Anyone ever mill or have a market for short logs?
I did some clearing for a guy today and part of the job included a white oak that had been topped by a tree company last year. The trunk was 16' long, but once I got it on the ground there were sign's of metal. I decided to cut into firewood, but as I worked my way up the log, I got out of the stain and decided to leave the last 6' 8" whole.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33082/IMG_20150706_202925371.jpg)
The log is still 29" diameter, I'll loose around 6" due to sap wood decay, but the rest just looked too good to throw in the firewood pile.
I know Poston make's car bumpers out of short logs, how about everyone else?
No market for me, but I'm with you on saving it, done that a few times for sure, whack the to dote off and make a square then bring it down, strip and save. I would've done the very same thing, and it is long gone now.
First thing that comes to my mind is stock trailer flooring. A lot of the older trailers are only 6' wide. Would work great on them floors run side to side on them not length in order to give the animals traction.
Yeah, I figure I'll saw it.
Sooner or later someone will want it.
flooring and furniture. 6'8 is long enough for most furniture. 4 quarter it and list it on CL
I was thinking 10" and 12" wide boards at 6/4 to allow for plaining of the cup after drying.
I would saw it 9/4 into bench slabs. Perfect for those Rite Leg Co. legs.
Seal the ends with Anchor Seal unless you like inserting bow ties. ;D
To the last few suggestions... If this was my log, and on my mill, this is what would happen to it for me, maybe bad luck...if I slabbed it, no matter whether it was anchor-sealed or not, it would dry and crack so badly, I'll wish I would have saved the time and cut it up for firewood in the first place...if I cut wide boards, I'd only be putting them back on later for resaw, to thin boards, as they would have cracked in the center...I'd quartersaw it, but it looks like it has 2 defects on this side, can't see the other...the knots would dry very ugly, and I'd end up trimming them out and having a stack of hobby boards...if the other side is defect free, I'd get nice boards there...my only other thing would be 8/4 utility boards, for Ramos or a bridge or something... Oak hates me!!!
Shingles. I'm not sure how you would do that on a band mill, but lots of wooden shingles were made from white oak. They didn't leak, and lasted a long time. Labor intensive, but the return is pretty good, and a wider market. You can do random width, and you sell a flat by the square.
I believe they use a 16" and 24" piece. You could do random width between certain sizes. Probably use a siding attachment or make your own jig. Cut up your short pieces into blocks that remove the big knots and are ready to make shingles. Load the mill up with your blocks to resaw.
Other durable woods would also make shingles.
SCL,
Seems like I saw a thread not too long ago where someone ended up with a bunch of short boards and had a sale at his lumberyard. Said to his surprise the short stuff sold first. Apparently people with cars and SUVs without trucks or trailers could haul the short stuff.
Which reminds me, I need to go trim up some I have cut and has been sitting a while. Good luck.
That would make excellent replacement decking for my fishing pier. ;D
@Magicman (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=10011) , You gonna be close to NC on any of your travels? I can saw and sticker it till you arrange a trip in this direction.
Quote from: WDH on July 06, 2015, 10:05:10 PM
I would saw it 9/4 into bench slabs. Perfect for those Rite Leg Co. legs.
Thanks for the offer, but I think that WDH's idea is more practical in this instance. Bench slabs would also be my suggestion.
Although it's not white oak, I saw box elder and box elder burls and unless it's a simply beautiful slab that folks are willing to pay big money for shipping, I cut everything to fit in USPS flat rate boxes. The large flat rate boxes are 23½" long and are big enough to fit plenty of hobbycraft wood into and it keeps the shipping very affordable for the buyer.
There's plenty of folks that don't have access to any given species of wood and/or it's just easier for them to buy off the internet, either way you'd be surprised what will sell if you advertise it.
I would saw and store for fireplace mantles. Just the other day I delivered a piece of 16/4 natural edge walnut (53" long x 12" wide) for 415.00.
There have been times that I have had to purchase 12/4 material for mantles and there is so much waste because of the length. I have enough cut offs laying around (leg stock) that I need to build a dozen or so tables.
Make stakes from those shorties, probably the most money from them. Frank C.