My wood lot has a section of woods with a lot of tall straight popples that I think are quaking aspens. They are definitely dominant and are shading out a predominately sugar maple stand underneath. They are in the 16" to 30" range DBH. I have dropped a few to play around with on my friends sawmill. There are no chipboard mills anywhere nearby that I aware of. I do not use if for firewood as I have plenty of beech that needs cutting out. Over the years I havent heard of much of market for it, the pulp mill in Berlin I worked for restricted the percentage of popple in loads to the mill t small percentage. Other folks have told me that there is market for logs. Its steep lot so getting logs out of the woods would not be fun.
So if there a market for these logs in northern NH?
Following this thread. I also have lots of straight popple here in Central VT and have found no good use for it except building rotting log piles. It makes terrible firewood. They also uproot easily so I find fallen ones on my property after most windstorms, not a good situation in the eventual sugar woods.
Quote from: VTKubotaM6800 on March 19, 2021, 12:30:53 PMIt makes terrible firewood.
I know it's not hard maple or beech, but I've found popple to be decent. Although I have an outdoor wood boiler, so the less energy-dense nature of it is not all that bad. It has about the same BTU content as red maple or white birch. Still better than almost any softwood. I have some larger popple, but most are under 10". I've had some larger stuff sawn for 1" lumber. Good utility lumber. I did board and batten siding on a shed several years ago with it - and happy with it. I'll also be interested to see what markets might exist. I'm not aware of anyone in northern Vermont buying it.
I'll have to give it a try in my new boiler. I've tried it in my wood stove before and while it splits super nice, it seemed like it took forever to dry and kind of turned to dust instead of coal when it finally did burn. Maybe the boiler will be a good way to get rid of it.
I had some logging done on my land in Coos county a couple of years ago and at that time, there was a good market for quality poplar.
I see it for sale at the big box stores as 'whitewood' for interior trim.
I don't know how far you want to go but Northeast Timber Exchange has a listing for Aspen Saw Logs - Sounds like you have some big stuff.
http://northeasttimberexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NTE-Saw-Logs-Prices-and-Specs-March-1-2021.pdf
gg
Thanks, sounds like its not worth the hassle. I may just girdle the ones that are are not readily accessible and saw some up for boards.
Just split it and burn it. Don't let it sit to long. We burn lots of it. Hot but fast. Or better yet saw it. We log it all the time. It's my favorite to production log. Makes good lumber. Easy to work when green and hard when dry. But keep it dry cause it will rot. Like if grass touches it when used for siding. Even log cabins are built from it.
Sprucebunny, Aspen is not the same as whitewood. Whitewood is the same as Yellow Poplar or Tulip. As far as whether there is any market for aspen, the state forestry department should have that info.
paper mill in Rumford always bought it. when the jay was buying wood they could not get enough of it it was used to whiten the paper
PoginyHill - If you're talking about BTUs/pound then yes. All wood is within 10% of the average when it comes to that measurement. BTUs per cord? Quite a difference between birch and aspen.
Clark
If I remember correctly, in the 1970's, the mill I worked for had a woodlot that they cut which had a lot of aspen. I think it ended up at the then Charmin Plant (later Proctor Gambel plant) in Mehoopany, Pa.. Someone mentioned that they liked it for making paper. That plant made pampers and maybe paper towels and TP. I hauled chips to that plant and once got a chance to see their log chippers. Two chippers, next to each other taking at least 16" diameter logs up to 22' long and each chipper with a 1200 HP electric motor. When a log went in you could hardly detect any reduction in the rpm's.
It's to bad it's in the north country.
I buy poplar, popple, aspen logs
Saws nice , but can move on the mill.
I sell lots of it for framing lumber , roof strapping and nice clear 1" and 1"1/4 boards.
It will be one of the woods I will dry in the kiln when built.
I also saw and sell Quaking Aspen. It's a slow seller but steady. I have two steady customers who love it but they are hobby wood workers and only buy small amounts.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11157/DSC01235_opt.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1345498825)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11157/DSC01275_opt.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1345678614)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11157/DSC02977_opt.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1447983457)
Quote from: Clark on March 20, 2021, 12:07:24 PM
PoginyHill - If you're talking about BTUs/pound then yes. All wood is within 10% of the average when it comes to that measurement. BTUs per cord? Quite a difference between birch and aspen.
Clark
From what I understand aspen is about 18.2 MMBTU/cord, white birch 20.2, and red maple 18.6. Softwood is 14-16MMBTU/cord and the traditional hardwood firewood in the mid 20's MMBT&U/cord. Yellow birch is 21.5 and black birch around 24.
Now I'm confused. Originally I was going on the fact that A) no one burns aspen up here B) lots of people burn birch and C) dry birch seems heavier than aspen.
I had looked aspen up in one table and it showed 14.7 million BTU's per cord. Every other table lists the 18.2 you show. I looked up the density (which is directly related to BTU content in wood) and aspen is 26 lb/ft3. Paper birch 38 and white oak 47. BTU content according to my original chart is 14.7, 20.3 and 25.7 respectively. Those values seems to fall very much in line with density. I don't know why so many tables list aspen at 18.2 unless there is something I am missing.
Clark
Over the years I have burned a lot of white birch and red maple and a fair amount of aspen. (quaking) It seems to me that red maple and white birch last about the same amount of time in the stove but aspen does not last as long. But I will say that DRY aspen burns well and gives off a nice heat. I'm happy with aspen if I'm in the house and can feed the stove often, but if I'm out of the house for hours, I want oak or hickory or ash.
I wish I knew a good answer. I don't even have good anecdotal information. I've only burned softwood and aspen in my outdoor wood boiler, and it's always mixed with other species. I do believe that aspen dries more slowly than other species, maybe that's part of people's experience with it: comparing somewhat green aspen with dry wood of other species.
The old table I have lists aspen at 12.5 million BTU per cord and W Birch at 18.9 which about matches my experience. I burn quite a bit of w birch and red maple but not much aspen.
gg
Interesting there would be such different information out there from reputable sources. I'll have to do an experiment (probably have to wait 'til next winter) with a OWB load of 100% aspen vs. red maple or white birch. I cut plenty of popple this winter for next year.
But I'm still interested in the market for popple logs in northern VT or NH.
I'm retired now, but the last time I sold log quality Quaking Aspen (popple) I got more for it as pulp than I would have gotten as saw logs. It was a time-sensitive deal and it had to go in under a contract, but when they were making a certain kind of paper, clear popple brought decent money. Might talk to a collection yard.
I burn anything in my OWB. That is why I bought it. Hard to burn dead EWP in a wood stove. I even burn dead cedar in it. Lots of dead fir has gone into the firebox.
I can't confirm any BTU ratings, but in my experience red maple burns longer than popple, and white birch a little longer than red maple.
I sawed more popple today made some nice clear framing lumber.
I sell it as truck side boards as well.
It saws nice .
Aspen has showed up in Lowes as paint grade boards in the last 5 years here. If its available at stores like that for way too high of a price, I would think people would buy it when offered at a much better price when offered by a local small business. Of course there's no aspen around here so I will never know.