I was curious - what is everyone paying for "decent" walnut? A local guy has a fairly wide 18 footer that measures out at 250-300bf depending on the scale of your choice. It is straight, already on the ground, and looks like a "decent" quality log. Was a yard tree but house was removed years ago - maybe the 70s or 80s. No staining at the cut end but my experience with walnut is you won't always notice minor metal staining. Both the tip and butt show lots of dark heart wood with very little white sapwood.
He has no price - he wants an offer. To be honest I doubt I'll offer enough because unfortunately I think he was one of those people who grandnephew's, best friend's, father-in-law's, priest's, mother's, brother told him it was worth tens of thousands of dollars. But I would like to at least shoot him an honest offer so when the $10,000 offer doesn't come in he has my number.
Intangible factors:
1 - Would be easy to set my saw up next to.
2 - Is not far
3 - First branch cut-off is about 10 feet up. So it was kept well pruned for a good long while.
4 - Seems to have been very healthy - lots of walnuts around from the felling, no weeping wounds or diseased areas, no woodpecker marks, etc.
5 - My mill can only handle 16' so I would have to cut a 10' and an 8' log.
Thanks in advance!
Well I would offer $1 a board foot. The bottom 10ft sound near Veneer quality but I doubt any one would buy it as such since it is a yard tree. Sounds like a nice log. He may feel you are cheating him but it is not worth much more then that as a yard tree. I would bet money it has metal in it.
I'm thinking the same thing. But consider: Are there any branches or upper logs that are usable? Could you get any gunstocks from any of the crotches? These would be a bonus if they are there.
I would say 60 to 70 cents tops, unless the bottom log is really veneer. And there are so many things that can knock a lot out of the running for veneer.
If he thinks you are ripping him off, tell him what you can sell the lumber for (not retail), as well as your equipment, labor, transport, drying, overhead and marketing expenses. Also if you can't make a profit after all that, why cut it at all? Usually when you explain the economics of the situation, people can be reasonable. Those $10,000 walnuts are pretty few and far in between. This isn't one of them.
Quote from: mesquite buckeye on August 28, 2013, 11:44:06 AM
I'm thinking the same thing. But consider: Are there any branches or upper logs that are usable? Could you get any gunstocks from any of the crotches? These would be a bonus if they are there.
Na - nothing else of value. It was atypically straight - almost perfectly pyramid shape was my memory of it. So there was no crotch wood or anything like that. I wish I had an excavator so I could see what the stump has. There are several thick chunks 4' in length taken from the branches but nothing else. I am going to add $25 to whatever everyone recommends for those chunks.
For one tree, you can go three ways, buy it, buy it and sell it, or cut on halves or whatever works for you both, each log within the tree will have different grades, ranging from .50 to 1.50, now if there were more he could expect a payday, as for you, see what he wants to do, you could saw it out for a flat rate and not be hurt, or you could buy it and see where it ends up, I have these lil situations all the time, they are all different, david
If you don't mind working your butt off, you can dig down a foot all the way around and get the root burl wood on the end of your butt log. Also would mean the homeowner doesn't have a stump to get rid of, a plus for them. ;D
edit- Sorry, didn't notice you said it was already down. Unless he high stumped it the root burl is not worth getting. :-X :-[
You're the one in control of the situation. He's the guy with one log laying in his yard he needs to get rid of. .50-.60 per foot and you won't charge him to remove the chunks.
Quote from: drobertson on August 28, 2013, 12:03:54 PM
For one tree, you can go three ways, buy it, buy it and sell it, or cut on halves or whatever works for you both, each log within the tree will have different grades, ranging from .50 to 1.50, now if there were more he could expect a payday, as for you, see what he wants to do, you could saw it out for a flat rate and not be hurt, or you could buy it and see where it ends up, I have these lil situations all the time, they are all different, david
Unfortunately, this is a purchase only deal - he is not interested in any lumber, paying me to saw, etc. As part of my evolution as a sawyer, I would like to saw a nice, halfway valuable log and see what I can do with it and also it will be nice to have some walnut around for my projects and to sell.
Quote from: NWP on August 28, 2013, 01:04:52 PM
You're the one in control of the situation. He's the guy with one log laying in his yard he needs to get rid of. .50-.60 per foot and you won't charge him to remove the chunks.
He has the name of a couple other mills - My hope is I'll shoot him a bid and the other mills will bid a few dollars lower to compensate for being further away, and then he will come back to me. That is how I hope it plays out anyways. That is why I want to make sure my bid is reasonably competitive and why I asked the question - to see what others are paying.
I know local markets are all different but I figured it could not hurt to know what others here on the forum have paid.
Thanks again for all the advice!
Quote from: NWP on August 28, 2013, 01:04:52 PM
You're the one in control of the situation. He's the guy with one log laying in his yard he needs to get rid of. .50-.60 per foot and you won't charge him to remove the chunks.
That's what I'm saying too! Or less. If I can't make a$$$ then I'm gone feeshn!
You could be honest, and say you don't buy much walnut. Ask him what the other mills are offering and see if you can beat their price. That might not be so fair to the other mills, but it would let this guy get the highest price and not use you as part of his negotiation tool.
QuoteI would like to saw a nice, halfway valuable log and see what I can do with it
Offer him a very high price, and then you can say you are sawing a "halfway valuable log" ;D ;D ;D
Just kiddin' ;)
Walnut grades different than oak to be sure, there is value in the lumber if you can use it or sell it, where knots are, there will be waste, hope all goes well, david
Did you approach him or he approach you?
Do you have a market for the wood?
If so, what will it bear for price?
back your costs from there including transport and sawing and profit.
DGD
Down here, I would offer $.50/BF Doyle Scale. There is no commercial market for it here, plus it is a yard tree.
As long as it is down, scan it with a metal detector. If it beeps at you, your best offer should be to haul it off for free. I had a neighbor try to sell me a walnut tree that blown down. He was asking $200, but after three months of it being in his way, he told me to come get it (free). Fortunately, walnut is one of those trees that can sit on the ground for years with no degrade to the heartwood. I'll probably bring him some slab firewood this winter, just to be neighborly.
Thanks again for all the advice. I shot an offer of $175 - about 70 cents a bd foot on the Doyle scale, about 60 cents on the International scale. His wife took the message so I did not get a reaction or answer. I'll finish up this thread if I ever hear back. The friend that gave me his number lives near to the log seller, so maybe I will hear the final resolution even if I don't get the log.
Thanks again,
Good thinking. Opportunities come and go and this will not be your last as word gets around. :)
You made a very fair offer.
A mill near me pays a dollar delivered so to go get it I would pay less.