milling on the beach

[coyote-timber]

Does anyone know if it is legal to mill logs on the beach in WA? I was at a beach near Seattle a few days ago and there were all these big logs laying around that still looked good. It would be fun to mill some slabs from some of them.

If you can mill them is the wood as good as it looks or does the salt decrease the value of the wood?

Thanks

[LeeB]

Don't know if it's legal or not, but be sure to bring a truck load of blades. The sand will eat you alive. Having said that, I have sawn some drift wood before and it can be interesting, expecially when you put a finish on it. The salt can make the finish do funny things.

[Robert Long]

coyote-timber
Can you power wash them first?

[coyote-timber]

Yes I could power wash them. Does that help remove the sand?

[LeeB]

I recon power washing might help or a debarker. I didn't have either one when I milled drift wood. If it has been in the water very long the worms get into it and the sand gets into the tunnels. It gets into any cracks also. The salt water can make for some interesting colors though.

[logwalker]

The short answer is it is not legal. At least this is my understanding. Whether anyone will stop you or not is a guess. It would be better to get them and take them home. The state has liability risk if you saw them there. People get them on our island but they do it early in the morning.  ;) ;)

[KnotBB]

In Oregon you have to find out who owns the logs.  Here it's generally State Parks but it depends exactly where they are at.  Do the logs have a brand on them.  Check the ends.  You might wind up chasing your tail to find ownership.
I'd think they would want to get them gone because they are a hazard when the tide comes in and they start moving.

[RynSmith]

I've always been told that taking driftwood is illegal but a quick google search didn't turn up anything.  I have seen signs on some beaches to this effect, but not on others.  KnotBB's comment about who owns them is probably pretty relavent...

[CALSAW]

Down here it is legal to collect on some beaches. The rules are, no powered equipment may be used to cut or move the logs.
I have dragged out a few small burls, and one time my wife and I managed a walnut stump that had washed up to a parking lot in a storm. It's drying in the shed (gunstocks). ;D