Want to have an old long leaf pine milled...where do I start?

[Joshua 65]

I have a very old long leaf standing dead about a year. From what I've learned from my folks and Grandpa and my friend that's cutting it down, it could easily be 200 years old. Not sure what killed it. I've arranged to have it cut down soon But I have a lot of questions about what to do next if it looks like good wood after we fell it. It's over 30" across and it's in Suwannee County Florida. Once the logs are on the ground he'll drag them out into open pasture. How do I find someone to mill it? How much does milling cost? How much does kiln drying cost? How long does it take to air dry? I want to build a couple of pieces with some of the lumber as the tree comes off land that has been in my family for generations but I really don't need this much lumber but depending on how much the milling costs  I have plenty of space to store it indefinitely if I wanted to keep it. Is there a market for it and how difficult is it to get it to that market? Any advice on how I should proceed or who to contact?

[bushhog920]

To find a sawmill look in the toolbar top of the page to find members, Facebook market place will probably have some local, and woodmizer website has owners listed and their location. Cost I charge $.35bdft to cut and sell pine at $.50bdft. my prices are on the cheap side so expect to pay more. A 10'x30" log has 410bdft so I'd charge you $143 to cut that one log. Kiln is not really needed but proper stickering is critical. Dying time for pine is quick a month or two. I sell my stuff on Facebook market place. 1x boards 4-12" wide 10-12' long, live edge mantles, beams sell good. 2x not so much you can get that cheap at the box stores.

[customsawyer]

I can mill it, kiln dry it and plane it. You can make furniture, flooring, paneling or about anything else you might want from this lumber. I would recommend getting it kiln dried if for nothing else to set the pitch. A old long leaf will have plenty of it.

[Southside]

X2 on what Customsawyer said on the kiln drying.  Long leaf is a different animal than plain old Loblolly and if you don't kiln dry it you will forever have a sticky mess.  

[Joshua 65]

To find a sawmill look in the toolbar top of the page to find members, Facebook market place will probably have some local, and woodmizer website has owners listed and their location. Cost I charge $.35bdft to cut and sell pine at $.50bdft. my prices are on the cheap side so expect to pay more. A 10'x30" log has 410bdft so I'd charge you $143 to cut that one log. Kiln is not really needed but proper stickering is critical. Dying time for pine is quick a month or two. I sell my stuff on Facebook market place. 1x boards 4-12" wide 10-12' long, live edge mantles, beams sell good. 2x not so much you can get that cheap at the box stores.

Thanks for the reply! So for .35/bd ft you cut it and stack it stickered? I've heard the ends of boards should be sealed while air drying, yes/no? Is that included? If no how much for those services?

[Southside]

No need at all to seal the ends of pine. 

[WV Sawmiller]

To find a sawmill look in the toolbar top of the page to find members, Facebook market place will probably have some local, and woodmizer website has owners listed and their location. Cost I charge $.35bdft to cut and sell pine at $.50bdft. my prices are on the cheap side so expect to pay more. A 10'x30" log has 410bdft so I'd charge you $143 to cut that one log. Kiln is not really needed but proper stickering is critical. Dying time for pine is quick a month or two. I sell my stuff on Facebook market place. 1x boards 4-12" wide 10-12' long, live edge mantles, beams sell good. 2x not so much you can get that cheap at the box stores.

Thanks for the reply! So for .35/bd ft you cut it and stack it stickered? I've heard the ends of boards should be sealed while air drying, yes/no? Is that included? If no how much for those services?

Bushog no doubt will reply with his practice and terms for sawing but when I saw for a customer my normal rate is for sawing and the customer provides the labor to stack and sticker the lumber. I normally will cut the stickers as part of my sawing by either first sawing a scrap log or as part of the edging process but this is something you need to confirm with your sawyer. If I had to stack the lumber that is an extra charge (Because it takes me longer). If I have to sticker it is an additional extra charge (Because it takes me longer). If I were sawing for you I would expect you to have the logs trimmed of limbs and nubs, bucked to length and staged/stacked neatly in an acceptable and and accessible location where I can bring the mill in next to the stack of logs, start rolling them onto the loading arms of my mill and start sawing. Anything that is going to take me extra time is normally an extra charge so make sure you are crystal clear on what services the sawyer provides and what you are responsible for doing. The sawyer is not trying to rip you off for these charges, he wants to provide a quality service for a fair price for both of you. Most, if not all of us, include a blade damage fee and if we saw into metal in your log, you will have to pay for sharpening/replacing the damaged blade. Some sawyers will have an hourly rate and any of these extra services they provide is at their normal sawing rate - which probably is much more than unskilled labor rates for the bucking, sawing, stacking, stickering etc. Remember if he quotes an hourly rate the better prepared you are and the more and better help you provide the less your sawing costs will be. Ask and make sure you are comfortable with the terms and mutual expectations. Good luck.

[Magicman]

I love Longleaf Pine, but not necessarily the sawing part.  It can be a sticky mess, but....


 


 


 


 
It can make some very nice lumber.  Here are some pictures of some wall paneling boards in my Cabin.