Replies

1. 
   Dave45 | Nov 21, 2004 05:33pm | #1

   Does that sawmill have someone who knows how to grade wood?  Those logs may (or may not) give you enough usable lumber to make it worth the effort.  A professional grader could give you an idea of how much usable lumber you could expect to get - and what it might cost to get it. - lol

1. 
   knees | Nov 22, 2004 01:38am | #4

   Dave, One reason i was thinking  about this tree crowding, i have a few like that in a area by the house and also on the rest of the land. I should have stated that i had no thoughts at all of mass cutting,i can use 2 or 3 of these for the wood heaters in my shop and my water storage and treatment building.

   I have fired these heaters in the past years with out cutting any of these larger size trees,and i can buy the oak from the mill. Just wondered if the labor and time to try to dry it myself would be successful and worth it in your opinion?

                                                                                Thanks for your reply,

                                                                                   Glenn

1. 
   Dave45 | Nov 22, 2004 05:36pm | #8

   Glenn -

   My suggestion wasn't based on any thoughts of mass cutting - I was only thinking of "cost/benefit" (ye olde bottom line - lol).   As others have said, red oak is one of the less expensive hardwoods so if you can get usable lumber from your trees at a cost of $2 - $3 per bd ft then it's probably worth it.  Anything more than that and I would be thinking chain saw, splitter, and firewood.

   The key to the decision would be deciding on the amount of usable lumber you could expect, and only an experienced grader could tell you that.  He/she would have to look at your logs or trees and do whatever voodoo they do to figure it out.

1. 
   knees | Nov 23, 2004 10:08pm | #13

   Thanks Dave, I think for now i will get some heat out of it.

                                                                             Thanks again, Glenn

2. 
   LeeGrindinger | Nov 21, 2004 08:04pm | #2

   If you have use for the lumber it probably is worth your time. If you don't have any real use, or if you're making up uses for the lumber, it probably is not worthwhile. Red oak is probably around $2.50 a foot for FAS where you live. Your mill run stock (ungraded) would probably be worth around a buck a foot and the cost to have it sawn is going to be at least $.25 a foot. It's a lot of work stickering, stacking and drying wood well so you do the math.

   Lee

1. 
   knees | Nov 22, 2004 01:54am | #5

   Hi Lee, thanks for the reply,i goofed by not giving my reason for wanting to try this, we moved on this land for the seclusion and beauty of the trees and hate to cut any down with out a good reason.

                                               Thanks four reply.  Glenn.

                                      p.s.  please read my reply to Dave.

    

3. 
   forestgirl | Nov 21, 2004 08:16pm | #3

   I tend to agree with the posters above, GER.  Red oak is one of the least expensive hardwoods around, so the amount of work it would take wouldn't pay off very well.  Are you needing to cut these trees down for some other reason, or would it be just to make some lumber?  If it's the latter, I'd encourage you to leave them for Mother Nature's use and buy the lumber.  You'd be helping support both Mother Nature and the people involved in manufacturing the lumber, and it probably wouldn't cost much more in the long run. :-)

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   knees | Nov 22, 2004 02:05am | #6

   Thanks Forestgirl,i get your meaning and am with you all the way,could i talk you into reading my reply to Dave&Lee?  i am starting to feel like a cad.  just joking.

                                                                            Thanks, Glenn.

   Edited 11/21/2004 6:07 pm ET by GER

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 22, 2004 07:51am | #7

   Hi Glenn, you're off the hook!  We won't even ask you to go out and hug the trees tonight, LOL!!

   After I got my bandsaw and started following a bunch of threads and reading articles I got kinda revved up about cutting and drying my own lumber.  Figured out pretty quick I'd only be doing it for the fun and sometimes the expensive stuff.  We have alders up the kawazoo around here, but I'm no longer tempted to cut up trees for lumber.  What I am going to put some time into, though, is spalted maple.  That seems to run around $6.50/BF.  I have several big rounds out in our front "yard" (read: damp field) spalting as we speak.  Still, it's more for fun than it is anything else, since the wood has some history right here in the neighborhood.

   There was an excellent discussion on this topic last month.  Here's the link:http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=19702.1 

   Give one of those big trees a pat for me!

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

   Edited 11/21/2004 11:52 pm ET by forestgirl

1. 
   knees | Nov 23, 2004 10:03pm | #12

     

    

   Thanks forestgirl, i feel {all better now}

                                                                      Glenn

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

4. 
   KeithNewton | Nov 22, 2004 06:41pm | #9

   There are lots of small mill around the country who will be happy to saw for a share of the yield. It sounds like you have some pretty good logs, so it might be worth talking to the mill. You might also find a kiln to dry it for you for a share. If this works out you are left out of the heavy lifting, and get dry lumber ready for working back to your shop.
   However if you choose to dry your own lumber, you can find the information about drying at woodweb.com . The right hand column is listed Knowledge Base. If you type in "drying red oak". You can find out all you need to know without asking this question on the active forum. Or you can scroll down to sawing and drying and just read that.

1. 
   knees | Nov 23, 2004 10:10pm | #14

   Thanks rootburl, ill look that up.     Glenn

5. 
   GHR | Nov 22, 2004 09:53pm | #10

   Before you cut your trees, find a buyer for the lumber.

   20" wide oak worth a lot more than 6" wide oak. 20' long boards are worth a more than 8' long boards.

   If I used red oak (and I don't) I would take all the lumber from a single log - 13' long, cut, dried, and kept in sequential order. I would be willing to pay a premium for it.

   I suspect there are others like me around.

1. 
   knees | Nov 23, 2004 10:14pm | #15

   Thanks GeorgeR for your reply, there is a lot to think about on a deal lik this.

                                                                                                               Glenn

6. 
   kstyer | Nov 23, 2004 03:59am | #11

   A year ago I had some red oak logs that were just simply too nice to cut up for firewood. Had a guy come in with a bandsaw mill and for less then 17 cents a foot, he cut it up.
   I have close to 1000 bf and I think it was well worth it. It's a lot of work stacking but it's lumber from my own woods which makes it pretty neat. Can't wait until I can use it.

1. 
   knees | Nov 23, 2004 10:17pm | #16

   Thanks for your time and reply, think i will back off on this idea for a while.

                                                                                                        Glenn