Free walnut logs

[Zgin]

First I would like to thank this forum for all the info I have absorbed since joining a few weeks ago. I grew up near an old circle mill and have worked around an lt40 in the past but just recently took delivery of my own 2022 LT15. Since November my weekends have been spent either cutting trees down, milling them into timbers or cutting the T-frame carport I am building. Last night I got a call about a guy that has 2 walnut logs near me 12' long and 24" plus diameter cut down 2 years ago. He said they came from open forrest not a fence row. I have a 14' trailer to move them and he has a backhoe to load. Any ideas on weight of these and how to go about cutting into them?

[WV Sawmiller]

   You can measure the log and I'd use an International 1/4" log scale to estimate the board footage they contain then go to the home page of this forum and under the Extras tab you can find how to estimate the weight of a log. Enter the species and the bf of your estimate and you will get your estimate. Good luck. 

[btulloh]

Scroll down to the bottom of the left clumn here and click on the red toolbox. There's a log weight calculator there. And lots of other good tools. 

[Old Greenhorn]

I use a phone AP calculator just because I rarely have service in the woods. Mine says each of your logs should be abut 2,370# assuming 24" sed. Every 6 inches more in length adds about 100#.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Probably best if you find somebody who wants to buy sawn wood from you, then cut what he wants.

Next best if I needed to saw them quick and was speculating, I would cut them through and through into 2 1/4 inch thick, live edge. 

[firefighter ontheside]

What do you want to use the wood for?  I cut a little bit of everything of walnut.  I cut some live edge and some boards.  Do you want to sell it or use it for yourself?  I find it increasingly difficult to handle 8/4 live edge slabs.  My dad helps me but he will be 80 in a few months and is not as able to help handle the heavy stuff as he used to be.  With walnut, I seem to be able to sell it no matter what I do with it.  I have noticed though that the market is getting more flooded with people selling wood.  I guess that everyone who went out and got a mill in 2020 now has something to sell.

[Zgin]

I decided to get my mill after I watched 200 ash trees crumble to the ground on my property. At least the oaks are popping up everywhere now. Don't plan on selling anything officially, I just like the idea that I can have materials on my schedule and plus most of the mills around me have stopped traveling. I'll most likely will cut them to 2&1/2" for personal use. Thanks to the above suggestions on the calcs, I'm still navigating all the info here.