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Do sawmills buy wood chips/grindings?

Started by Drewster2016, June 28, 2021, 04:08:21 PM

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Drewster2016

I've know some people who live in the Greenville sc area, they have a smallish land clearing operation, and are thinking about getting a tub/horizontal grinder. It got me thinking, do companies with grinders haul their chips to sawmills or power companies and they buy them? I imagine some of the chips become bark mulch but what happens to all the chips? What could mills do with chips?

mike_belben

Arauco in moncure north carolina takes in train cars of wood chip to make OSB and such. 

Theres a lot of chip haulers headed to the waynesboro nc area too.. I imagine for a pulp plant. In tennessee kerry buys sawdust to extract smoke flavors and royal oak briquettes the char from that. 
Praise The Lord

nativewolf

If they bought a tub grinder it is mostly used for mulch which is much higher value than pulp chips.  They can sell in Charlotte to the landscape companies.

A tub grinder is a quality product for landscape mulch but not so great for chips as it produces material with inconsistent size.  Also lot clearing product is very dirty. 
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Riwaka

The number one question I would ask the small land clearing company is why do they require a tub grinder? Did the alternatives not work out etc?

Wood chips that go in board products are engineered to be certain sizes and from certain species of tree etc.

Bark when burnt leaves more ash and makes more smoke. 

For a land clearing company where there are too many on 'clearing site' burn restrictions etc. A composter (some where else not too far away) that can take leaves to bad logs might be at least a partial answer, and let them deal with the grinding etc.

Has the land clearing company already got some type of chipper?

SC, Composter left with pile of leaves to logs. 
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Wudman

Enviva (pellets) has a mill in Greenville.  Check with them on the front end.

Wud
"You may tear down statues and burn buildings but you can't kill the spirit of patriots and when they've had enough this madness will end."
Charlie Daniels
July 4, 2020 (2 days before his death)

florida

Power companies usually won't touch them due to all the sand mixed with the chips. The sand eats  up the boilers.
General contractor and carpenter for 50 years.
Retired now!

Drewster2016

Quote from: nativewolf on June 28, 2021, 06:59:38 PM
If they bought a tub grinder it is mostly used for mulch which is much higher value than pulp chips.  They can sell in Charlotte to the landscape companies.

A tub grinder is a quality product for landscape mulch but not so great for chips as it produces material with inconsistent size.  Also lot clearing product is very dirty.
They haven't bought anything yet, I guess they are going to be renting one shortly to see which better suits their needs. But they are trying to see what they can do with the by products of the grinding 

Drewster2016

Quote from: Riwaka on June 28, 2021, 11:10:39 PM
The number one question I would ask the small land clearing company is why do they require a tub grinder? Did the alternatives not work out etc?

Wood chips that go in board products are engineered to be certain sizes and from certain species of tree etc.

Bark when burnt leaves more ash and makes more smoke.

For a land clearing company where there are too many on 'clearing site' burn restrictions etc. A composter (some where else not too far away) that can take leaves to bad logs might be at least a partial answer, and let them deal with the grinding etc.

Has the land clearing company already got some type of chipper?

SC, Composter left with pile of leaves to logs.
Make compost ! - YouTube
They would like to be able to travel to job sites and do their grinding as well as have a spot at their shop for people yo drop off stuff that they can also grind, but they aren't sure what their options for the chips were as they have never had a grinder before  

Blue Noser

There are several biomass boilers here in Nova Scotia. A lot of low grade round wood of all species is chipped (even the tops) and used as fuel-chips. This method is often used in land development (farming, subdivisions, etc).

Drewster2016

Quote from: mike_belben on June 28, 2021, 06:49:53 PM
Arauco in moncure north carolina takes in train cars of wood chip to make OSB and such.

Theres a lot of chip haulers headed to the waynesboro nc area too.. I imagine for a pulp plant. In tennessee kerry buys sawdust to extract smoke flavors and royal oak briquettes the char from that.
I'd imagine they would want to sell chips to a pulp plant or something that's somewhat local 

John Mc

Quote from: Blue Noser on July 04, 2021, 07:21:56 PM
There are several biomass boilers here in Nova Scotia. A lot of low grade round wood of all species is chipped (even the tops) and used as fuel-chips. This method is often used in land development (farming, subdivisions, etc).
Biomass boiler chips often need to meet a certain size spec. I don't think they will but just any chip. If that ends up being a target market, it's worth checking in to what their specs are before purchasing a chipper.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Drewster2016

Quote from: John Mc on July 07, 2021, 08:35:17 PM
Quote from: Blue Noser on July 04, 2021, 07:21:56 PM
There are several biomass boilers here in Nova Scotia. A lot of low grade round wood of all species is chipped (even the tops) and used as fuel-chips. This method is often used in land development (farming, subdivisions, etc).
Biomass boiler chips often need to meet a certain size spec. I don't think they will but just any chip. If that ends up being a target market, it's worth checking in to what their specs are before purchasing a chipper.
I wonder if biomass plants won't buy them, wonder if paper mills will. Something to maybe look into 

peakbagger

Papermill chips used for pulping are far higher quality than biomass chips. My mill had a chip resizing and screening system to make perfect sized clean chips for making pulp.   Biomass chips are the lowest grade. Yes many biomass plants have chip specs but they are lot wider than pulp mill chips. Note some papermills have bark boilers and buy biomass grade chips to supplement their bark. The ash coming off the grate from a biomass boiler is full of rocks and tramp metal. I have seen pinholes on the bottom grate full of nails.

mike_belben

The most common use for a little one off tub grinder i have seen in all of tree-dom is for reducing coarse chipper fodder into fine chipper fodder that is dyed into landscape fluff for edgings and beddings then bagged for sale.  

If they arent in need of this material for their own operations then theyll probably have a tough time competing with $4 a bag at the big box store, and wont be big enough to compete with the bulk seller who loads landscaper trucks every morning.


Its big dollar equipment to produce a super cheap commodity.  Does not lend itself well to small guys.  Lump charcoal or bio char is probably easier and more trendy than chipping and nearly free to get started experimenting with.


If theyre large enough to fill semi trailers then start looking for charcoal and liquid smoke plants.  Youve got kingsford, royal oak, kerry corporation and the various smaller cowboy lump type operations.  Theres gonna be some trucking. 
Praise The Lord

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