iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Dead trees to the mill

Started by rasawing, December 12, 2019, 12:38:23 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

rasawing

How long after a tree has been cut down or has died would the tree be rejected at the mill for the purposes of making graded lumber? 

After that limit has been reached.....at what point would it be rejected even for other purposes (like pulpwood)? 

My question is for southern pine and hardwoods. Thanks.

moodnacreek

I don't think  that question can be answered. Buyers want live wood.   But there are many situations in many areas and the value of high grade hardwood is just like scrap metal. A big round, smooth log, bark falling off, colored wood where stain is not an issue, no jacket cracking, central heart both ends may be scaled inside rot that the debarker will remove, if the market is good.   I used to get gypsy moth killed hemlock [standing dead] and on the smooth , good diameter logs it was no problem but as you got higher up the sapwood was in too deep and the sap was rotten. I could never describe, even to a logger, which logs where good.

timberking

Presence of stain in hardwood or pine logs will get you a turn around here.  Trees with the bark slipping are 50/50.

Hans1

We have sold walnuts that washed into the creek and was happy with the price we received on them. Other species  I have no experience with..

Southside

The price for SYP has been depressed and the supply has been high, so buyers have the luxury of being picky.  Time of year will have an impact on how well a log holds.  Cut this summer, the bugs have gotten into it, the stain may be in as well, and it has dried and checked - I doubt you can give it away.  Felled today and sold in February if it has been raining the whole time from now until then - you can probably sell it for a mid to lower level price point as the mills will be hungry for wood.

Couple weeks ago I had several calls from folks who had SYP that was down for several months to a year, they just could not understand why I would not pay for those "valuable logs", nor would I even take them for free.  

On the other hand - if you have a need for your own lumber and have a way to get it sawn then that summer log might be worth it to you.  There will be some reduction in yield and some color issues which is what makes a commodity buyer turn away from it, but neither will make a hoot of difference if used in your deer stand, pole barn, etc.  
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

rasawing

Thanks for the feedback guys. Those are some of the answers I expected. 

The reason I ask is: I live on some land with about 30 acres of it forested. (Hardwood & pines.) We have had (over the years) kind of a running debate as to whether or not to log it. (Since some of these trees are old and massive.) I have been pushing "yes" on logging because I worry about some sort of disaster hitting and a "salvage" logging operation giving us a fraction of what we would have gotten from a normal logging op. 

moodnacreek

Up here you would [if you could] start logging in October or November and have until march to sell with little or no degrade. After March is just the opposite .

thecfarm

No help from me but depends on who's wood it is. I almost got a load of softwood rejected for pulp. Small scale logging,takes time to get a load of pulp. I was selling logs and the tops was pulp. But than the paper company cut some softwood in June,sat thier until Oct. ::) That was ok. ???
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

BargeMonkey

 The idea of logging off a piece for "what if" reasons doesn't make the most sense to me. If you've got 30acres of decent wood approach a reputable forester / logger and see what your markets are, right now things aren't to hot for log prices anyway. Summer cut wood we normally have to have a home for it and get it gone before it stains, molds, I've got some small pine left over from this yr I can't even ship to the shavings mill. Between now and March 1st is when they typically want wood, my buyer is on me about some hickory and maple on this next job I start in January, ship the best off the job as fast as we can and worry about the low grade/ firewood later. 

rasawing

Again, thanks for the feedback folks.

QuoteThe idea of logging off a piece for "what if" reasons doesn't make the most sense to me.

It does when you start thinking about the potential waste and dollars down the drain after a disaster. (Unless we insure the timber.....and I have no idea how much that would cost.) Not to mention the cleanup issues. We are all in agreement that we don't want to log it because it does look pretty nice......but the disaster scenario is something I cannot get out of my head. 

So far (and we've been there for 40 years).....we've just cut what has come down (or died) after storms and so forth for firewood. (We've even cut a acre here and there ourselves for various reasons.) But I think the max. wind event we've seen is about 75 mph. (Possibly 80.) I just can't get the possibility of a hurricane, microburst, or whatever out of my mind. Hurricane Hugo delivered 100 mph gusts to Charlotte.....and that's about as far from the coast as we are. And what most people don't realize is: 100 mph gusts have about 1.8 times the force/wind pressure of 75 mph gusts. Granted all this is a long shot.......but something to consider.

The other factor here is: I'm no spring chicken. My folks are in their late 70's......and my brother is completely worthless. So whatever happens.....I've got to face it.....or hire it done. (It was up to me to fix it after that 75 mph event I mentioned above.) And while I can still answer the bell.....I'm trying to decide what to do.

In any case, all this is weighing my options.....and I appreciate the opinions I've gotten so far.

dsroten

I'm a little late to the party but I'll respond nonetheless.   Pine around here is pulp if it stains with little leeway.  And I've taken some really crappy pine in for pulp.  Hauled in a tree from neighbors yard that had been on ground for three years.  Still took it as pulp.

I've taken in plenty of dead hardwood as long as it is solid.  Both standing and laying, no rejects as long as it isn't just rotten.  Mostly oak.  Maple and poplar wont last long on the ground anyways.  One standing dead poplar last year I took in had woodpecker holes littering the entire stem.  They paid me #1 for it.  Best to ask your local mill, or try to take a couple in and see what happens.

nativewolf

Second what dsroten had to say on dead hardwood.  We are still taking 2 year old standing dead ash to market.  3 year old dead WO is fine, just a domestic sawlog, only paying for the heart, the sap is useless.  So you get a price/bdft reduction and size reduction..and we still sell it  ;D.
Liking Walnut

BargeMonkey

Quote from: rasawing on December 14, 2019, 01:13:22 PM
Again, thanks for the feedback folks.

QuoteThe idea of logging off a piece for "what if" reasons doesn't make the most sense to me.

It does when you start thinking about the potential waste and dollars down the drain after a disaster. 
You sound like you've got your mind made up either way. My recommendation was to talk to someone in your area who knows the markets, acreage and "trees" to the average homeowner doesn't equal dollars, I've cut 30k off 10acres and 10k off 30acres. You want to protect against a storm pick out a few per acre and level it, solves the problem. Find someone reputable and cut the best out now, solves the issue of "what if" when just the low grade and pulp lays on the ground after a wind storm. 

rasawing

QuoteYou sound like you've got your mind made up either way.

Not 100% either way. 

QuoteMy recommendation was to talk to someone in your area who knows the markets, acreage and "trees" to the average homeowner doesn't equal dollars, I've cut 30k off 10acres and 10k off 30acres. You want to protect against a storm pick out a few per acre and level it, solves the problem. Find someone reputable and cut the best out now, solves the issue of "what if" when just the low grade and pulp lays on the ground after a wind storm.

Good points. 

Thank You Sponsors!