# What to do with soft wood?



## spason (Feb 17, 2009)

Now that you're done laughing, I'm serious... 

My grandmother has 130 acres of land here, and it's time (according to the forester) to cut. It's been 15 years since last time she (the forester) made recommendations, and they were acted upon then. I have coincidentally been planning a firewood business for some extra money this year, so it works out well for both my grandmother and myself.

So, obviously the hardwood has a destination, but much of Grammy's forest is comprised of soft wood. 

Excuse my ignorance, but what do you do with it? It has to be cut, but then what? To be specific, it's mostly spruce and balsam fir. My knowledge ends with what goes in the woodstove. I want to not only do firewood, but keep Grammy's woods productive and healthy, which means cutting a ####load of spruce and fir. Where does it go from there?

Thanks for your input. This is my first post after a few months of reading voraciously, so be easy on me.:newbie:


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## HuskyMike (Feb 17, 2009)

spason said:


> Now that you're done laughing, I'm serious...




You ruined it for me, I was gonna suggest viagra!


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## Spotted Owl (Feb 17, 2009)

Any pulp mills around? Softwood lumber? Veneer/peelers? fence post or pole mills? I may be misunderstanding but soft wood will most certainly do very well in the firebox, that is almost what is burned around here exclusively. You might also ask the forester if there is a market that they know about.


Owl


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## carvinmark (Feb 18, 2009)

Lumber!!!!!!


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## hutch3912 (Feb 18, 2009)

spason said:


> Now that you're done laughing, I'm serious...
> 
> My grandmother has 130 acres of land here, and it's time (according to the forester) to cut. It's been 15 years since last time she (the forester) made recommendations, and they were acted upon then. I have coincidentally been planning a firewood business for some extra money this year, so it works out well for both my grandmother and myself.
> 
> ...



Heres what you do, let me and 371groundie cut it and don't worry about a thing. :greenchainsaw:


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## Zackman1801 (Feb 18, 2009)

well first off where are you in maine?

Second look at all of the mills around you to see what they want and get spec sheets from them. Then you cut the trees and send them to the mills, but dont be surprised if they tell you no thanks. alot of mills have laid off companies that have been selling them wood for a long time, it would be hard to get them to take your wood over someone they have a good relationship with.


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## chevytaHOE5674 (Feb 18, 2009)

Around here it goes for pulp, biofuel chips, and some OSB chips, and thats about it.


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## IndyIan (Feb 18, 2009)

Is it good quality softwood? Big straight white pines? Log home builders and timberframers will probably pay way more than a mill.
Around here big red pines are used for hydro poles, white cedar for fence posts. Both pay way more than a mill, Spruce and Fir don't seem to be used for anything here except for lumber...

Probably you should wait until there is some market for softwood, a few years can't hurt the woods too much. 

Owl, in the east you can hardly pay people to take softwood firewood, I have to admit I don't bother with softwood either except tamarack. I see the rare ad that is 1/2 price or less compared hardwood...
Ian


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## 371groundie (Feb 18, 2009)

step one. dont cut a stick right now. theres no mills buying wood at a decent price. 

step two, PM on its way.


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## Zackman1801 (Feb 18, 2009)

371groundie said:


> step one. dont cut a stick right now. theres no mills buying wood at a decent price.



exactly mine as well not waste your time.


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## jon72 (Feb 19, 2009)

Spruce and fir is cut into logs,studwood and pulp.We're still moving all of our soft wood and prices are still pretty good.The mills I deal with are sticking with their year round suppliers,which is fine by me.
My advice is to talk to guys with their own mill contracts and have their own trucks.In our case we get alittle more for our wood(which helps to buy wood)but we can't haul in anyone elses wood,only what we cut.
Good Luck,and don't be discouraged theirs still plenty of outfits that will pay good money for your wood.
Jon


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## thejdman04 (Feb 19, 2009)

pine makes ok firewood, if its seasoned, lots of people burn pinefirewood.


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## perchhauler (Feb 20, 2009)

I'm cutting a bunch of white pine this winter and its all going for paperwood, pine is hard to move right now around here, and some of this stuff is decent size but not real nice, its pretty kinky-n-limby, so its all going for paperwood... The market does seem to be bad everywhere, and most people around here wont touch softwood for firewood, but they have their head in a stump!! Softwood wont couse more flu problems than hardwood in the long run, it just burns fast-n-hot....


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## Mike Van (Feb 20, 2009)

The forester should be able to give you some good ideas? Like most guys said, the firewood market may be good, but lumbers in the crapper, at least until the big slowdown/depression/whatever is over.


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## Meadow Beaver (Mar 2, 2009)

Any wood works good in an outdoor water boiler.


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## JONSEREDFAN6069 (Mar 2, 2009)

cut it up and use it for firewood i have a mix alway's spruce, red pine, birch, poplar, elm, maple. burn's good and season's very quick after split way faster than hardwood's in my opinion. pine heated my house from 68 to 86f all winter usually use the hardwood's for overnite burn as it does burn slower than soft but thats about the only draw back.


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