Value of Cedar

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Sleepy

Grumpy Old Man
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I have a few of these trees on my property, one of which recently blew over during a storm.
Being aware of how valuable walnut trees are,:) I figured I'd ask about these.
 
I have a few of these trees on my property, one of which recently blew over during a storm.
Being aware of how valuable walnut trees are,:) I figured I'd ask about these.
depends on your market i.e. location

Right now, 4-11-2020 in thePuget Sound area of WA, around $950 per 1k board feet. more or less depending on lengths.

short logs don't pay fyi.

I hear a mill in kettle falls wa is paying better, but a 400 mile trip it ain't that much better
 
More than once I have put up adds for free fire wood come and get it. I cut it up in rounds split it and give it away much cheaper than to mess around with it as I do not want to store it. I have many straight logs that I save for milling, but I can only use so much. Thanks
 
I would also like to point out Ted is an ignorant ass that has no business giving anyone advice on what to do with logs

Thank you MR. North I was making excuses not to trade insults with a lower moron, but. We here in Southern California have an abundance of Cedar which there is not much of a market for as well as Coulter Pine. In other states that have some uses they are blessed. Thanks
 
I really do not know what kind of cedar we have here in the San Bernardino Mountains. Since it grows ever where by the hundreds and does not stop until they become monstrously large. It makes good lumber and resists rot, but it does not smell like incense. I heard many people have said it is white cedar or white alder. I knew from the time I arrived in California it was similar to some kinds from other States I have worked in. When camping is strong here I sell a pickup load for $75 which is close to a half a cord. In the past if you had great logs enough for a load to the mill it could be worth it. For most part the trees are near houses and end up being cut up in six feet sections which makes it not valuable. Thanks
 
I really do not know what kind of cedar we have here in the San Bernardino Mountains. Since it grows ever where by the hundreds and does not stop until they become monstrously large. It makes good lumber and resists rot, but it does not smell like incense. I heard many people have said it is white cedar or white alder. I knew from the time I arrived in California it was similar to some kinds from other States I have worked in. When camping is strong here I sell a pickup load for $75 which is close to a half a cord. In the past if you had great logs enough for a load to the mill it could be worth it. For most part the trees are near houses and end up being cut up in six feet sections which makes it not valuable. Thanks
Why don't you take some good pictures--one of the whole tree, one of the bark, one of the needles or brackens and any others that would be helpful. I am sure somebody on here will know what kind of cedar grows in the San Bernardino hills and can identify it. I was down there on a fire once, and do not remember seeing anything like you are describing, so it would be interesting to see. I saw only sparse patches of a few pines that grew in the draws where there was enough water for them to survive. The rest of the area was manzanita and various thick patches of brush.
 
I will do do as you suggest. I have been in the Southern California mountains for over fourty years so I aught to know what kind of wood I am throwing away. I did find some pics that I had. The one pictured are soon to be former trees as they are destined to be removed. Thanks
 

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Being not *too* far from you on the other side of the Appalachians, a lot of the eastern red cedar in the southeast is either pulp, chipped and used as mulch if it’s not stacked and burned. The big ones are gone, and lot of what’s left is scrubby wood that comes in as primary regen. Eventually bigger conifers or hardwoods grow in and competition kills the cedars off. Lots of them grow in fence lines. Yard trees are a different story.

Most mills aren’t interested unless the log is ~18” diameter because they’ll only get a few boards out of it with all the knots inherent to that species. A lot of those trees are short, which makes the boards short, and their niche is pretty much in furniture/cabinets/etc. Some people limb 4-8” stems, cut them to length and use them as fence posts.

Those are, admittedly, a broad generalization, but there’s just not much cedar going to mills in KY/TN/VA/NC.
 
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