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oak logs

Started by brialin, September 04, 2020, 04:05:39 PM

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brialin

I  have two oak logs that were blown over.  I hate to turn them into firewood.  Is there a market if I was to cut them 2" thick and leave the bark on them.  They are both clear oak. One is 12' long and the other I can get 2 logs 8' long.  What would be a good price so I can unload rather fast.     
Brian

doc henderson

It depends a little where you are.  if oak is prevalent they may not be worth as much for lumber from a few logs.  in my area, we would love to have it, but not really a "market" here to quote from.  you would get what someone will pay for it.  sounds like you are wood guy.  you need to search for sawmills in your area and develop a relationship.  even to give it away is better than a land fill, although not a viable business model.  I do not pay for logs, but I do mill about anything my tree guys want milled in return for them dropping off logs they know I would want.  I am a hobby guy.  others may chime in.  we are not far enough east to have a lot of oak.  In the NE you may not be able to give it away.  welcome to the forum.  if you want to add to your profile like your general area, we might have more specific info, and you may find someone in your area to get acquainted with.  If you want to market it on this forum there are rules you can read about.  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

cutterboy

For a quick sale I would cut them 4/4 or 8/4 and edge them. Put an ad in Craigslist for $1 a board foot and you will probably sell them.

Doc, I live in red oak country and red oak is my best seller. There is a demand for oak from woodworkers.
To underestimate old men and old machines is the folly of youth. Frank C.

Bruno of NH

Cutter,
I have some beauty oak right now.I can't sell a stick of it for some reason.
I just milled a beauty today to use as siding on my edger shed.
I have some beauty ash to and can't move that.
I'm going to mill it for use in my home for flooring,stair treads and wall paneling in my basement office.
I can't believe it.
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

cutterboy

Bruno, do you sell all your lumber green? Woodworkers want dry lumber.
To underestimate old men and old machines is the folly of youth. Frank C.

Brad_bb

Besides what has been mentioned, there are other factors that affect value like diameter, and the quality/grade of the log.  There is quite a bit to accurate grading, and I'm not well versed in that, but I do know a higher quality log when I see it.  When you visualize the log as a square cant, how many faces are clear?  How many have just one or two small knots?  High grade logs are used for veneer or quarter sawing.  Remember that big sawmills will not buy yard trees.  Yard trees often have metal in them, nails, screws, clothesline hardware etc.  Every homeowner will tell you "oh there's no metal in these logs", and invariably, there is.  Small bandsaw mill owners will sometimes still saw such logs, but either want them free or fairly cheap to make up for any potential bands they will lose  for hitting metal.  I'm sawing some 26" white oaks now that I was told didn't have any metal.  I've hit nails twice so far, and a few bullets.

You did say the logs are clear?  I'll assume they are not clear on 4 faces, but high grade at least.  You didn't mention the diameter unfortunately.  If they are bit enough diameter, you should consider quarter sawing.  Reverse Roll Quarter sawing would give you the highest yield of high figure. (Recent topic in this forum). If they are really high grade logs, and over 20 inches, I think it would be worth quarter sawing.  The larger diameter log, will give you wider quarter sawn boards.  If I had a good quality log that was small diameter and at least 12 feet long, and I could make at least and 8x8 or 10x10 beam I'd do that.  I have no idea how easy or hard it would be to market, but I know I'd be able to use it in timberframing.  White oak is sometimes used for trailer decking.  5/4 boards would be something to market more generally.   How thick you cut an oak board or any board depends on a couple things- how thick you want to end up after drying and planing, how much the particualar species shrinks, whether your flat cutting or quarter sawing (thickness shrinks more when Q-sawing), and the knots/defects in the board will mean it will warp more and require more material to make up for what it will take to make it flat after drying.
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

Bruno of NH

Cutter
It's all air dried by the time it sells.
A kiln is on my list with a wide planner and planer moulder.
For wide planning I might just get a small swing mill with planer attachment. 
I don't want to handle anything wider than 3' ft.
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

brialin

The 2 logs are about 24" in diameter and veneer grade red oak.  The problem is that my mill will only take 19" and 12' long. I have a ripping chain that I can use to take some off near the butt end.  If I knew I could sell them cut to 8/4 and air dried and sell at a discounted I would take the time to do this.  If I go through all this and cannot sell them I would rather cut them up for firewood.
Brian

mudfarmer

Quote from: brialin on September 08, 2020, 01:39:15 PM
The 2 logs are about 24" in diameter and veneer grade red oak.  The problem is that my mill will only take 19" and 12' long. I have a ripping chain that I can use to take some off near the butt end.  If I knew I could sell them cut to 8/4 and air dried and sell at a discounted I would take the time to do this.  If I go through all this and cannot sell them I would rather cut them up for firewood.
??? ??? ??? ??? ??? Firewood? Veneer?
24" 12' 310 bd ft
24" 8' 205 bd ft
24" 8' 205 bd ft
total: 720 bd ft
Red Oak  AAA 9'6", 10'6" Clear. Slicer quality. Butts. Centered heart    $1400/mbdft
Kick down to V1 and this price sheet from Sep1 drops to $600/mbdft

maybe don't cut for firewood if actually veneer grade? Can you get 9'6" instead of 8ft?

ktm250rider

cut it into boards/slabs and if they don't sell....you have some easy stacking firewood!

farmfromkansas

I started doing this because wood is expensive if you have to buy it for projects.  And I have a crick full of trees, and like doing woodworking.  Seems like folks are tired of oak, and want walnut. Been thinking of cutting some ash to use for new steps and risers, and new stair rails.
Most everything I enjoy doing turns out to be work

kantuckid

My experience is that city woodworkers wont come and get free wood, let alone buy it. Most have no place or idea how to dry wood for crafts and prefer to hit Lowe's or HD or the arm & a leg wood @ a Woodcrafts store. CL & FB Marketplace both have MANY sawing & selling wood in my area so unless your lucky it's a hard sell here unless you have quantities.  
 The current frenzy for barnwood (here they cruise the countryside for old tobacco barns to tear down and live edge slabs may make it saleable in the northeast? 
Here oak can always be sawed into crossties and sold by the piece but not logical for clear oak logs? White oak is the big $ seller now in KY for stave wood.
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

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