New to Logging, need some tips please!

[MadMaxy7]

Hey everyone! I've got quite a bit of acreage and would like to start utilizing the trees for different projects around the yard and house. Can you help me determine what the best uses are for the trees I have?

I live in North-western Ontario, along Lake Superior. I've got lots of large poplar, white cedar, birch and a ton of balsam. Also some red and white pine scattered. 

Is poplar good for building sheds and lean-to's? If not I can always just get them cut into 8x8's for blocking, or other uses. I've heard that if you use it right away after cutting, then it dries ok? And if you dry it and then use it, it becomes more of a hardwood and is difficult to build with? Is this true? 

Is birch similar to poplar in that it becomes difficult to work with once dry? 

I know cedar is great for resistance to rot. Is it strong enough for sheds? 

Can I use balsam for lumber? 

Thanks for any help you can provide!! 

[Old Greenhorn]

You've got a lot of good wood to choose from there. Certain woods are good or better than others for certain things. SO try thinking about what that wood is best to apply in in that application. Choosing a single wood for everything, given the options you have would not be the way I would go.  Poplar is a general wood and I have never found it hard to work with, dried or otherwise, but I would never think of using it for framing. and I don't know why, I just don't. Your pines would be good for framing and timbers, you cedar would be good for exterior things like siding or roof decking, or shingles, Birch makes very nice finish wood, I have no idea about balsam, got none here.
 The technical and building folks will be along shortly to give you detailed ideas and suggestions, but I am just trying to suggest that you think of your species by their various qualities for the specific applications within a particular project. Wish I had that kind of variety and quantity available to me, for sure. Especially that cedar. I assume you have white, but even so, it's good stuff even though it's frustrating to mill and get lumber out of.
 Best of luck and now the actual knowledgeable folks can speak up.

[thecfarm]

How will you get the logs out of the woods.?
I suppose you have a sawmill?

[beenthere]

MadMaxy7
The "poplar" you speak of is what?? 
I am thinking it maybe aspen, quaking or big tooth, and not yellow poplar. All three could make good dimension building material (2 by's) if placed where the wood will stay dry from the weather. Depends on the design that you have in mind and the sawing and drying process you use.

[MadMaxy7]

You've got a lot of good wood to choose from there. Certain woods are good or better than others for certain things. SO try thinking about what that wood is best to apply in in that application. Choosing a single wood for everything, given the options you have would not be the way I would go.  Poplar is a general wood and I have never found it hard to work with, dried or otherwise, but I would never think of using it for framing. and I don't know why, I just don't. Your pines would be good for framing and timbers, you cedar would be good for exterior things like siding or roof decking, or shingles, Birch makes very nice finish wood, I have no idea about balsam, got none here.
 The technical and building folks will be along shortly to give you detailed ideas and suggestions, but I am just trying to suggest that you think of your species by their various qualities for the specific applications within a particular project. Wish I had that kind of variety and quantity available to me, for sure. Especially that cedar. I assume you have white, but even so, it's good stuff even though it's frustrating to mill and get lumber out of.
 Best of luck and now the actual knowledgeable folks can speak up.

thank you very much for this!! Very helpful. 
yes it is white cedar. Some pretty wild ones that I hope to one day turn into nice benches or tables. 

How will you get the logs out of the woods.?
I suppose you have a sawmill?

I'm hoping to build a bracket for my 3 point hitch on my tractor to be able to lift the one end of the log, and have one of those little axle trailers that can pick up the other end and drive out like that.

I have neighbours who have sawmills. I'm hoping one day to have one! Just don't have the time these days for it. 

[MadMaxy7]

MadMaxy7
The "poplar" you speak of is what?? 
I am thinking it maybe aspen, quaking or big tooth, and not yellow poplar. All three could make good dimension building material (2 by's) if placed where the wood will stay dry from the weather. Depends on the design that you have in mind and the sawing and drying process you use.

I think it's called balsam poplar. 

[PoginyHill]

Of the species you mention, I think red pine is best suited for dimension lumber (structural). I would use the poplars for furniture or siding. Balsam poplar is not as strong as quaking aspen or bigtooth. Cedar is very weak, so limited use in any structural application.
I recommend you consult with a forester to develop a plan.

[barbender]

 I've never sawn any Balsam Poplar (balm, balmy, balm of Gilead, black poplar). I've seen lots of it that would make nice saw logs, buy it all goes to the OSB or paper mills and gets ran through with aspen. I would think it would be similar to aspen or cottonwood. I'm not sure what I would use it for but I don't see why you couldn't use it for studs and rafters if it is sized according to its strength characteristics. 

 Balsam Fir makes really nice, straight framing lumber. That and red pine would be my first choice for that. 

 Cedar isn't very strong, but is rot resistant, pretty and smells great. People around here tend to use it for paneling and benches in saunas, and outdoor lumber like patio furniture, raised garden beds and the like. Locally, our cedar doesn't get big enough to make boards of much width. I got some 1x10s out of a log once, that was a big day😊

 White pine can be used for about anything. I think it makes great board and batten siding, and for any projects where you need wide, stable boards. It's like a good friend, predictable and stable😊

 

[B.C.C. Lapp]

MadMaxey7, before you start thinking "lumber", you got to think "logs".    There is a bit to learn about directional felling, that is to say dropping trees safely where you want them to go. . And bucking them into logs that are right for what your doing.  Not to mention skidding is a little more involved than it looks and depending on your skills and experience and equipment can also get you permanently killed.

Go slow, be wicked careful and don't get in over your head right off.
Best of luck with it. 

[Southside]

FWIW one thing I have learned is that for a long, long, time folks built with what grew there on the land and those buildings stood for a long, long, time on a stacked stone foundation set on top of the soil as long as the roof didn't leak.  I grew up where 10' of snow was an average winter and every old camp up in the woods was made from White Pine and or Cedar.  Was everything perfect and square and plumb?  No, but they held up for decades of abuse when the roof was shoveled off once a season because -well snowshoeing into camp to shove off 5' of wet, heavy, snow sucks so you don't do it more often.  
 
A few years ago I was resawing, drying, and finishing re-claimed lumber - old barns - and one thing i noticed was those old buildings were built with what was there at the time.  Beams and siding made from Chestnut, Cherry, Walnut, etc.  

Size it properly and it does fine.  

[Ron Scott]

As mentioned, seek out the services of a professional consulting forester serving your area and develop a forest land and stewardship plan to meet your management objectives.

Also review the Soil Survey for your local area which may provide some useful information and uses of the associated timber species.

[MadMaxy7]

MadMaxey7, before you start thinking "lumber", you got to think "logs".    There is a bit to learn about directional felling, that is to say dropping trees safely where you want them to go. . And bucking them into logs that are right for what your doing.  Not to mention skidding is a little more involved than it looks and depending on your skills and experience and equipment can also get you permanently killed.

Go slow, be wicked careful and don't get in over your head right off.
Best of luck with it. 

Yup for sure there's lots to it. I've been cutting down trees for about 15 years now. So I am confident in using my cutting skills and skidding to produce functional logs now at this point. Thanks for the advice! 

[Woodside Kai]

Leave the white pine standing.  We're not allowed to harvest it in northwestern Ontario.

Also, depending  on your lot, the pine may be a part of a crown reserve where certain tracts of land with tall straight pine the pine was reserved for use for masts on sailing ships.

Preffered framing lumber from our area is spruce or pine but even for graded construction lumber a percentage of balsam fir is permitted.  Hence the spruce pine fir spf designation on framing lumber around here.

For sheds or small outbuildings balsam fir or poplar ( trembling or bigtooth aspen) would be fine to use. The only use I know of for balsam poplar ( bamagillion) is barn flooring sawn 3" thick. Apparently it holds up better to animal excrements better than anything else locally.

Last point balsam fir I find to be tremendously under used and appreciated as many consider it a junk species. It is a pleasure to saw, stays flat, has a decent looking grain when planed and is strong enough for framing lumber up to a certain percentage. I have seen it used as siding and still looking good after close to 30 years of service. Also the sap all seems like it is contained in the bark as once the slabs are off the boards aren't sticky and dont seem to weep after installing.