The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Forestry and Logging => Topic started by: BlakeChorselogger on February 15, 2006, 11:45:25 PM

Title: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: BlakeChorselogger on February 15, 2006, 11:45:25 PM
anyone build furniture or have a use for small pine poles less than 6"diameter ?
or does anyone have a any craft ideas/plans that could put these small sticks to use

we have some thinnings scheduled for march

thanks 
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: getoverit on February 15, 2006, 11:58:05 PM
Here in the south, small, debarked pine logs at least 8 ft long and at least 2 inches in diameter are used for fence posts after being CCA treated. I dont know how many you have, but perhaps a call to one of the fence post treating comapnies might be a good place to start.
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: Coon on February 16, 2006, 12:27:07 AM
Around here we use that kind of stuff for either rustic furniture, firewood, or.... fence posts or rails.  When we use spruce for fence posts we generally don't treat them for our own use.  We use an "old school" trick to ensure they last.  What we do is when we cut and sharpen post we use the small or top end for the end to go in the ground.  The reason for this is common sense when you think about it.  By putting in the small end you prevent the post from sucking up ground moisture.  With spruce or tammarack posts I have often seen when people have put them in the ground the same direction as they were growing.  They tend to start growing again provided they are put wrong end up and still green.  We do peel all of the posts too.  Within two wet years and if in a lower wet area you will notice small green branches starting to grow as well as the beginnings of new bark forming.
Brad.
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: beenthere on February 16, 2006, 12:48:27 AM
Quote from: Coon on February 16, 2006, 12:27:07 AM
...........small or top end for the end to go in the ground.  The reason for this is common sense when you think about it.  By putting in the small end you prevent the post from sucking up ground moisture.  ..........
Now, you are pulling our leg.  ;D
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: WeeksvilleWoodWorx on February 16, 2006, 10:51:56 AM
Mmmmm, maybe I need to re-think my strategy. Any pine less than six inches goes in the chipper. ;D :D
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: rebocardo on February 16, 2006, 11:22:30 AM
Rustic furniture, like someone mentioned, fence posts too. Though what I have seen is people just stick the ends in a tar bucket and then put the post in the ground. Around here, that counts for treated :-D

Pretty much around here it is waste wood or chipper wood. Not even pulp.

They can be used in log cabin and shed building too. If you have a sizable quanity and can cut to exact length you can sell to someone that builds those cement and wood houses where they stick the wood into the walls like a stone. The name escapes me, but, if you have seen one you know what I mean. Looks like firewood stuck into cement.

Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: Radar67 on February 16, 2006, 11:30:57 AM
The term you are looking for is cord wood construction.

Stew
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: bull on February 16, 2006, 12:06:11 PM
4"-8" tip pine is three side on the mill and then run thru the resaw here...... you can come up w/ a hell of alot of good clear 3"- 6" trim wood. I grade out the good and the rest goes to pallet or is bundled for kindling. Clear trim board pays $1.00 bf or more if you get the right customer, pallet pine is worth .35 cents a bfd.  kindling is worth $5.00 a bundle 1 cubic ft.
You can also chip it for regrind to make mulch or hog fuel....   $ 10. or better per ton.
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: Murf on February 16, 2006, 12:13:43 PM
There's a guy near here who has a good little business cleaning up pine and fir tops for firewood.

He has a Bilke processor which makes really short work of them. He also made up a cutter to clean the branches of them. It is mounted on the front of the tractor, and the Bilke is on the back. He just rolls through the forest chopping and clearing as he goes. The Bilke drops the wood directly into a trailer on his 4 wheeler.

The city slickers like the little pieces of pine & fire for firewood cause it smells good, sounds nice and is handy.
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: Coon on February 16, 2006, 04:22:08 PM
beenthere I AM NOT PULLING YOUR LEG!!!  This technique has been done for years around these parts.  Not everyone could afford to buy or make treated fence posts or rails.  Many trials have been done by many people.  "Old School" farmers used what they had and got along with the materials they had to use.  For these posts people around here are still doing this technique all the time.  Many of these untreated posts at our farm are still in the ground serving their purpose.  They were cut and put in the ground when they were green in 1954 by my wife's grandfather and his brother and oldest son.  New barbed wire was strung in 1989 because it was breaking everytime the cattle leaned against it.  Merely rusted through.  At this time close to half of the posts were replaced due to rot and breakage by the cattle and horses.  There is some posts that presently need replaced and from my better judgement they look like very old posts, not the ones that were changed in 1989.
Brad.

I have some pictures of the barbed wire being changed and posts being replaced.  I will get them scanned by a friend who just got a new scanner yesterdy.  It may take him a couple of days to figure out the scanner though.
Brad.
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: beenthere on February 16, 2006, 04:50:52 PM
In all seriousness, you should pass that information along to the Forintek Canada Corp in either Quebec or Vancouver. They may already know about this phenomena, but I suspect they don't.
http://www.forintek.ca/
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: SwampDonkey on February 16, 2006, 05:24:14 PM
We just use cedar, and the bark is left on. No time for pealing bark. ;D Hardly enough time to anchor them in the ground. :D

There are a number of fence post manufacturers around here, but I'm never seen a farmer ever buy any. In fact if he doesn't have cedar on his own ground he'll buy it from a neighbor. ;)
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: Coon on February 16, 2006, 05:30:08 PM
I have already talked with them about this.  They have heard about this in the past but don't seem to interested.in talking to me about it.  I don't know why either.  Should be an issue worth looking into further.  Another thing I also do and forgot to mention is every fall before freeze-up I get a five gallon bucket of sandy soil w/ some moss.  When I go out and cut down my Christmas tree I take the pail along with me and install the cut end into the soil and moss that is in the pail.  I melt snow or use rain water to water the tree through out the season and on into the spring.  Once the frost is out of the ground if the tree has not died, I take the tree out of the plastic bucket by cutting the bucket off.  You must be careful to not damage any of the new roots that may be forming near the edge of the bucket.  I then plant the tree in a suitable environment where there is enough drainage and moisture available.  Around here one has to be careful where he/she plants anything as the chemicals that the farmers use often kill out these trees if they come into contact.  

So far my success rate is only in the neighbourhood of 50% for the trees to reroot themselves and continue on with its life cycle.
Brad.
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: SwampDonkey on February 16, 2006, 05:35:13 PM
Coon :D I wish I could tell my story of the newfie christmas tree.  :-X :-X :-X
Title: Re: anyone know of a MARKET FOR pine tops?
Post by: Coon on February 16, 2006, 11:47:11 PM
Hey swamp you could pm me the story. :D :D
Brad.