do i need a mill????

[grainnut]

hey y'all new here from fla... am cutting a straight 60-80' hickory with 2 crotches(maybe 4-5' wide at first crotch 10' off ground) second crotch at 30' ... also some bowed oaks  (with 5' bow on 40' long curves and no crotches, straight trunk) seem like great beams of some sort?!?! ... some straight oaks as well (60' also with 5' trunk)... is this wood useable? who do i call? grain and wood is beautiful, dont want to split it for burning!!! sawmill and work the wood? burn in firepit? mom's firewood for a couple of years? the hickory will be nice pieces of wood, i'm just used to splitting for burning.. any ideas, help, sugg., advice would be welcome.. thanks, dave

[beenthere]

grainnut
Welcome to the forum.

You rushed through that introduction with a lot of information. 
How about we work on one, maybe two questions, at a time.. ;D ;D ;D

Are you looking for some lumber? Or looking to just using the wood from some trees you need to take down for something other than firewood?

[grainnut]

wellll... looking to use the wood as something other than... got plenty of firewood, these are just standout trees.. saw a lot of potential and wanted to see if it was worth the time, or???? i know its not black walnut but there is some beautiful wood here.. other than personal crafts and such, is there a market? i cut 1000's of bf a week, but it's usually, 'get it out asap' and it goes to the splitter.. but i have time and room on these (at the house and neighbor's) and, hey, well, i'd like to see this lumber continue to 'grow'...

[Banjo picker]

Welcome to the best site on the web.   ;)  Are you asking about buying a mill or just getting one in for a day or two?   8) 

My thoughts are similar   to what  the Peanuts  funnies said about banjos.  "Everyone should be issued one at birth."   ;) :D ;D 8) 8)  Tim

[grainnut]

wow would love to have a mill *wistful sigh* but just trying to use this lumber as other than firewood.. im not set up to work the wood im set up to climb it and fell it.. so here i am with one big beautiful hickory and a lot of clean oak, what can i do? will it sell? are there sawyers looking for 'showpiece' lumber? holding my breath 'til i gotta cut it up..

[beenthere]

............ but just trying to use this lumber as other than firewood.. ............. will it sell? are there sawyers looking for 'showpiece' lumber? .........

??  Is it lumber or logs now?

If lumber now, what thickness and what grade do you have?
Lumber markets seem not so good now.

If logs now, are you wanting to get a sawmill in to saw them, or wanting to sell the logs?
Which hickory do you have, and which oaks?

We like pics. Any chance to get some in your gallery?

[DanG]

Welcome, Grainnut.  Wherebouts in Florida are you?  For trees the size you're describing, you probably need to find someone with a swingblade mill.  There are a number of members in Fla who have mills of various types, so it would help to know where you are.

If you're an arborist, it would be an advantage for you to have a mill, or a good relationship with someone who does.

Yes, there should be some nice wood in that hickory, and maybe some that is spectacular.  The really neat stuff will be found just below those crotches, so be careful how you take that tree apart if you want to save them.  You are not likely to find a sale for them in log form, as most sawyers can get all that kind of stuff they can handle for free.

I'm always happy to find an arborist who sees something besides dollar bills in a tree. 8) 8)  Stick around on this forum, and you will learn a lot about what to look for. ;)

[WDH]

The bowed oaks will be problematic.  You are unlikely to get straight lumber in any long length from logs with that much sweep.  It will saw straight, but it probably will not dry straight.  Sweep is generally a defect that is hard to overcome in standard length lumber.

[grainnut]

thanks to everyone who weighed in and gave me feedback.. just to clarify, i'm a climb and cutter 'cause it pays the bills (well, SOME of 'em).. but i'm a 'grain nut' at heart, grew up in central america and have seen wood that would soften your cold, hard plumseed hearts (just kiddin') burned as weed and nuisance for the sake of cleared lots of matchstick homes.. (think teak, sapodilla, rosewood, mahogany, red tambran, guavacan[what in u.s. is called `ipe] etcetera and more) ... as i have amassed a considerable quantity of firewood from local (jacksonville-south georgia) jobs, i'd like to start using some of this lumber for the lumbers sake.. i'm not looking for boardfeet of saleable material, i just want to use the really pretty stuff 'cause it's well, PRETTY!!! problem is, i cant seem to find a sawyer in n.e. fl that will cut my smalltime pieces, they only want to cut large quantity slash pine and longleaf for 2x's or grind it for paper.. the hardwoods just go to the landfill!!! again, thanks all y'all for your input, i'm now a dedicated forestry forum guy so keep the replies coming.. talk to ya soon and some pics of some of my lumber coming as soon as i can fig out this stoopid computer.. rather be 50' up tryin to change a chain in the rain.. dave

[LeeB]

Let me answer from my own point of veiw. Do I need a mill? No. Do I have a mill? Yeh, I got two of em. Do I make any money with them? Not really. Enough for meals out and upkeep. Do I try to make money with them. Again, not really. Will I ever give them up? Only when they pack me in sawdust and put me away.