Detroit for years .They were able to get the butt ends of 90 feet western cedar untreated poles which had been cut down to 70 footers for reuse .They got a small wood mizer of about 16 HP and paid for the mill plus each one now has cedar lined closets in all their homes plus made some money. The cedar lumber turned out really nice .

Magicman

The key is treated vs untreated.  Big difference.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Al_Smith

Another story .About 35-40 years ago the Erie-Lakawana railroad went out of business and tracts of right of way were sold off .Mainly for the salvage rails etc .One company out of Indiana had some of the ties cut into lumber .Basically new ties only down for about two years prior to the bankruptcy .Those oak sleepers were completely soaked with creosote .Evidently people bought the lumber for farm use .I bought about 400 tons of ballast rock at a $1.25 a ton .

jimparamedic

tyvex suit glove and respirator is a must. and diesel fuel in drip tank to keep blade clean. then figure what you need to do the job and triple that price. 

NewbieSawyer

I'm also from Canada, Near Vancouver British Columbia. I cut a bunch of poles for siding a decking when I built by house- lovely wood. They were all really old WRC Poles. I wasted anything that was below the "hash" mark. Even if it doesn't look treated the drill holes in the lower part of the pole are for pouring pesticides into, plus what ever it was treated with and then the dirt its buried in- hard on blades. I was choosey about picking the best parts of the poles where it appeared the weather had worn down what ever they were treated with. I would stay away from "fully" creosote or pressure treated. 

thecfarm

NewbieSawyer,someday you will be a oldie sawyer. :D
Welcome to the forum. Whatcha got for a mill?
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

samandothers


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