smallest earstern cedar trees to mill into 6x6's??

[ontario026]

Hypothetically, If I was looking to have some Cedars milled by a custom sawyer into 6x6's for dock cribbing,  what is the smallest logs that would be feasable to start with...  I may hope to get some 8/4 stock for dock framing as well...

I may be clearing some property for my brother in law's new house, and knowing the area, I would assume there will be some cedars,  still have to get out and see the property....  hopefully get some good firewood out of it too....

Matthew

[Randy]

presuming you mean 6"x6"(inches)----9" under the bark on the small end of a straight log is about as small as you want--to cut 6x6---any smaller, you want get true corners in some places.

[Tony]

Hypothetically, If I was looking to have some Cedars milled by a custom sawyer into 6x6's for dock cribbing,  what is the smallest logs that would be feasable to start with...  I may hope to get some 8/4 stock for dock framing as well..
Matthew

    Matthew, check out the Forestry Forum Toolbox and look for

"log size for cant". The " Toolbox " has helped me alot.


                                      Tony  8)


                               

[footer]

Depending on how long of a 6X6 you want, it can take a pretty big tree due to the taper. Most of the eastern red cedar around here to get a 10 foot 6X6 you would need a tree about 24" at the base. Then most of them have the lower 3 or 4 feet rotted out.

[extrapolate85]

I agree with Randy. The formula to calculate the minimum log diameter to cut a square cant is equal to: the square root of the  face size (6") squared x 2. So: √6 x 6 x 2 = 8.485" If the log was perfectly straight you could theoretically cut a 6 x 6 from a log with a small end diameter of 8.485" and have a perfect full sized 6" x 6" but most logs have a little sweep or other defects so 9" would give you a bit of wiggle room.

[mike_van]

But, with ERC, if you want all or mostly heartwood [and I think you do for a dock]  you are going to need a much larger log than 9" small end. A 9" will only give you 4" MAYBE of heart -  We used to use cut ERC for fence posts, round trees, within 10 years, the sapwood in the ground would be gone, leaving a loose post that was 3-4 inches in diameter, not the 6-8 that was set.

[bugmeist]

Ontario26,

I agree with Randy about needing around 9" on the small end.  Most of the cedar I've seen in Ontario has a hollow heart.  I have been told, however, that the cedar around the East side of Algonquin Park (specifically the Renfrew area) is solid.

If the stuff you cut is solid I would consider sawing it for you, especially if you'd consider cutting some extra logs for me.

[Cedarman]

Several questions need to be answered.  How much of the log will be in water contact of ground contact?  You will want  a good amount of sound heartwood for this purpose.  If the cant has corners of white or sapwood, they will rot away eventually but will not lower the structural abilities of the wood very much. 

Is appearance very important?  If so you will want to saw a log big enough to get all square corners.  Takes about an 8 1/2 to 9 inch log to do this.  If having square corners are not too important, than an 8 inch log will suffice.  Since most cedar has about 1 1/2 inch of taper per 8 feet you will only have barky corners for a few feet or so at one end. ( The 1 1/2 inch taper per 8 feet is just a rule of thumb though)

7 1/2 will be big enough for 5 1/2 x 5 1/2

[kderby]

I am with Mike Van in my alarm about the rot resistance of the white wood.

I mill western juniper (Juniperous occidentalis) and the sap wood does not last with ground contact.  The heart wood is superb fence post material.  This knowledge means I do not sell "landscape timbers" or fence posts with a large degree of the sap wood.

I have no idea about water contact and the Juniperous spp.

KD