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beetle killed pine

Started by hogdogman, March 08, 2014, 07:56:25 AM

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hogdogman


LeeB

'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Magicman

Yes, I saw upwards of 50M bf each year.  The only question is, how long has it been dead?  As soon as the needles die or are cast off is best.  After that, it starts to get iffy, especially when the bark starts slipping.  The butt log often needs "jump butting" several feet because it tends to decay first and often has more termite damage.  Termites travel between the bark and log to do their dirty work.

When bucked, if the wood has shrunk away from the growth rings, then it may be too far gone.

I looked at a job yesterday that is all beetle killed Pine and will be all 2X4's.
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

pineywoods

Yes, well maybe. I've sawed quite a bit, not as much as magicman. The only way to tell for sure if a beetle killed log is good, is put the sawblade to it. As a general rule, if the needles are dead, but still in place, it's good. If there's a pile of dead limbs around the stump, pass on it. In between is a large gray area. I've cut and hauled a lot of standing dead timber that looked good, bark still in place. Open up the log and find punk throughout. Others, bark all gone, surface all gray and weathered, but still sound as a live tree..The beetle kill stuff has about all petered out here, most of the standing dead timber I cut is lightening kill.
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

We studied the strength of beetle killed SYP and found that so long as the blue stain had not progressed to where it would be called "heavy," then there was no appreciable strength loss.  There can be an opportunity to cut 4/4 flatsawn pine for paneling with the blue stain adding character.

In the Rocky Mountains, beetle killed pine has blue stain, so some creative people call the lumber from such logs "Denim Pine (TM)."
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

WDH

If the needles are still on the tree, even if brown, you are good.  If the bark is already falling off, you are usually not good.  If when felled, any part of the bole of the tree breaks except for the very top, leave it lay for the bugs. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Magicman

Look at the log end.


 
This SYP log was much too far gone to saw.  Only the lower left portion was still good.
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

hunterbuild

We have a lot of in the Black Hills. I get all I can cut for free. Even if its to far gone for strength I can still cut for paneling. I love the blue staining. I did a cabin interior last year completely with it, doors, trim, etc. It came out gorgeous.   

Magicman

All of my Cabin Addition framing, walls, and flooring was beetle killed SYP.
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

slider

I saw a good bit of it and i watch for blue stain while I am sawing .Punk wood too far gone will kick out blue saw dust or grey .When you get down through this portion you may  salvage some good wood below this layer .The real treat is when you find a very old tree ,that has all the needles gone ,the bark slips when you drop it and it has very tight growth rings.Jack pot .Some times I will take a straight claw hammer and whack it if it does not sink in too far you may have something worth milling.
al glenn

WDH

The claw hammer test.  That is a good tip!
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Sixacresand

Dying pines on my place is the reason I bought a mill.  I saw way too many of them die, fall and rot. 
"Sometimes you can make more hay with less equipment if you just use your head."  Tom, Forestry Forum.  Tenth year with a LT40 Woodmizer,

redprospector

Nothing wrong with beetle killed Pine in my book.
We call it "Blue Pine" around here. It brings a premium to the folks building a weekend cabin, for that rustic look.
Put it on the mill and start sawing, if you run into rot, kick it off and cut it into firewood.

I've got a bunch of Western White Pine to mill that was killed in a forest fire 14 years ago. All the sapwood is gone, but the heart is as solid as a rock (and almost as hard). We'll see how that turns out.
1996 Timber King B-20 with 14' extension, Morgan Mini Scragg Mill, Fastline Band Scragg Mill (project), 1973 JD 440-b skidder, 2008 Bobcat T-320 with buckets, grapple, auger, Tushogg mulching head, etc., 2006 Fecon FTX-90L with Bull Hog 74SS head, 1994 Vermeer 1250 BC Chipper. A bunch of chainsaws.

dchiapin

 

 

this is beatle kill Long leaf Pine on our cabin in Colorado. We harvest here in Florida and mill it here then take it to Colorado. I love the blue stain, it just adds more character to the wood.

ely

I gauge it with my pocket knife a lot of times, if I stab the end of the log and it goes in a couple inches its too far gone, in that picture MM posted above, sometimes when you cut a stick or two of firewood off, the grain will clear up so it makes good boards.

drobertson

Very nice work dchiapin!  I love the knotty pine walls and ceilings,  a treasure for years to come,
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

dchiapin

thanks drobertson. It is a little extra work, but it is worth it.

 

SPIKER

saw this today, http://globalnews.ca/news/1217654/sawmill-in-quesnel-closing-after-55-years/

another sawmill closes as the BKP dries up and nothing left to cut.

Mark
I'm looking for help all the shrinks have given up on me :o

drobertson

Good post spiker, and I know for a fact this is wide spread, I am sawing beetle pine if I may call it that now.
the one who brought it has access to many acres of pine, and mentioned a few weeks ago, he witnessed millions of board ft lost to the beetle.  This is a major issue with pine in many areas.  I know if it is harvested soon enough, the loss can be minimal. 
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

hardtailjohn

Quote from: dchiapin on March 17, 2014, 08:02:04 PM


 

this is beatle kill Long leaf Pine on our cabin in Colorado. We harvest here in Florida and mill it here then take it to Colorado. I love the blue stain, it just adds more character to the wood.

When my Mom and Dad built their house in the early 80's they had the entire interior finished in beetle killed pine. They had sold a bunch to a mill here in the valley and it's what they got back to do the house in. Dad was grumbling about the fact that when he sold it, it was NOT premium wood because of the beetle kill....but when he bought it back, it THEN became the prettiest premium stuff they'd ever seen! :D
We've got serious beetle problems in this area, as well as many other areas in the state.
John
I'm so far behind, I think I'm ahead!

hogdogman

 this is what I found in the beetle killed pine log, I expected blue but not the red.

 

POSTON WIDEHEAD

I see a good bit of Red from time to time in Loblolly. Makes for a good looking board.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Magicman

It's not unusual and the good thing is that it does not cost extra.   ;D 
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

pineywoods

The red streaks are from lightening hits, not beetles. You will find the butt cut from a lightening kill is frequently a good bit harder than the rest of the tree. A hard direct hit by lightening does some strange things to wood.
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

thecfarm

I've seen a white pine on my place in pieces after a lighting hit.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

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