Aspen bolt prices

Shimano · October 30, 2010, 11:13:56 AM

I will be cutting some nice aspen soon. they will avg about 15-18 dbh. What range of price should I be looking for? I am in Wisconsin and will sell on the landing. We will take bolts and what's left will go to pulp. Thanks for any info

Gary_C · October 30, 2010, 11:29:26 AM

For most of us, the Aspen bolt market does not exist. However in some local areas there are some buyers for good quality Aspen. So you have to find these local markets for yourself and make sure you do it before you start cutting.

The reason I say that is because there is one buyer in north central WI or the UP that buys top quality Aspen to peel for plywood and they insist on 108" lengths. that would be Bessemer Plywood in Bessemer, MI. Haven't dealt with them in some years but think they are still buying but their specs are very tight and require solid centers for turning.

Shimano · October 30, 2010, 12:18:16 PM

There seems to be a small market for pallet stock. The centers are always a problem. We do this for land management and as a hobby. Not trying to make a living. Just don't want to get ripped off either.

SwampDonkey · October 30, 2010, 12:53:35 PM

$100-$140 a cord is most I've ever seen for veneer aspen. They make plywood cores from it , but berry boxes have always been made from it around these parts. I've been to a berry box "mill" before and it's rotary peeled. For the plywood market it didn't matter so much about knots as long as the wood was straight and sound. A lot of areas around here have too much conk coming from the old branch knots. That's usually 20+" aspen as they tend to be on the over mature end of their life.

red oaks lumber · October 30, 2010, 01:54:18 PM

up by me there is amill buying yellow aspen, 10" and up pretty nice wood. their paying $130/ cord delivered

barbender · October 30, 2010, 08:10:54 PM

I hauled a few loads to Diamond match in Cloquet, MN, last winter. It is right across the street from Sappi. They veneer it and slice it for match sticks. I don't know how much it paid and I can't remember specs, 10" tops at least. They also yard MN birch for a mill in WI, maybe you can find someone to bring a load of aspen bolts over and bring back birch.

Corley5 · October 31, 2010, 09:42:07 AM

100" with min 8" tops 90 dollars a cord, 124" with 10" tops 115 bux per cord. The mills can't get enough of it around here.

northwoods1 · October 31, 2010, 11:27:47 AM

Quote from: Corley5 on October 31, 2010, 09:42:07 AM
100" with min 8" tops 90 dollars a cord, 124" with 10" tops 115 bux per cord. The mills can't get enough of it around here.

About the same here. I've reckon I've cut several hundred thousand cords of aspen but I have yet to ever cut a stick for the veneer market. We used to ship the most beautiful aspen to the paper mills woods run never sorted anything out. Didn't pay to do it. There always has been a steady market for bolts around these parts though.

SwampDonkey · October 31, 2010, 04:14:35 PM

Same here, aspen is more valuable than hardwood pulp because you can grow another crop in your lifetime after you cut the first. Some mills have even been paying $5-10 a cord more for it. Most had a hard time justifying the sorting of veneer because you only got $10 more in the best of times. I know of some stands of largetooth that are 8" at DBH before 20 years.

ahlkey · October 31, 2010, 07:02:51 PM

I started cutting a small section of Aspen the past few weeks and will continue up until Christmas. Total I will be cutting will be just around 80 cords. Depending on where you are located best price at the landing for me was $57 a cord for pulp and $82 for bolts in good condition at the landing. I also will cut around 5,000 board feet from the larger sizes in that 15-18 range you mentioned with my sawmill from the best logs for one customer. The lumber needs to be KD select or better and even though the prices are at bargain levels for me it comes out better than pulp or bolts. Where are you located? What volume are you expecting to cut?

Shimano · October 31, 2010, 10:30:11 PM

I'm in central wisconsin. I talked to one buyer. he offered $50/cd for pulp and $80/cd for bolts but wants NO center rot. I will probably only cut about 20/cds. We have a WoodMizer mill. Maybe I should look into cutting the pallet myself.

ahlkey · November 01, 2010, 07:55:01 AM

The pulp prices seem low but in the range I have been seeing as well. As far as pallet cutting I am doubtful you can make it come out for you. The key that I have found is making sure you have your customers before you start sawing with your woodmizer. If it isn't kiln dried Aspen it will be difficult to move at any decent price around here.

northwoods1 · November 01, 2010, 08:17:41 AM

Quote from: Shimano on October 31, 2010, 10:30:11 PM
I'm in central wisconsin. I talked to one buyer. he offered $50/cd for pulp and $80/cd for bolts but wants NO center rot. I will probably only cut about 20/cds. We have a WoodMizer mill. Maybe I should look into cutting the pallet myself.

That isn't too bad of a price really, I would sell aspen from my land for those prices on the landing. I don't think not having any center rot in the bolts is to much to ask.

Shimano · November 01, 2010, 09:25:52 AM

I get the feeling that the center rot comment from the buyer is just a way to get bolts for a lower price. I sold some bolts 5 yrs ago for 120/cd and the buyer went thru the pulp piles and chose some that I thought had alot of center rot.

barbender · November 01, 2010, 09:37:25 AM

It depends on what the bolts are used for. If it will be rotary sliced, they need the center to hold up the log. The pallet mill I deliver to won't accept center rot either, unless it is very minimal.

northwoods1 · November 01, 2010, 09:46:39 AM

Quote from: Shimano on November 01, 2010, 09:25:52 AM
I get the feeling that the center rot comment from the buyer is just a way to get bolts for a lower price. I sold some bolts 5 yrs ago for 120/cd and the buyer went thru the pulp piles and chose some that I thought had alot of center rot.

Well that was nice of that buyer

guess it all depends on what they were using them for. The norm is smaller diameters are OK if there slick clean and straight, but center rot is pretty much a no no most buyers wouldn't accept that. $120 on the landing is good money for Aspen Bolts. Considering stumpage is about $25 and cost to put it on the landing is about the same

I bet those rates are applicable to your area.

ahlkey · November 01, 2010, 10:43:23 AM

Definitely no center rot but you should be able to deliver down to 10" but needs to 102" in length. At $120 at the landing 5 years ago that was indeed good back then. Today mills are not paying anything more than $100-$110 if delivered to them at the mill so once you deduct trucking that $80 dollar range is not far off.

Shimano · November 01, 2010, 02:37:41 PM

Thanks for all the input!!! it helps alot.

mad murdock · November 01, 2010, 03:19:30 PM

Shimano, I don't know if Wisconsin Veneer and Plywood are still in business? The were in Matoon, Wisc, near Shawano. They used to pay 250/mbf for 104" 8" and up, 1 or 2 knots were allowed as long as they were small. That works out to about 100 buck/cord. FWIW. Good luck on your sale.