Looking for a NW Washington logger to pick brain

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zwoehr

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I'm looking for someone in NW Washington to ask some questions about logging. I have a small piece of property (2.5 acres) I'd like to clear a portion of it and thin the trees on the rest of it. I don't think it would be worth anyone's while to bring in equipment and log it. It would probably only be a truck load or two max. I have experience falling trees and a small tractor and was thinking I could skid the logs myself and hire a truck with a self loader, but I don't know how or where to sell the logs, how much they are worth or even how to prep them for delivery.

Any advice appreciated! Thanks
 
Greatings, I'm out of Granite Falls.

Hand Falling and what not is what I do, have a small skidder, started this whole venture with a tractor.

Anyway, Skidding with a tractor around here can be done, just slow, which is no big deal when your logging for yerself.

First thing you need to do is contact your nearest mills, see what they are buying and what lengths. Per NW standards I'd make a guess and say they will take down to 16'8" up to 46' plus 1.5' or so for trim, usually in multiples of 8-10', cedar generally in 2' multiples.

Second thing is you need to find a Self loading log truck, I have a basic list, depending on where your located, but that doesn't mean they are going to be in your area. Whatever mill you call, should be able to help you find a self loader... if not most folks that hang out around here are from the PNW.

Also, the project I finished today was only 2 loads, the next project will be 1 or 2 loads. But I'm set up for small jobs, in out on to the next one, I'm not the only guy around either.
 
Thanks, I'll start calling mills next week.

Someone mentioned to me that the logs were worth more if sold as pilings. I don't know who buys lumber this way though. My trees are all douglas fir around 80 years old. They are overcrowded though so the largest are probably around 20-22" diameter, most are smaller. They are straight without a lot of limbs. The canopy is 60-70' high.

Also what is a good way to get rid of the stuff that is too small to sell? I can't burn slash here and I have 3-4 years worth of split firewood already. Hire a big grinder or another truck to take it away?
 
The telephone pole people buy the logs, Stella Jones? Give em a call, and their buyer will come out and fill you in on prices and whatnot.

Just be warned they want long logs... really long logs, so you'll have to figure out a way to move them so their truck can get them loaded and hauled.

Few things to know about pole/pilings, they want them very straight like no more then 2" sweep in the whole length, no nicks or dings into the cambrium, so each one needs a nice soft landing, a limited number of knots per foot.

They are very picky because they can be, the down side is if they take the log and then don't like it they pay less for saw logs then the mills do, and from my experience they don't pay a whole lot more for good sticks then the mills do for standard saw logs. At least not enough to make up for the extra pain in the **** it is for me to move em.

If you have a pulp mill near buy you can pulp the tops, its a lot of work but better then paying to haul it off. As far as the limbs go, burn em or haul em. Usually a topsoil/gravel pit/compost outfit that will take limbs etc, at a per yard or per ton basis.

You should still be able to burn on small scale, like campfire sized, and not constantly. And not during burn bans. (the puget sound clean air authority can bite my shiny metal ass). Lots of little fires can clean a site up surprisingly fast)

The other option is to pile the slash somewhere out of the way and let it rot, or to rent a large chipper, like a 6" or 12" self feeding chipper, and munch every thing into awesome mulch for the garden. Chipping is an ass load of extra work though, figure on a day per load of logs. Once chipped they really don't take up much space, the chippers are like 160-500 a day to rent. The bigger they are the more hands you'll want to feed it, 2 people can keep a 6" chugging along all day, 4-5 people on a big 12" and it may even have some down time between gulps.
 
Poles can be a real pain to deal with sometimes the quality has to be better then export, another thing with poles is they normally a minimum top diameter and a maximum butt they want.

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http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/30/90543a915a0763322b9848e896a3932d.jpg[IMG]
Here's some larger poles

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Sorry here you go
a83622b1c1394fda00d7880c5546e77b.jpg


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How long are those?

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I'll look around we have some pictures of some single log super long big transmission poles that ranged from 125 to 175 foot long.

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My dad and I work in the Grays Harbor area and we primarily ship to Pacific Lumber & Shipping Co. commonly just called PLS. They export fir hemlock and spruce and are currently paying some of the best prices. Markets are down from a year ago but there is currently a fir peeler export market paying around $500/mbft. The fir peelers are 27' and 41' (26 and 40 with trim) 8" or 10" plus. They buy 27', 33', 37' which make no. 1, 2 or 3 grade and 14', 20' that only make no.3, 8" plus, fir, hemlock, spruce. We send them some pretty rough stuff with 3" knots, they just have to be contoured down to the diameter of the log. If your located close enough the guy who is our middle man (he takes care of all the paperwork, scale slips pays trucking etc) could possibly help you. He works for a few dollars per ton. I dont think it would be worth it to try and deal with pole buyers because as previously mentioned they are very picky and may not be interested in investing the time for only a few loads.

Pacific Lumber & Shipping Co
 
Hmm... Me thinks yer getting ripped off. Last price sheet I got put fir peelers at $700 in Everett.

Just a thought.

Also I haul direct to the exporter, or to the mills, whichever is paying better, truck gets paid off the top and its split after that... x% to me x% to owner. Not much paper work to worry about other then calling the mill and clarifying my chicken scratch for proper addresses etc.
 
Last load of fenders I did we were 1300 but we had to peel and haul.

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Fender logs, haven't done true pole peeler in a few years other then the sailing mast peelers but that's not an apple to apple.

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