Selling green quartersawn oak and FAS lumber

[MesquiteSawyer]

Hello everyone. 

I am located in south central Missouri, and I was curious if any of you would share where you unload truckload quantities of FAS red and white oak?  (There are plenty of avenues for the lower grades.)   I have a few buyers for FAS, but the best I have done is still $.25 under the HMR.  Is this about all one can hope for, or can you squeeze a few more nickels out of a board foot? 

Also, I was curious about selling quartersawn oak.  I would rather stare at a beautiful piece of quartered oak than any other kind of wood, but is there some place to sell a few thousand feet of at a time?  I dislike having to deal with many individual customers as it takes a very large amount of time away from all other tasks.  (I know, I know, they are really the most important part of the equation, but sometimes taking less money for large quantities is sooooo much easier.)

I guess to rephrase the question so it is better understood:

"Is there a large corporation that takes truckload quantities of green Q/S oak, and will they pay anything over HMR FAS prices for it?"

[beenthere]

If you were turning out a truckload of green Q/S oak a day, or even two days, then likely you could interest a buyer. But I feel for anything much less than that production rate, a buyer (large corp. or not) would likely know that some of that Q/S oak sat around getting serious surface drying/checks while accumulating a truckload, and thus wouldn't be a very good deal for them. That would be my suspicion at least.

Green oak lumber needs to be moved quickly to the stickering and air drying stage to avoid drying degrade.

Maybe others are doing this already, and know of buyers.

[red oaks lumber]

very good post beenthere

[MesquiteSawyer]

Beenthere,

Thank you for the feedback.  There is no way I am interested in that kind of production, nor could I do it.    :-\

I used to sticker and stack my mesquite and let it air dry a year per inch and always had great luck with it.  I know green oak is a whole lot more particular, but I would think once you got it figured out, it would be fairly easy to replicate.

I don't know if it would pay any more for all of the trouble.  I sure would like to hear from anyone that has moved any quartered oak in larger quantities.  (More than a thousand feet at a time)

Anyone ever had any luck selling material to a woodworking supply?

I haven't seen any cabinets made from quartersawn oak, but I bet they would be beautiful!

[LaneC]

My cabinets are quarter sawn white oak and they are beautiful. I wished I were not technically challenged :D and I would post a picture but they really are pretty.

[drobertson]

I have dabbled in the small green markets of both white and red oaks.  About all I can say is if you are looking to sell smaller quantities like in the 1000-2000 bdft range, you might start looking for a flooring mill to be an outlet.
the mill I deliver to will accept any amount, it does need separation between red and white oak.  They make no distinction in the grade between q-sawn and plane sawn. Just the clear cutting units in the board.   I usually save back the primo of any board, stack and mover the rest.  And as it has been stressed, proper stickers, and stacking are critical for long term storage, covering the wood, with adequate air flow.  I found out long ago, sticker stacked lumber will bring a lesser grade at the flooring mill,  you have several days of dead stacking before there is an issue,

[dboyt]

The stave market is really good right now.  McGinnis (Cuba, MO) is paying $1.50 for good white oak logs.  That's more than I get for milled lumber!  You'll do a lot better selling your oak if you kiln dry it.

[MesquiteSawyer]

dboyt and drobertson,

Thank you both for the feedback!  I figured I would unload what I cut at the flooring mills, and hold back some of the better stuff to dry.  I have been seeing that McGinnis was offering quite a bit more than American Stave, and figured I would send any good white oak logs their way.   Dboyt, do you sell your dry oak to hobbyists, or have you got cabinet shops, etc. that you sell to?

Drobertson, I appreciate your input on the stacking and degrade concerning oak.  I cut enough live oak in Texas to realize I had better leave it alone.  It would begin checking almost within minutes of being cut.   I am hoping red and white oak are more forgiving, but I suppose I at least have a market to sell green lumber to, where I had no such place in Texas.  How long can one leave lumber deadstacked if the ends are anchorsealed, or will it make no difference?

LaneC, I would love to see a picture of your cabinets!  Of all the woods out there, quartersawn oak is my favorite!  There is a post in the woodworking section of a guy that made cabinets out of spalted beech that may rate up there among the prettiest cabinets I have ever seen.   My brother is a homebuilder in Texas, and alder is all he ever uses down there for cabinets.  Very pretty, but I bet yours are prettier.

[drobertson]

If you saw it sticker it, most of the flooring mills dunk the whole bundle in a tank, then air dry for whatever period they are looking for.  Just make sure if you know it will most likely air dried to sticker it close to the ends, and a foot to 18" apart between, with dried stickers!  Weighted down and the top layer covered, unless you have plenty to spare. My top layers are mostly bark free junk that covers the width of the stack.  Weight is important, evenly distributed over the stickers,  bark and rain will cause stain. 

[MikePatro]

Have any of you in missouri ever sold through McClain Forest Products? I am interested in this topic because i would like to be able to sell all the wood i can cut quicker.
Thanks

[Banjo picker]

Welcome Mike.  Good to see a young feller interested in the industry.  Banjo