New to cutting rough lumber

[Bighead]

New to cutting timber and I have so many questions. Since the spike in lumber prices and me acquiring a new piece of land with plenty of nice would on it I decided to look into cutting my own. I have a small farm with a tractor and skid steer so that is a plus. I'm needing to build a couple new barns and some buildings so why not cut my own, maybe sell some here and there. My biggest question is why woods make the best rough cut lumber and what makes the worst. I have oak, pine, hickory, elm and plenty more. I just don't know what woods would be worth it and what is a waste. Also how long can a tree be cut down before you should make lumber? Can it rest years or should it be cut green?

[mike_belben]

Hickory and maple molds and rots very fast so they have zero business in any exterior application imo. Id even be slow to consider them for interior structural use just incase of leaks.  Theyll turn to powder in 5 years if wet. 

Pine and oaks very common framing wood.  The sooner you can saw the better.  If you cant, get the best logs up on sacrificial junk logs so theyre out of the dirt.  Out of the sun helps last longer too.  With the bark removed and up high from the dirt you can go about 5 years before the mushrooms start removing sapwood on oaks. But theres a lot of lost wood from exterior degrading too. 

[Bighead]

What's the common exterior woods I should look for? I'm in Kentucky if that helps decide what's the best woods for exterior uses?

[mike_belben]

Id say white oak outside, red oak inside.  Poplar cladding is pretty nice if the overhangs are generous and backsplatter isnt splashing up on the bottoms.  Im sure there are many more and wiser members will be along shortly.

[Don P]

I mostly agree with Mike but a few thoughts. I would caution against holding logs intended for structural use for any appreciable amount of time, strength reducing decay can do serious damage long before we can see it. The "roots" of those surface mushrooms go deep and riddle the wood on the microscopic level. Keep them "on the hoof" till you are ready to saw and dry them. For any hardwoods a spray, roll or dip with a borate solution will help keep powderpost beetles at bay and offers some decay protection in protected locations. If you look at the strength specs don't count out red maple but it is not that easy to find framing quality. Depending on where you are, southern pines are great framing, white pine can be used but is considerably weaker and you really have to pay attention to the knot structure.

[Ianab]

"Spalting" or "blue stain" is the first obvious stages of decay.  The wood is still "solid", but fungus has started to do it's thing. OK for appearance use, but the strength is starting to be compromised.  

If you saw, dry, spray with a borate mix to discourage bugs and store under cover the wood is fairly safe. Sitting in a shed, it's then at no more risk than the wood holding up the shed itself. 

[kantuckid]

Location KY? Do you have neighbors who know tree species and uses? You'll get good advice here but I've heard plenty of wrongminded wood application info from locals around me at times, mostly they know if they've used local wood. Honestly speaking, not many people really need a sawmill? In my area of E KY it would be worth consideration of hiring the sawing out or simply buying from a mill nearby. much depends on how much time away from other activities you have such as earning a living plus money to throw at a mill you might not need long or your ability to compete with the many other sawmills in KY and !!!->there are plenty<-!!! you'd be sawing against if your seeing dollar signs in the woods. :D
my workshop was built long before i had a mill of my own and yet the logs were off my place. Also I've logged and sold logs prior to having a mill. Fact is I now have had one for over 20 yrs but then I am a lifelong woodworker to begin with and already knew wood well beforehand and used it too.