Bd ft per ton white oak

[KenMac]

Anyone know off hand or can you direct me to a calculator?  Thanks in advance. 

[Gary_C]

There is no simple calculator to convert a measure of volume (Bd ft) to a measure of weight (ton) without knowing other factors involved in the conversion. Things like density, moisture content, sawing method and waste are important factors in the conversion that would need to be known to be accurate. 

So the conversion is easier to measure than calculate.

[KenMac]

Is there an accepted average for white oak? Locally w o sells by the ton, but people want to buy by linear foot. I need a way to know (guess) how much to buy to fill orders. That make sense?

[Old Greenhorn]

 Have you checked all the calculators available here on the forum in the toolbox to see if one of those might do what you need?
 Barring that, I use SawLogCalc for android in my phone. Gives weights for various log sizes by species. For instance it ells me that log (WO) with a 20"SED and 12' long weighs 2100# and yields 210 BF based on the international 1/4" scale. Not sure if this is what you need, but it's a handy tool. I bought the pro version which lets me save and send the tally files.

[KenMac]

I guess I shouldn't have been so lazy. Thanks for your help. That example comes out to about 200 bd ft per ton. Locally, w o brings $100 a ton, so it looks like $0.50 per bd ft to me. I can live with that. I just need to find the logs now.
I heard 250-300 bd ft a ton somewhere, but that must not have been white oak. Thanks again.

[stavebuyer]

I guess I shouldn't have been so lazy. Thanks for your help. That example comes out to about 200 bd ft per ton. Locally, w o brings $100 a ton, so it looks like $0.50 per bd ft to me. I can live with that. I just need to find the logs now.
I heard 250-300 bd ft a ton somewhere, but that must not have been white oak. Thanks again.

Diameter has an influence as does log scale used. We have truck scales as our logs often travel Interstate and the trucks have to axle out as well as not be over gross. 3200' in Doyle scale on a white oak truck puts the weight pretty close to 48,000# which equates to 7.5 tons per mbf. Large logs like we sell to the Quarter saw market(20"+ diameter avg) get a little closer to 4000' which equals 6 tons per mbf.
We have bought tree length @ a per ton price. The 7.5 is pretty close and the conversion can easily go to 8+ tons per mbf if the logger leaves a lot of junk/rot/splits in the load. The per ton buyers usually factor in the waste for tree length.

[stavebuyer]

So in my example based on Doyle the price per foot on average sized logs would be more like $750mbf =$100 ton. What matters is the $$ is the same as what he used to. If he hauls a trailer load across the scales 24 tons =$2400. I think you will find the AL markets are priced to correspond to Doyle; meaning the mills buying by stick scale are paying $750 and not $500.

[KenMac]

Ok, thanks for clarifying that for me. I was about ready to pay $1.40 per bd ft for logs from Tn. I think I'll look harder for some local loggers who might can provide what I need.

[mike_belben]

$1.40 per bdft is midsize stave quality white oak in tennessee right now.  

You really need to define the size and quality of the logs to know what a good and bad price is.  Pulp could be as low as 20cents/ft.. Ties in the 40cent range and stave/veneer up into the 2$ mark.  Without a grade youre kinda flying blind.

Whats yoir location and what grade/diameter/length are you needing?

[KenMac]

$1.40 per bdft is midsize stave quality white oak in tennessee right now.  

You really need to define the size and quality of the logs to know what a good and bad price is.  Pulp could be as low as 20cents/ft.. Ties in the 40cent range and stave/veneer up into the 2$ mark.  Without a grade youre kinda flying blind.

Whats yoir location and what grade/diameter/length are you needing?

I'm in central Alabama and need logs for fence boards and trailer flooring. Not totally clear, but only small tight knots, I guess.