Best wood to mill?

[50 Acre Jim]

A tree service contacted me and said they have lots of trees they will give me.  I guess they need a place to get rid of them and I have a sawmill so....  Anyhow, I think I want the Maple, Cherry, Cedar and White Oak.  I plan to use the wood for special projects like tables and slabs as well as for projects like pergolas, decks, and pole barns around my place.   If I cut any for the outside world it would be larger timbers, such as 6X6, 6X10 etc. 

Am I missing anything or does that about cover it?  I'd like the Locust too but my guess is they don't have any problem selling that. 

[btulloh]

Don't count the locust out just yet.  Getting rid of logs is usually more of a liability for them - time and expense.  Some of them have places they can sell some logs some times, but usually not.  See what they want to do.  Some would like to bring you limbs and chips and firewood too.  Or that's where they'll start.  I work with some tree guys and we just work out arrangements that are suitable for both sides.  It's usually different from one company to the next and often different from one job to the next.  Depends on what they have, what the lumber mills and accumulation yards are taking and for how much they're paying. (Around here right now, nobody's buying anything but veneer logs and tree-length pulp.)  With some of the tree guys you can find a win-win deal.  Some you can't.  It's just a matter of negotiation.

Tree work companies can be a good source, but they also take down a lot of junk.  They also have mostly yard trees which can be full of metal so watch out for that.

These days with live edge being in demand, some of the ugly trees make desirable slabs.  Some of them make firewood.  Some of them make debris.  An old gnarly redbud or persimmon can make some stunningly figured lumber.  Or not.

Like any good relationship, work out a deal that's good for both of you.  Getting logs is as much of a learning process as sawing and everything else.

Good luck and keep making that sawdust.

BT

[btulloh]

Forgot to address you real question -

The best wood to mill is
  Wood you need
  Wood you like
  Wood with value
  Wood you have

Maybe that doesn't sound like an answer, but ...

At first it's worth sawing most anything because there's an education in every log. You can never have too many stickers or too much dunnage so just about everything has some usefulness.  Sometimes you just learn what not to saw again but throw on the burn pile first. I get a lot of nice straight syp whic is easy to saw but I've learned a lot more from difficult logs than from easy ones.

[gww]

Just for the pleasure of cutting, I think I like cedar the best so far.  It is light, soft, seems to dry flat.  My worst part of cutting cedar is being able to come up with logs that give me a full eight inch board.  I get 7.5 inch pretty often but 8 is hard.

Cheers
gww

[Ianab]

From those woods.

Cedar is light, easy to saw, and very durable for outside use. Only down side is it's a bit soft, but that's not really an issue for heavy outdoor use.

White oak is also durable, but heavy and hard. Can be used outside or for furniture.

Maple and Cherry are both good for interior furniture etc. Colour of cherry makes it desirable.

So all of them are useful woods in their own ways.

[sealark37]

You might consider getting ready to process firewood.  Tree services like to dump all of their waste wood in one place. It may turn out to be a good profit opportunity.     Regards, Clark

[Brad_bb]

What Btulloh said!!!

Most of my logs come from tree service.  Don't say no to any hardwood.  It is far better if you go to his yard and mark what you want with marking paint.  You DO NOT want firewood or junk wood, at least I don't.  I have enough firewood just from slabs opening logs. 

Walnut should be at the top of the list.  I pay $1/BF Doyle scale.
I love locust, but it is a little harder cutting.
Cherry, Maple, Oak, Ash- I'm milling all the Ash I can- Beetle killed Ash is still some great wood if you get it in time.  When you want a light colored wood, it's nice.  I'm milling all that I can right now. Takes stains great too with great contrast.  I also love Osage (Bodark).  Like has been said, some of the nastiest logs make some great pieces.  Mill whatever you can right now to get a feel for different things. 

[50 Acre Jim]

At first it's worth sawing most anything because there's an education in every log. You can never have too many stickers or too much dunnage so just about everything has some usefulness.

Yep, this afternoon 2 of my neighbors came by to see the sawmill.  Word gets around quick out here!  :-)  Anyhow, I grabbed an old rotting Hemlock that had bark that acted like a slushy when I grabbed it with the front loader.  This log was about 18" in diameter but it was rotten to within 4"-5" of the pith.   I lobbed off the 4 edges for my audience and everyone was amazed that I could produce an awesome 8"X8" out of the obviously worthless log. 

Learning something new and enjoying every day that I'm milling.  Good times! 

[btulloh]

/quote]


Yep. You've got the sawdust addiction.  smiley_blue_bounce

[WV Sawmiller]

   I agree with Btulloh but one recommendation I would add (May be the same as Has Value comment) would be Wood products you can sell in a reasonable time. We all have valuable wood in stock but how much do we have in cost to store it?  I sold some walnut this weekend I have had cut for well over a year. If I were totally dependent on my lumber sales for a living I;d have had to have marked it down and sold it much sooner for a lot less.

   I would also definitely add locust to the "Will take/Want" list.

   BTW - are these logs you get for free or are you paying for them. Changes everything IMHO.

[50 Acre Jim]

BTW - are these logs you get for free or are you paying for them. Changes everything IMHO.

Depends on several variables.  Some of the furniture woods he wants money for but he says he's not looking to get rich, just wants me to be fair with him.  We'll see how that works out.    I think the White Oak will be free if I pick it up at his place, got to cover the cost of fuel, etc if he brings it over to me.  Once again, he says he just wants me to be fair with him. 

Since I spoke with him last night several questions have come to mind, such as quality of wood, diameter, length, etc.  I don't know that I need any 40" White Oaks but I don't need any 8" either.  15-25 would be perfect for me right now but I realize I may have to take what he has if he drops it off.  But whatever, it's a learning experience and what i don't make lumber out of I can use for my wood furnace. 

Which brings up another idea.  With all this scrap wood I was thinking of another wood furnace and using it to dry the wood.  Doesn't seem like all that tough to set up and it would run 365 days a year just keeping the scrap under control.  Something else to think about...