Log weights

[Sawyerfortyish]

Ok I got 4919 ft Doyle scale of yellow popular logs on a trailer and I want to know about how much it weighs. I tryed the lumber and log weight thing in the toolbox. It says that the logs weigh 15740lbs. There ain't no way there that light. That must be a lumber weight.Where can I find log weight?

[beenthere]

Using the Doyle scale is pretty tough to estimate weight, and if scaling the logs using International would be easier (Int'l is a truer estimate of board footage in the logs). Doyle is for selling logs and small logs don't scale very true. Probably why you are coming up on the light side of what you think the load should weigh.

So, it depends on what your log sizes are.
Tally each one (or group them by scaling diam. and length) and use the log weight calculator. Add them up.
You should come out pretty close then.

[Ron Wenrich]

I hate log weights.  Sure, it might be an easy way to buy logs, but there are way too many variables.  Log density varies too much from one area to another, and those slow growing small logs will weigh more per Mbf than a fast growing one.  Then you have different moisture contents in different times of the year.  

Rule of thumb that I''ve always used is 6 tons of logs/Mbf of lumber.  With poplar, you could probably dock 1 ton.  Out of that 6 tons, about half will be waste.

[Sawyerfortyish]

I did tally the logs and I am selling them. Most of the logs are butt logs most are 18"-24" at 16' on the little end. The reason for asking weight is for trucking. I want to know how much the semi trailer weighs loaded. I was told I could put 5000 ft Doyl on and be legal. So are there any log truckers here that can tell me?

[Ron Wenrich]

Run at night.  The scales aren't open.   :D

[Jeff]

Actually, our company has used our calcs when in doubt for lumber for a rough idea. If you use the scale by cord and estimate 500 feet per cord, and you have about 5000 feet roughly, I said 10 cord then and used yellow poplar I came up with 30,000 lbs. Your weightof 15740lbs would have been closer to lumber weight I think.

[Sawyerfortyish]

The load went yesterday. The trucker went to the truck stop and weighed 79250lbs. That was close enough for him to only fill one fuel tank.

[Jeff]

So minus the truck weight, what did the wood weigh in at?

[Ron Wenrich]

Just out of curiousity, did you use the log weight calculator at all?  Poplar has a weight of 46 lbs/cu fut.  I haven't found anything that would convert Doyle to cu ft.

I did find a chart that said 1 Mbf (Doyle) of 18" diameter poplar logs would weigh 6100 lbs.  For 24"  it drops to 5200 lbs.  For 12" it goes up to 8800 lbs.

[Sawyerfortyish]

No Ron I didn't It was a hit or miss kind of guess on the weight I guess I was real close. One more log and it would have been over. I don't understand why doyle scale is so hard to figure weight. Most of the veneer buyers and log buyers I have dealt with all use doyle scale for the butt logs.The one I sent the popular to will use doyle international or scribner scale but each has a differant price sheet.