Reclaimed Logs

[OasisTree]

Good Morning All -

Was wanting some input on what you guys do with the logs you get from the trees you remove. We have a grapple truck and bring all of them back as log length, and sell some as firewood logs.

But what to do with the logs that are good? Local sawmills dont want them because of the likelihood of metal in them, and was wondering about the profitability of setting up my own sawmill.
How do you deal with metal in the logs? Do you guys that saw your own logs use metal detectors?

Is there enough of a market for slab wood and lumber to make it worth it? Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[JeffGu]

There are a gazillion sawmills with channels on YouTube that are well worth watching. Some of them are hobbyists, some are making a living with it. Great stuff. There are a few that slab out mostly urban tree logs loaded with metal, and just take the hit on trashed blades. Mind you, most of these guys are using WoodMizer bandsaw mills... the blades are a lot cheaper... and most of the time they can salvage the blade and resharpen it. They'll use these blades when cutting stuff they know is loaded with metal.

Metal detectors are common, but they'll all say the same thing... it only tells you there's metal in there, not how much, and only what's a couple or three inches below the surface.

They get some awesome slabs and lumber out of those urban trees. My oldest son built a huge bandsaw mill, and has had good luck with urban logs. He maintains a full-time job, though... it's not profitable enough for him to quit, yet.

 

[skew]

It's great in theory- There are a lot of things to consider. You need a place to store and and dry the product before it becomes usable. I've milled stuff that I was in love with before only to find it checked and warped due to improper curing.

 

[surveyor]

Beech is beautiful, but warps badly as it dries.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Logs from a yard=cows from the range

Logs slabbed into lumber=slaughtered cow at the meat market

Lumber air dried=shake the dice...was it cured/aged so that the meat doesn't poison?

Lumber kiln dried=ask the butcher to package up some__________

There are two sawyers that I follow, both are on Facebook as 'Logs to Lumber'. My local guy here in MN does a fantastic job milling and drying. The guy in Virginia??? does custom milling on site. He seems like a real go-getter. It's fun to see our 'waste' given a new life.

Talk to your state DNR or forestry folks. Most states have wood utilization programs and understand urban lumber. IN the mean time...keep stacking logs.

Oh...first way to get higher value from your logs is to learn how to cut logs to grade. If you cut a log and leave a defect...knot...bend...its worth less as a long log than a short, straight, defect-free lob. To keep the log/beef going...is a cow that's fattened up on cactus and scrub going to be as good as the ones finished up on special grain mixes?

 

[oldoakman]

When I was in business I had a guy that had a band mill that would mill for me. Took him nice white and red oak, tulip poplar and beech, cherry maple and walnut along with pine and spruce. Had a shed full of the hardwood as nd sided sheds with the spruce. My brother has most of the hardwood and is wading through projects with it.

 

[southsoundtree]

Some sawyer will mill on a percentage-split at the jobsite or at your yard.

You will learn a lot by helping, asking, and watching.

 

[Merle Nelson]

I get rid of the logs in the easiest way possible. I'm always for things going to the highest and best use so anything my friend wants to take for his band saw mill I give to him. After that anything he doesn't really want but I can pay him to take with his self loading short logger I do. Some of it goes to junk firewood he sells. He finally bought a big firewood processor to handle any logs that are not good enough to slab but are straight enough for firewood processing.

 

[ATH]

If you are relatively sure there isn't metal, find somebody with a Wood Mizer that will split the wood with you as @southsoundtree suggested. Have the understanding that you will pay to repair or replace the blade if damaged by metal. They are not the expensive...

 

[southsoundtree]

I wonder if you can't pass the metal detector over each log after the cut it in suspect trees. If you're only cutting 9/4, or especially 5/4 or less, you're not trying to detect through much.

Areas from within arm's reach when standing on the ground are most suspect...butt logs, overall are most suspect.

 

[OasisTree]

Thanks for your input. Putting in a sawmill is something I would like to do, but I don't have the time personally and wasn't sure if there was enough money in it to hire someone to fill that position.

Its just hard to see nice logs get processed for firewood...

 

[rico]

I will say this one more ime.. the single best work related decision I have ever made in my life was purchasing a mill. I have been through various mills and have been running a Lucas 10/30 for quite a while now. The Lucas is a near perfect tool for my work and money on a stick... If you have access to marketable wood the Lucas with the slobber attachment is simply a no-brainer........

If the OP is seriously interested in going this route your welcome to PM me and I can tell you all the reason why I LOVE the Lucas.....

 

[ATH]

How many logs you thinking @OasisTree ?

Is it something you can run the mill 2-3 times per month on a rainy day and have one of your regular helpers trained on it rather than hiring a dedicated employee?

 

[OasisTree]

How many logs you thinking @OasisTree ?

Is it something you can run the mill 2-3 times per month on a rainy day and have one of your regular helpers trained on it rather than hiring a dedicated employee?

That is a possibility...Tho it seems that most rain days get spent on maintenance. We have an aggressive maintenance schedule so our focus tends to be on that.

I have stockpiled my logs for the last year, and out of just the hardwood logs that would make grade I would have 80 or so. I have hauled out several hundred already this winter for firewood processing, and we were not very saving.
I have been disposing of all of the softwood logs, not sure how many of those there were.

 

[Serf Life]

I worked part time at a reclaim lumber yard for a couple years processing wood out of barns, mill buildings, log ponds etc. The owner would sometimes use bandsaw blades which can take more abuse (not full carbide, but stayed sharp after hitting metal).

Everything was gone over with security guard wands, but some stuff was too peppered to get all of it. The "kiln" was an insulated shipping container with a small electric heater or an external salamander for cooking powder post beetled wood. Milling and working up lumber is generally super enjoyable, rarely makes many $/hr.

 

[rico]

Milling and working up lumber is generally super enjoyable, rarely makes many $/hr.

I strongly disagree. With the right log I can by myself easily mill $1000 worth of redwood in 2 hours,

 

[ATH]

We don't get many $1K saw logs in this half of the Country...and you can't buy a worthwhile veneer mill for a grand!

 

[rico]

Well that is part of the OP's decision process. He needs to figure out if he has logs that are marketable as lumber and/or slabs and whether there is enough of a demand to warrant spending the $ on a mill..I payed less than $20,000 for my 10/30, a slobber attachment, and the beveled siding attachment... The Lucas payed for itself in a months time and that was yrs ago.....As well as being a serious money maker the Lucas has produced $150,000-$200,000 dollars worth of stickers and stack old growth redwood lumber which is sitting in my personal stash......Priceless!

 

[Serf Life]

I strongly disagree. With the right log I can by myself easily mill $1000 worth of redwood in 2 hours,

Hence "rarely". Walnut or figured maple would be local exceptions.

 

[rico]

Hence "rarely". Walnut or figured maple would be local exceptions.

I sure would like to sink into some figured maple.....