Opened the cottage this weekend and found three large Jackpine that pose a potential threat of falling on the building if blown down. Being that they’re still fairly healthy it’d be a shame to use them for firewood…especially with buildings and cabinets to build, which leads to my question(s).
Does anyone have any ‘quick and easy’ tips for grading the standing timber? If so, a few nuggets of info would be greatly appreciated.
If not, could someone please provide a few tips to help me decide if I’ll have it milled for framing timbers or cabinet stock once felled.
Each tree is about 75′ tall with butt diameters of upper teens and low twenties. About 50′ is branchless and the trees are straight enough to have been turned on a lathe with what look like reasonable girth to the branch line. One of the three gets pretty bendy past where the branches start, but the bulk of the tree is pretty true. There’s no real evidence of damage, but at 5’8″ tall I can only really speak for the bottom 20′ or so… they go a long way up and Jackpine bark can be pretty loose to climb.
I’ve read a little about lumber grading, but it seemed to deal mostly with felled logs and sawn lumber. I’ll re-read it, but a couple experienced opinions may help clear some muddy water.
Thanks for your time. Chris.
Replies
Maybe Dale Lenz will step in here. He works for the OKLA Forestry Service and graded my timber. DALE?????????...............
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
Hey Mike,
Thanks for the compliment but, jackpine does not grow in Okiehoma. I'm assuming Chris is North of us, as in Mich. or such.
I've "talked" with Chris on another board and suggested he get a "like me" to have a peek at his trees. My knowledge of jackpines left me when I received a piece of paper some 20+ years ago but, the other post(s) goes along with what I recall, jackpine is used mostly for pulp. But, I personally have not met a wood I could not use in/on my shop.
This sounds like a job for a portable sawmill type, not a full-blow logging company. A county forester could (??) supply Chris with a list of such folks. As in most Gov't type jobs "we" can not recommend one person, but, if Chris ask the forester "if these were their trees, who would they contact" might help?? If not, listen very carefully! I'm not suggesting a forester tell you positive and negative things about loggers. A well informed forester may recommend "Joe" because he does small jobs. Whereas "Pete" does not take on tracts smaller than say 40 acres of timber. Asking local neighbors that has had some logging done is a good idea also.
Chris has told me he lives 10 hours from the trees. Maybe he could have a neighbor meet with the forester?? But, I think the bottom line is Chris will need to invest in some of his time to make a good decision, which I'm sure he has thought of that. I personally like the landowner present when I visit their property for several reason.
I'm more comfortable, I don't like trouble from uninformed neighbors
Make sure what the landowner told me over the phone is what they really want.
etc.
etc.
Trying to explain timber grading in writing would be a few chapters in a well written book, hence get a forester! Or, a well educated logger to assist you.
What Chris is planning of doing is a good idea. But, their is a lot work involved with handing the lumber, drying the lumber, milling it etc. But, as you know, it can be very satisfying. And save some money (??)
Have I ever lost $ drying lumber? The Ole' saying is true: you ain't done much if you've never screwed up a time or two. But, I still dry my own lumber, so as most folks on this board know, drying your own lumber is do-able. My guess...Chris, would be better off processing the lumber for framing material. But, I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE!!
So, I don't know if I helped, other than take up some memory on this board. Good information is the key to being successfully, exactly what Chris is try to do. My bottom line guess would be: GO FOR IT, just take great pains to not damage the structure while felling the trees......Dale
Edited 5/25/2004 12:59 pm ET by Dale
Thanks folks. My reasons for wanting to use the lumber are sentimental, not for profit. Good tips about taking care not to drop one on the building...nearly wrote off a car once dropping a tree. Friends have dropped them in truck boxes, etc. I'll likely use it for framing in outbuildings, but if I should end up with a few really nice 2x6 I'll resaw it into 1x for a small cabinet.
Thanks again. Chris
Your trees are not worth much if anything. They are small, of a low grade specie, and care needs to be taken so as not to damage your dwelling.
Jack pine is valuable only in large quanities.. Here in the midwest the only time it's sawn is when the land needs to be clearcut for some reason..
To give you an Idea, I buy pine of all varieties for only 40 cents per bd.ft.
The logger gets 15 cents per bd.ft. to fell and drag the tree out of the woods and stack it, the driver gets another 10 a bd.ft. to haul to the mill, and the mill charges 15 cents per bd.ft. to saw (if done in large enough volume.) The land owner gets the trees hauled away for free and the brush stacked..
Personally I won't take jack pine. I prefer Eastern White Pine or Tamarck.
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