log lifespan

[treeman82]

How long are sawlogs good for once cut? I was just speaking with somebody today who wants to get rid of a nice quantity of sawlogs... the only problem is that they have been sitting since summer of 05. It's a mix of oak, maple, ash, cherry, walnut, etc. etc. Would you guys say that they are still viable saw logs, or are they likely destined for the firewood pile?

 

[Husky137]

Oak and cherry might be alright. Maple will be stained and turning punky if in ground contact. No experience with walnut. Of course you also have to check for insect damage or infestation.

 

[treeguy347]

One of the troubles with old sawlogs is they are much more difficult to cut than green ones. You'll dull blades much much faster. If you're going to have them cut, try to find someone with a portable bandmill. The blades are cheap and fast to change

 

[treeman82]

Do you guys think that the logs would be better off going to the firewood pile? With them having sat for over a year, do you think they would be ready to burn after they are split?

 

[skip]

I've sawn plenty of logs for customers that have been down for as long as 3 yrs. There are a lot of variables , species, ground contact, end use of lumber,condition of logs when dropped. I would say you have the POTENTIAL for some nice lumber, get a hold of a sawyer with a portable mill and have him come take a look. Some of the nicest looking oak I've sawn came from a log that was down for 2yrs.

 

[treeguy347]

They'll probably be a bit wet in the middle yet. I've sawn hard maple and oak that were down for 3 years and got some nice lumber out of it. I'd give it a go at sawing. You'll know quick if they're usable.

 

[Brushwacker]

Logs are usually more valuble then fire wood even if low grade pallet material unless you have unuasally high firewood prices. If your logs are small diameter say 13'' and under board footage adds up slow and firewood might be more efficiant use of your wood. Have to consider getting logs to the mill verses making firewood also . It will probably take a couple months at the least,split and stacked in good drying conditions to dry enough to burn efficiantly.Without bark and split small speeds up the drying.Also puting it in a dry building.

 

[daddieslilgirl]

log life

im not exactly sure. we use these little plastic peices that we pound into the log with a long handled yellow thing! (yeah im proffessional) lol i just cant remember what its called. if we have to leave the logs on the landing we do that to prevent them from splitting. i think its a cool thing since they used to be metal or steele and youd have to take them out before they were sawed at the mill, or it would ruin the saw. sorry probably didnt answer your question at all!

 

[Husky137]

im not exactly sure. we use these little plastic peices that we pound into the log with a long handled yellow thing! (yeah im proffessional) lol i just cant remember what its called. if we have to leave the logs on the landing we do that to prevent them from splitting. i think its a cool thing since they used to be metal or steele and youd have to take them out before they were sawed at the mill, or it would ruin the saw. sorry probably didnt answer your question at all!

S-irons

 

[NYH1]

As far as firewood go's I can really only speak about cherry. Last year I was cutting up and splitting cherry that I cut down in 01. A lot of this wood was off the ground and was still VERY wet inside. We had our hottest summer in 75 years last year and is was still soaked! If you do end up using this for firewood I would cut and split it this year to use next year. Just my $0.02!

 

[Doctor Dave]

Wood borers (flat head borers and round head borers, also known as metalic wood boring beetles and long-horned beetles, respectively) may have made holes deep in the wood---or not. I'm with the tip to cut a few open and see.

 

[Forest Steward]

As a fellow New Yorker, I can relate to some of the issues your going to have with those logs. The past summer we had with the high temps. and high humidity is very conducive to various staining in the wood. Just this morning we had a veneer buyer going through our logs and reject an otherwise nice hard maple because it was already starting to develop blue stain in it, and these logs were only cut a month ago at the latest. I haven't dealt with walnut as much, but I have a feeling it might be prone to these same issues.

As far as use, I would definitely try milling them first. You can always take a few boards and decide to throw it in the firewood pile if it's no good, but you can't as easily go the other way. If you can, try to find a sawyer with some connections in the specialty/artisans markets. Those guys will pay top dollar for lumber with color defects, and especially wood borer holes. We just sawed out a bunch of maple last summer that was starting to get some spalting in it, and sold a couple hundred ft. of it within two weeks. If you catch it right, it's pretty fancy stuff.

 

[ciscoguy01]

Huh?

S-irons

What the heck is an S-iron and what are they used for dude???

 

[Husky137]

What the heck is an S-iron and what are they used for dude???

It is an "S" shaped piece of metal (I've also seen them made from plastic) that is pounded into the end of high value logs to help prevent or inhibit the inevitable end-checking that will occur when a log doesn't get right to the mill.

 

[ciscoguy01]

Pic

It is an "S" shaped piece of metal (I've also seen them made from plastic) that is pounded into the end of high value logs to help prevent or inhibit the inevitable end-checking that will occur when a log doesn't get right to the mill.

I did a google on those to see if I could find what one looked like. You dont happen to have a pic do ya???

 

[380LGR]

im not exactly sure. we use these little plastic peices that we pound into the log with a long handled yellow thing! (yeah im proffessional) lol i just cant remember what its called. if we have to leave the logs on the landing we do that to prevent them from splitting. i think its a cool thing since they used to be metal or steele and youd have to take them out before they were sawed at the mill, or it would ruin the saw. sorry probably didnt answer your question at all!

They are called Flitch savers. They work much better than the old S irons and you can saw em'up to.

 

[buzz sawyer]

How long are sawlogs good for once cut? I was just speaking with somebody today who wants to get rid of a nice quantity of sawlogs... the only problem is that they have been sitting since summer of 05. It's a mix of oak, maple, ash, cherry, walnut, etc. etc. Would you guys say that they are still viable saw logs, or are they likely destined for the firewood pile?

I don't think you'll have problems with the white oak, cherry or walnut although the sapwood may be pretty punky on the cherry and walnut by now if these have been setting uncovered or on the ground. Skip just sawed a bunch of Green Ash, white and red oak for me that had been setting uncovered on the ground since March '06. In the ash there was some insect boring in the outer 2" - 3" and some stain (may turn out to be real attractive like hickory), but no rot. The oak was just fine. Maple never seemed to last long outside for me but it would depend on the size of the log.

I agree with Doctor Dave and Forest Steward, you may have some insect damage and/or some attractive spalting - especially in the maple and walnut. Cut a thin slab off the ends and see how they look.

 

[Monk]

we normally let our walnut age before we saw it, as long as there isn't any severe checking on the ends and if you cut it in the summer the sap would have been high so I would think they would be alright I would sell them or saw them if they are decent sized you should be alright.

 

[Doctor Dave]

I don't think you'll have problems with the white oak, cherry or walnut although the sapwood may be pretty punky on the cherry and walnut by now if these have been setting uncovered or on the ground. Skip just sawed a bunch of Green Ash, white and red oak for me that had been setting uncovered on the ground since March '06. In the ash there was some insect boring in the outer 2" - 3" and some stain (may turn out to be real attractive like hickory), but no rot. The oak was just fine. Maple never seemed to last long outside for me but it would depend on the size of the log.

I agree with Doctor Dave and Forest Steward, you may have some insect damage and/or some attractive spalting - especially in the maple and walnut. Cut a thin slab off the ends and see how they look.

I've seen lots of furniture made with beetle holes and stain---it's a look some people actually want over regular, homogenous, light-colored "Danish Modern" type wood. I would mill it all.

 

[buzz sawyer]

I've seen lots of furniture made with beetle holes and stain---it's a look some people actually want over regular, homogenous, light-colored "Danish Modern" type wood. I would mill it all.

Right again DD. I'm sitting here reading this and happened to think of a friend whose house was built in the late 1800's. The basement is paneled in wormy chestnut. How could I forget something like that? Ditto on milling all.