# Oak Log prices?



## stihladdicted

Hey guys... I had some time around the holidays so my dad and I logged his woods. We were carefull, used a three post system for felling the tree so no wood was pulled through the log when it went down. Had about 50 logs 18-30" diameter. Some were hickory and white oak but 90% were what I would consider to be red oak. I had a local log guy look at them told us they were black oak said they were worth alot less than red. Some of the logs were veneer quality. I'm just wondering if anyone has info on log prices is there any differences in red and balck oak. I can't tell the difference by looking at the bark. We are reasonable people, but i don't want to get shafted these trees are 100+ years old. I know this is a milling site but I trust the opinions of the people on here. Thanks..


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## treeman82

I sold some black oak logs last winter... I can tell you this, oak is in the crapper and regardless of whether it's black or red it's still gonna be down, and the difference will only be a few hundred bucks if that. White oak is slightly higher in value than black or red... but still it's down.


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## stihladdicted

I went around alot of wjite oaks and cut the Reds because I thought they brought more money, guess I shoud have done the opposite. Oh, well I like cutting wood and running my saws


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## dingo

stihladdicted said:


> Hey guys... I had some time around the holidays so my dad and I logged his woods. We were carefull, used a three post system for felling the tree so no wood was pulled through the log when it went down. Had about 50 logs 18-30" diameter. Some were hickory and white oak but 90% were what I would consider to be red oak. I had a local log guy look at them told us they were black oak said they were worth alot less than red. Some of the logs were veneer quality. I'm just wondering if anyone has info on log prices is there any differences in red and balck oak. I can't tell the difference by looking at the bark. We are reasonable people, but i don't want to get shafted these trees are 100+ years old. I know this is a milling site but I trust the opinions of the people on here. Thanks..



Oak is down, If you could mill them you would be more satisfied with your work. Don't have to be milled right away. If you are going to cut that many logs a manual bandmill would be in order. I know the initial expense is a chunk and you have to have a method of moving logs.
I use a Baker 18M and an old tractor and loader. My setup is crude, but I paid for the mill in six months and yes there is a little bit to be learned on milling, but it is not rocket science. I hate to see a person cut those kind of logs and not be satisified with the outcome. I bet you have some real nice logs.


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## Ianab

Probably not a bad thing you left the more valuable white oaks standing. They will still be there in a few years when the prices for oak are up again and will be a bit bigger 

You would be even more annoyed if you had cut the best trees when the prices were down

Ian


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## Railomatic

For the best prices here, quarter cut the best of them, then air dry them, when they have lost about 50 % moisture, advertise them in the top furniture magazines and all the top cabinet makers will come flocking for this type of lumber.

Kiln dried timber is inferior to air dried because the air dried retains most of its natural sugars, which are leached out during even the best kiln drying processes.

Poor kiln dried lumber is case hard, in that the outer edges are dry, but the very middle of the board still retains some of its moisture, which leads to warping and cracking once you re-size any given board or post.

Air dried lumber rules for the pro furniture maker, when the boards are down to 50%, they are ready to move in doors to finish off, again slowly.

DDS.


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## Sawyer Rob

> Poor kiln dried lumber is case hard, in that the outer edges are dry, but the very middle of the board still retains some of its moisture, which leads to warping and cracking once you re-size any given board or post.



Sounds like you need to find someone who knows how to run a kiln!!!

As for white, red or blk. oak... Once oak comes off the mill, it's either white or red... that's it!!! You may sell the logs as blk. oak, but once they are sawn, they end up in the white oak pile...

BTW, the blk. oak in my woodlot has bark like white oak NOT red...

Here's a red oak on my mill,

Rob


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## Railomatic

*kiln*

If you are going to use a kiln drier, I would go for something like this, hit the link here http://www.arrowsmiths.co.uk/timber.htm.
This is the slow way and much better than a forced air system, the slower you dry things the better the lumber will be.


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## olyman

stihl--get yourself a bandsaw mill--and do as the others said--then youll get decent money for your logs--i have a hard time believeing no one wants to pay you decent money---esp since china wants all the oak they can get for rail ties--their consuming them as fast as the concrete out of the usa--


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## stihladdicted

*Log Prices*

Thanks for all the responses... My question to everyone is what is the going rate, although I'm far from a professional I scaled the logs with a log ruler (using Doyle Method) and came up with 6000 BF. I had been offered 1200.00 which is .20 BF. I remember reading something that sawn green sawn lumber was between 1-$2 BF. I would gladly take .40-.50 BF, I realize others along the way would need to make money especially the sawyer. I've wanted a bandmill for a while and I will probobly get one in the near future, until then my 084 with a 36" Granberg will have to do! I think its the greatest thing to find a tree in the woods that has been blown over and maybe looking a little ratty on the outside, open it up and find some beautiful grain that might have otherwise ended up in some guys woodpile (no offense to those burning wood).:greenchainsaw:


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## Husky137

Oak is low right now but not that low. If they are high grade logs you should be able to get double that.


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## johncinco

Wheres Pinkney? I would guess you could find a band mill to come cut your wood for you. I had someone come do mine up at $0.30 a BF. I air dried most of it and have been offered $2.40 a BF for all I have left. I used a lot to make stuff, but most of what I have left is quartersawn and I have been saving it for ...... who knows. 

Woodmizer has a referal service, or you can ask on another board that knows a lot of sawyers. I can email you a link. 

The guy who makes the most money on logs is the one driving the truck, as long as he doesnt own it!


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## Railomatic

*oak prices*

Here in the UK you can buy oak in the stick from 3.00 pounds to 6.00 pounds per cubic foot, 3.00 for the knarly stuff and 6.00 for the straight clean stuff
once its milled it trebles in price and if its properly air dried it goes up again to around 25 pounds, and the very best quarter saw air dried can be as much as 30-40 pounds per cubic foot.
Prices in dollars would be the same a same as in pounds as everything in the USA is about half the price of good old blighty, for the best prices dry slow and sell high, its a long term thing but pays big bucks in the end.


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## Andy Harden

stihladdicted said:


> Thanks for all the responses... My question to everyone is what is the going rate, although I'm far from a professional I scaled the logs with a log ruler (using Doyle Method) and came up with 6000 BF. I had been offered 1200.00 which is .20 BF. I remember reading something that sawn green sawn lumber was between 1-$2 BF. I would gladly take .40-.50 BF, I realize others along the way would need to make money especially the sawyer. I've wanted a bandmill for a while and I will probobly get one in the near future, until then my 084 with a 36" Granberg will have to do! I think its the greatest thing to find a tree in the woods that has been blown over and maybe looking a little ratty on the outside, open it up and find some beautiful grain that might have otherwise ended up in some guys woodpile (no offense to those burning wood).:greenchainsaw:



My wife and I sole the veneer grade red and #1 white oak off our farm last summer. The price varied from $250.00 to $600.00 for the white oak. The red oak veneer grade went from $600.00 to $900.00 per thousand board feet.

We had some hickory veneer that was $1000.00 per thousand. 

This was last year but thats as close as I can get. I think the price may vary a lot from region to region. My 2 cents.

Andy


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