:) I struck Gold today 8)
I finally was able to contact the owner of a recent clear cut. Tracked him down like a hound ;) He was in Florida for the winter.
The clear cut was full of Cherry trees and White Oak. Although they are all piled up in several log piles, I was given permission to take all that I want.
After a short review of each pile it looks like there is close to 5,000 BF of Cherry and probably 7-8,000 of Oak.
Not a bad score since its only 2 blocks from my house!
Time to get the Husky blades ready and start my work!
Looking forward to making my WM generate saw dust!
Sorry for the Gloat 8) but Im totally pumped about all the free wood!
Welcome to the forum! Thats the way to jump in there, make em all green with envy. ;)
I say its good to gloat. Have fun!
Shoot, ya' gotta get a ` one up' once in awhile! 8)
Way to go. ;D
Gus
Welcome Kirtallen to a great place, Have learned at lot
from the guys here. Wow that was a find and happy cutting.
Sawwood
I believe the technical term I have heard from time to time is 'lucky dog' :D :D :D
Good for you to recognize the opportunity and get right on it! lw
Glad to see someone gets a break once in a while, and happy to see it is someone from the forum instead of the big logging companies, nice way to welcome you to the forum, wish ya luck
Welcome a board, Kirk. ;D It is always good to see logs not go to waste or chips when they can be used for good. 8) Let us know how youcome out the the sawing of your "gold mine".
Welcome to Forum that's good news. Take pictures and make posts so we can see you "getting rich". :D
Good goin', Kirk! Don't you just love free stuff?
And, welcome to the forum!
8)
Well, day 1 of cutting these awsome cherries out of the pile was interesting to say the least. I hope to post photos tomorrow night.
First log took me almost 4 hours to get. Turns out it was 42 feet long with a base of 38 inches. At the other end it measured 14 inches.
Second log wasnt as hard to get. Someone cut the top off of this one though and left the base. Little did they know that is the best part. This one was 40 inches at the base, 12 foot long and 34 inches at the other end.
I didnt realize it would take me so long to pull them out so tomorrow I will cut these logs into lumber and trailer them to safety ;D
I have a 9,000lbs Warn winch on the front of my Suburban that I am using to pull them out. Boy do I wish I had a tractor about now. I used my Dads Model M downstate to pull a bunch of trees out of a creek and I must say, although the old tractor is 60+ years old, it outperforms my winch with ease.
Oh well, NO COMPLAINTS! FREE WOOD IS ALWAYS WORTH THE EFFORT.
Ill keep you all updated with some photos......provided I can figure out that process ???
I have been blessed! I cut up one tree today that yeilded over 1200 BF of the most clear and perfect cherry I have cut to date.
Note the glove on the back of the stump base. It measured 38" across......44" if measured at the farthest point but for the most part it was 38".
The cherry log on the mill was the last log from the top of the tree. Most were bucked to 8 feet long but this one is just over 4 foot long. It was the last straight section.
OK, Can someone tell me how to shrink a photo so that it will upload on this sight? I have a low resolution 300K sony digital camcorder with a built in camera option.
Thanks
https://forestryforum.com/upload.htm
(https://forestryforum.com/images/04_01_03/Kirks%20Cherry%20stump.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/images/04_01_03/Kirks%20Cherry%20Log.jpg)
Hey Jeff, Thanks for the help on the photo stuff!
I appreciate it very much!
Kirk
Hey Kirk! That's a nice looking chunk of cherry. Looks like you did stumble into the Mother Lode! 8) 8) You just get into this sawing thing, or been at it a while?
About 4 years ago I started looking for a mill so that I could cut timber from my grandparents land to build a Timber Frame home. (I take "do it yourself" to a whole new level).
After finding out the price I set my goals on paying cash (I HATE DEBT) and hoped to have it in two -three years.
Then I found out that our Military rep had purchased an LT40HDG25 and was done with it (cut his cedar for a house in UP-MI and was looking to sell it.
It was a 2000 model with 50 hours on it. I picked it up in July of 2001. After the first log, I was hooked.
I build furniture and cabinets on the side and from that I have found that even though I was done cutting timber from my Gandparents land I had to keep the mill for my own projects.
I have been doing custom on site cutting for right at two years now and plan on upgrading to the Super LT40 with the Cat diesal next year from the extra cash I made cutting for others.
Lets just say its currently a hobby I do on the side that is starting to take a life of its own.
So, what you're saying is,......YOU'RE HOOKED? ;D :D 8)
Line and Sinker 8)
Need some advice please!
After spending another day of cutting cherry out of the same pile I have discovered two more cherry trees at the bottom of the pile. Although not as big as the others, they are perfectly straight for the first 17 feet from the base. Each tree is 28" diameter at the base.
What is the best sizes to cut this into for the purpose of selling it.
The tree I cut yesterday filled my trailer and I cant imagine every using all of that for my own projects so I plan on selling most of this but want to make sure I get the most out of it.
Any input is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Kirk
I'd suggest 8' plus some trim (6" ?). Easy to handle, and the lumber is easy to pile for drying on stickers. Easy to load into a pickup bed, and unless making something longer than 8', easy to cut up into cabinet and furniture cuttings. However, if there is a place in the log that has a crook or bend, then consider shorter lengths for the logs.
Nothing much is made from long hardwood boards, other than waste material. (IMO) ;D
Those are some nice cherry logs Kirk. I would buck em at 8' 4" in case you get some end splits. Cherry seems prone to splitting. If you haven't already some anchor seal really helps prevent that. As far as thickness I would cut most at 4/4 and some at 6/4 and 8/4. This is a good time of year to be sawing as the cool weather slows down the drying.
I can give you "any" input :D Might not be the best for your area.
I cut all hardwoods that are not special order 8'-10'+4"-6" for end trim. I try to stay on 2 foot centers only so that the stacks are even but most folks that use cabinet wood don't care if it is odd widths or odd lengths.
The reason behind the 8-10 feet is that the people who want this wood usually come in a pickup truck and 10' makes a comfortable load.
If they need to carry it to a kiln or planer mill or whatever, it is within their capabilities.
Cabinet makers are always cutting bits and pieces out of most of the boards anyway. Solid, clear boards of 10' go to bookcase ends, shelving, table tops, etc.
Cabinet makers who I saw for always tell me later that they forgot to get some 8 quarter. It is nice to have some of that but the most I would cut an inch and an eighth and offer as 4/4.
Generally those that ask for 4 x 4 stock, with the idea of turning it on a lathe, are better off gluing something up. You might try some 4 x 4 but I think you will find that it will check pretty bad and warp enough that lathe work would be difficult.
The only time I cut anything nice less than 8'+4" or more is if I know it will make stair treads. That is a large log that will cut a lot of over 10" wide I might cut the log at 40-48" and then saw it in 5 or 6 quarter stock, knowing that in the future someone will ask for some stair treads. Most stair treads need to finish at 10 1/4 with the nosing so I will blank up 11 or 12 inch stuff cut so as to finish plane to a full one inch or over. Now ifin youa been following I have the pallet thing so 48" junk now becomes another story. 8)
Thanks for all the input. I have put Anchorseal on all the exposed ends and will finish pulling these logs out next week.
Whats the going rate for Cherry?
Anyone ever hear of Curly Cherry? I have about 10 boards that when you look at them have the curliest grain you can imagine. (I think I will keep those ;))
Thanks again,
Kirk
Totals from the wood piles!
Cherry- 8200 BF
Red Oak - 6500 BF
Walnut - 1800 BF
Maple - 700 BF
Ash - 250 BF
Im done digging through wood piles for a while.
That will go a loooong way to getting you into your new mill.
Nice find I'm green with envey.
Way to go Kirk, Free logs, like dying and going to heaven :D 8)
Looks like things are progressing quite nicely. Those figures are nothing to sneeze at. Way to go. 8)
Gus
Kirk,
I'd be interested in how you are going to dry and store the wood until you use or sell it.
Dave
Dave,
I currently have the wood stored in an old chicken barn on our family farm. 200' x 75' . I will be down there later this week for a our second gun season for deer and I will take some pictures and post them when I get back Monday.
I have it all stacked with 3/4" X 1" stickers and most of it was stacked in order that it was cut. That was a real mental ::)challenge considering I cut it, stacked it on a trailer then transport it and restack it.
I have some wood I cut last fall that is stacked in the same place and it measures 10-12% MC with a Wagner Moisture Meeter.
All the windows are open and one end of the barn is open so it gets great circulation. The roof is in tack so it is not effected by the rain.
Kirk,
I'm green with envy as well. Sounds like in the future you will just be "in the green" ;D Maybe with a bit of orange too! :D
Excellent find. Even for a "lucky dog"
Rick
Those figures look like $21,000 to $23,000 worth of green lumber to me. Maybe up to $29,000, if kiln dried.
Lawd, hayuv muhsy! * :o
What's your estimates, guys? :P
Phil L.
* Georgia-bonics
I'm almost speachless. That is a fantastic find.
I am currently paying for Red Oak-2.15
Ash 2.20
Maple 2.18
Cherry 4.45
All 4/4 FAS, KD, random length ,random width, in 1000 BF or less quantites.
Also: as cabinet maker I like 10' lengths
Dave,
Below is a bunch of photos of how I have the wood currently stored.
I have about every dimension you can imagine of the walnut and cherry with lengths as short as 4 1/2 feet up to 16 feet.
I have about 10 walnuts that are 5/4 X 20 feet.
Cherry & Hard Maple
(https://forestryforum.com/images/04_01_03/16%20foot%20Cherry%20&%20Hard%20Maple.jpg)
Ash & Maple
(https://forestryforum.com/images/04_01_03/Ash%20&%20maple.jpg)
Cherry - Walnut - Maple
(https://forestryforum.com/images/04_01_03/Cherry%20-%20Walnut%20-%20Maple.jpg)
All Cherry
(https://forestryforum.com/images/04_01_03/Cherry%20Stack.jpg)
Cherry
(https://forestryforum.com/images/04_01_03/Cherry.jpg)
End view of Wood Stack
(https://forestryforum.com/images/04_01_03/End%20View%20of%20wood%20stacks.jpg)
North side of wood storage
(https://forestryforum.com/images/04_01_03/North%20Side%20of%20Chicken%20Barn.jpg)
Red Oak & Ash
(https://forestryforum.com/images/04_01_03/Red%20Oak%20&%20Ash.jpg)
Walnut & Cherry
(https://forestryforum.com/images/04_01_03/Walnut%20-%20Cherry.jpg)
Can it get any better? 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
During this past weekend deer hunting I set up a ground blind next to a creek that runs through my dads property. Sun comes up and can you guess what is laying across the creek right in front of me?
Two Hard Maples with bases around 26 inches and straight as an arrow for the first 20 feet! The creek washed out the roots and they fell over during the last rain strom.
Hang on, it gets better!!!!!!! 8) 8) 8)
I had dinner with the farmer who rents the land and we did a deer drive on sunday with his son-in-law. Guess what he does for a liveing?
He has a tree cutting service & Landscape business and he said if I haul off the logs I can have all I want! 8) 8) 8)
I went to his burn pile and almost cried. He had at least 75 white oaks about 6-8 feet long half burned and half as many cherry and hickory.
I can only say that God has blessed me and my family this year beyond any and all expectations.
This being the case I have contacted our local high school and we are going to put together a program for the Agriculture/shop class on wood working.
We are going to take them through the felling of trees, milling, stacking & drying, finish sizeing and the process of making a peice of furniture.
Im looking forward to it for several reasons of which one is the fact that my grandmother taught at the school for over 40 years and the other is that its the least I can do considering this wood was free. I know I had my own labor and blade expense and mill expense but this is a labor of love for me.
Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season!
Kirk
Phil, there is a total of around 17000 ft and your figures are pretty accurate. KD would bring average over $2.00 which = $34,000.00 at the LEAST. I'd say the boy done good 8) 8).
Kirk, nice gesture to take the kids out first hand. Here, we Don'T even HAVE a wood shop. Got a DanG swimming pool, though >:( >:( >:(
Like to add something that MAY apply in youse guys areas ::) ::)
The large Pines we get are 30-50 feet long. The taper is not very fast from end to end. I would guess a 40 foot log is about12 inches on the small end and maybe 26-30 inches at the butt end.
Rule of thumb is, you lose OR gain 1 inch dia. at each 12 foot of length. If your timber has a similar taper, cutting 16 ft long boards will lose you a board or 3, that could be gained at 2--8 ft logs, according to how you lay the log on the mill.
We are cutting fresh Pine at 16ft. Sometimes, a crooked one gets cut in two and sawed as 2--8 ft logs. The owner questioned me about cutting his logs in half. I sawed one 8 ft log and a crooked 16 ft log and he was very surprised. He has a limited use for 8 ft stuff (Dock board replacement), so he agreed that he would lose a LOT of boards if we sawed the crooked stuff long.
I was referring to you guys and hardwood, Pine and beams are a whole nother thing.
Phil,
I cut some 16-20 foot boards for a personal project. (Crown Molding in our new home!) I hate to have to splice boards for molding of any kind.
As far as the taper goes, I dont recall off hand but most of the hardwoods I cut had less taper than any pine I have ever seen.
I may have given up a little lumber but it was worth it. I did have some Ash that I cut into 8/4 x 13" x 21'. I only did it because it had no stress at all when I cut into it and I wanted to get done in a hurry that day!
Not sure if that helped me get done any quicker though. The board was so darn heavy I had to walk it across the grass to put it on the trailer. I dont think I will do that again. ???
I have cut most of the wood into 9', 11' or 13'. I have used anchorseal on all of it but I wanted to give myself plenty extra so that when I take it all to the next step I have room for error.
From the looks of it, the anchorseal has done a better job than I thought so I wont have to cut as long next time. I would think 6" over should cover me for end checking that would get cut off. (3" on each end)