big wood

[chucknduck]

Hi, I've got a dumb question. I have run a tree service for two years and do many large removals. Most of the wood we either chip or split and sell as firewood. But many of these removals have involved Huge pecans over six feet at the base. Is this big wood worth anything to anybody, would a mill like to buy it, or can you do anything with it ,besides make lots of firewood?

 

[Ianab]

Commercial mills wont be interested in logs like that, they are just to big for most mills, not to mention the risk of metal being embedded in there.

You may find a small scale miller that interested, especially if the are running a swingblade sawmill or a big chainsaw slabber. Problem is they wont want to pay much for the logs. The risk of metal and the sheer logistical issues with moving a log like that means no-one wants to shell out big $$ unless it's something really special.

But see if you can track down someone local that does custom sawmilling / woodworking. You may be able to do some sort of deal if you have a supply of logs like that.

I love to get hold of logs like that, but like most woodworkers I have no money to actually pay for them

Cheers

Ian

 

[woodshop]

Commercial mills wont be interested in logs like that, they are just to big for most mills, not to mention the risk of metal being embedded in there.

You may find a small scale miller that interested, especially if the are running a swingblade sawmill or a big chainsaw slabber. Problem is they wont want to pay much for the logs. The risk of metal and the sheer logistical issues with moving a log like that means no-one wants to shell out big $$ unless it's something really special.

But see if you can track down someone local that does custom sawmilling / woodworking. You may be able to do some sort of deal if you have a supply of logs like that.

I love to get hold of logs like that, but like most woodworkers I have no money to actually pay for them

Cheers

Ian

ditto... woodworkers who mill like myself usually get enough logs for nothing, that we are not willing to pay for something unless it is REALLY special. Sawmills (at least around here) generally won't touch large old yard trees because as soon as they toast a blade or two on the inevitable wash line hook (down time and expense of the blades) they have just shot much of the profit they might have gotten from the tree.

 

[cantcutter]

Would make some nice wood for yourself. Just have to find a sawyer who can mill it. I do alot of work for tree services right now. Its a really good deal if you can barter services, I milled for a guy and he ground some stumps for me.

 

[Husky137]

The other thing to consider is quality of the logs. BIG does not equate to valuable and in many cases, the really big stuff is so full of rot, defects and foreign objects, that it is worth nothing more than firewood.

You might be able to market wood like pecan to a restaurant for firewood. Some of those places are always looking for "specialty" woods for wood fired ovens and smokers.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

The other thing to consider is quality of the logs. BIG does not equate to valuable and in many cases, the really big stuff is so full of rot, defects and foreign objects, that it is worth nothing more than firewood.
.

In my experience that has been true less than 50% of the time. Most of the time you have a good idea what you have when you buck the log out but there are always surprises, both good and bad, and that's part of the fun of milling IMO. You can always make firewood out of a partially milled log but it's nearly impossible to do the opposite.