Pricing logs?

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We turned poplar/cottonwood into pallet. Other lower grade was hemlock which was 6 X 6"s and 1 X 4" , not sure if the boards also became pallet.

Small white pine was 6 X 6" and some 4/4 #2 boards, the bigger ones got some 5/4 clear #1 and FAS.

Also did white and red oaks. Those made some nice 4/4 boards and the best stuff was 8/4 that was all clear.
I have some cabinet grade Poplar standing timber.
I have not been able to give it away. People are giving away pine logs around here!
Why is lumber so high?
 
Wood does not have a long lifespan. Even Cedar outside. It’s not stainless steel. Some of it is more rot-resistant than others, but it all rots eventually.

Douglas Fir has exceptional properties for structural use. Just because it’s the best does not mean everything else is useless. Lolbolly is commonly framed with in my area. We run a lot of double studs, double top plates and extra blocking to make up for it. It deflects easily, but that’s the nature of the beast. We gotta use what we have.


Some of the wood’s toughness has to do with the environment it came from. The PNW has some harsh weather that trees survive. Georgia gets to enjoy tornadoes and hurricanes, which flatten stands. Between those events, weather is pretty gentle.

Just my $.02. For free.

I think it depends on humidity and ground contact.
 
As of today logs are not high yet lumber remains high for plywood and other sizes. 4x4s and studs have come down at the large stores. Rural areas may still be quite high.
Hate to say it but a 1/2 day spent driving may be well worth it. I suspect the QC is higher at Lowes and HD. Or priced accordingly.
Just part of what seems to be shaping up as a possibly long squall ahead. Fuel, food, inflation, supply, this executive branch, war, virus, public health etc. Plywood and drywall remain very high. Good luck building without them.
 
Harsh weather in the PNW? Such as a lot of rain?

Lots of wind on the west side of the Cascades that come off the Pacific ocean. They get to lay claim to blowing 60 or 70 for sometimes days on end several times per winter. It used to shut me down with cranes or even placing jetty stone every fall & winter. Not enough to do a lot of damage, but a tall evergreen tree is a big lever arm to keep from breaking off.

Congratulations, you now have tight growth rings because it has to be a tough tree to just survive. Like I said, not going to break one in half like a strong or violent tornado, or a hurricane that blows in excess of 100 that just destroys the trees, but it does make a tough tree.

In the summer, contrary to popular belief, it’s hot and dry in most of Oregon & Washington, and I feel like California is self explanatory. It takes a hardy tree to survive that, as well. As far as wet, it’s pretty much a temperate rainforest for eight months out of the year.
 
Harsh weather in the PNW? Such as a lot of rain?

Idaho is a great timber state. I wonder what species is dominate in Idaho. Might be Douglas Fir in Oregon?
rain, hurricanes, 12'+ deep snow, 100deg summers, no rain for 3 months and no soil to hold water (its mostly rock in the hills) winds of 90mph in the mountains are common, 60mph gusts in the valleys, no sun for 9 months of the year.

Idaho isn't all that good of a timber state, WA out produces it easily, Oregon as well, only part of idaho that is really timbered is the panhandle and some bits of the fat part, but not much. And the trees don't grow very thick in ID as they are fighting for water, then can get big, but nothing like Western WA and OR 5' dia second growth under 100 years old isn't uncommon


As for ID species, Pine dominates (or it did before the pine beetle) Doug Fir, W Red Cedar, some spruce here and there.
 
Lots of wind on the west side of the Cascades that come off the Pacific ocean. They get to lay claim to blowing 60 or 70 for sometimes days on end several times per winter. It used to shut me down with cranes or even placing jetty stone every fall & winter. Not enough to do a lot of damage, but a tall evergreen tree is a big lever arm to keep from breaking off.

Congratulations, you now have tight growth rings because it has to be a tough tree to just survive. Like I said, not going to break one in half like a strong or violent tornado, or a hurricane that blows in excess of 100 that just destroys the trees, but it does make a tough tree.

In the summer, contrary to popular belief, it’s hot and dry in most of Oregon & Washington, and I feel like California is self explanatory. It takes a hardy tree to survive that, as well. As far as wet, it’s pretty much a temperate rainforest for eight months out of the year.
I've seen entire stands blown over and snapped off in a good storm, I get about 50% of my work because of the seasonal storms scare folks into cutting every tree down they can.
 
Ponderosa Pine in California is very straight and soft. Very easy to work, as I remember.
Not as strong as Southern Yellow Pine or Doug Fir.
California has Sugar pines, and Ponderosa, the Sugar pines are very soft.
I have some cabinet grade Poplar standing timber.
I have not been able to give it away. People are giving away pine logs around here!
Why is lumber so high?
well... in this "mild" PNW, we've had record rainfall, snow in May, the snow level is still something weird like 4000' at the moment... its fecking May. and
most of the log truck drivers are starting to retire, and them shoes are not being filled, years of doodes bitching about being underpaid and such a dangerous job etc etc etc, has driven off a lot of the younger folks. Not to mention this is sort of the fallout from going mechanized times past you worked your way up from choker setting to eventually running some sort of equipment or driving truck. Now theres just not enough boots in the woods to keep seats full when someone does retire, or die...

Nearly every logging outfit in the area is hiring, for nearly every position, Hel I'd like to hire someone but there just isn't anyone out there worth a damn that is looking for work.

While we're at it, EVERYBODY is having trouble getting new employees, those that are complaining about not having a job need to do some self reflection.

Also, is there such a thing as Cabinet grade poplar?
 
While I've got the bit...
I find it hilarious and highly suspicious that guys that have made a living driving trucks, have a nice house, on acreage, drive a newer car, etc etc, and complain about what they get paid.
Its even funnier when you look at who they work for, a fleet of newer trucks, a big well equipped shop, some of these folks have dozens of newer trucks, trucks I'll add they bought new.
Then they turn around and ***** about not getting paid enough...
But I've heard union wage goons getting $60 an hour to hold down a seat complain about not making enough either, guess none of them learned how to balance a check book?
 
I've seen entire stands blown over and snapped off in a good storm, I get about 50% of my work because of the seasonal storms scare folks into cutting every tree down they can.

I won’t argue that you all don’t have some hellacious blows. I just wanted to point out that you don’t get this type of damage (not my photo) in Oregon & Washington.

AC98B6BE-B070-49BB-BEFE-BAA915DA9B52.jpeg

Admittedly, those debarked trees and scoured ground are from a tornado that was on the top end of the scale. It was part of the 2011 outbreak that also spawned the Joplin tornado, but this one was more violent. Rolling a 950 ton drill rig is quite impressive.

Sure, Georgia and the rest of the southeast that produces most of the timber in that region don’t get blasted by 295 mile per hour tornados that destroy everything in sight, but honestly, they really do have more violent storms and worse weather, having been through both. Hell, the PNW has hurricanes, but strong hurricanes are about the sole purview of the southeast.

Anyway, I’m way off track now. Let’s just say Doug Fir is worth more than any type of wood for framing, just because it is. Weather where it grows lends it to being a tougher, stronger wood. Almost ideal for most of the stands to be more durable than others.
 
I won’t argue that you all don’t have some hellacious blows. I just wanted to point out that you don’t get this type of damage (not my photo) in Oregon & Washington.

View attachment 987402

Admittedly, those debarked trees and scoured ground are from a tornado that was on the top end of the scale. It was part of the 2011 outbreak that also spawned the Joplin tornado, but this one was more violent. Rolling a 950 ton drill rig is quite impressive.

Sure, Georgia and the rest of the southeast that produces most of the timber in that region don’t get blasted by 295 mile per hour tornados that destroy everything in sight, but honestly, they really do have more violent storms and worse weather, having been through both. Hell, the PNW has hurricanes, but strong hurricanes are about the sole purview of the southeast.

Anyway, I’m way off track now. Let’s just say Doug Fir is worth more than any type of wood for framing, just because it is. Weather where it grows lends it to being a tougher, stronger wood. Almost ideal for most of the stands to be more durable than others.
while we do get tornados, they are rare, and nothing like the interior east...
anyway, I'm just sayin the whole mild weather myth is just that... a myth. while no it doesn't get super cold, or super hot, the variations in weather from day to day can be bonkers, it was 60 deg here today, it could snow tomorrow, and I'm not even kidding.
 
Hurricane paths are measured in miles, tornadoes in yards. I'd much rather face a hurricane than being in the path of a tornado. Though the extreme moisture content of hurricane force winds act as a force multiplier.

Many structures are built to stand up to 110 mph winds. Almost none for 250 mph winds.
 
When figuring the board feet pricing of a log - how is the log measured?
I was looking at a 20' log with a buyer yesterday. The log was about 18" across. Not knowing what to do I gave it credit for being a 12" x 12" x 20'. Worth about $96 at .40/board feet.
Doesn't really matter if he is able to get a semi load of big logs delivered for $6000 - like he said.
 
When figuring the board feet pricing of a log - how is the log measured?
I was looking at a 20' log with a buyer yesterday. The log was about 18" across. Not knowing what to do I gave it credit for being a 12" x 12" x 20'. Worth about $96 at .40/board feet.
Doesn't really matter if he is able to get a semi load of big logs delivered for $6000 - like he said.

There are several different scaling methods that are in use. Your potential buyer should be able to tell you what is in use.

Doyle and Scribner come to mind.
https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/documents/pb1650.pdf
https://www.globaltimberinc.com/doyle-scale.htmlhttps://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/fnr/fnr-191.pdf
 
There are several different scaling methods that are in use. Your potential buyer should be able to tell you what is in use.

Doyle and Scribner come to mind.
https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/documents/pb1650.pdf
https://www.globaltimberinc.com/doyle-scale.htmlhttps://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/fnr/fnr-191.pdf
He is just buying logs for a log home, not a lumber mill.

I'm trying to simplify it not become a legal expert on measuring logs.
Rather than try to measure every log I think I'll just quote a price for logging rights to the whole lot. 94% of the trees are cut and limbed. He will load and transport and save ~ $1000 or so for that reason. About 50 logs worth about $5000. So $4000 if he loads and transports to his site about 20 miles away.
Thats what I'm thinking at this moment. Have yet to ask a firm price. Told him I'd give him a price in 2 days.
 
When figuring the board feet pricing of a log - how is the log measured?
I was looking at a 20' log with a buyer yesterday. The log was about 18" across. Not knowing what to do I gave it credit for being a 12" x 12" x 20'. Worth about $96 at .40/board feet.
Doesn't really matter if he is able to get a semi load of big logs delivered for $6000 - like he said.
I use this app, https://play.google.com/store/apps/...culator.timbervolumecalculator&hl=en_US&gl=US
He is just buying logs for a log home, not a lumber mill.

I'm trying to simplify it not become a legal expert on measuring logs.
Rather than try to measure every log I think I'll just quote a price for logging rights to the whole lot. 94% of the trees are cut and limbed. He will load and transport and save ~ $1000 or so for that reason. About 50 logs worth about $5000. So $4000 if he loads and transports to his site about 20 miles away.
Thats what I'm thinking at this moment. Have yet to ask a firm price. Told him I'd give him a price in 2 days.
If you plan on getting into the business of selling logs, then you need to get it right, before you need a lawyer, the log scales are used to prevent folks from getting ripped off, whether its by weight, or by the BF it has to be a set method, otherwise some ******* will show up and claim that they got ripped off and you will be on the hook for it. Or in this case, you might be getting ripped off and will regret it later.

Though if memory serves, you started cutting this patch, months/year? ago? So it might be best just to be rid of them before they start to rot and stain.
 
Last sale I sent up went for just shy of $900/MBF and that was all sketchy big prairie colonization DF full of knots. I expected half that even in this market. I don't understand but I also don't care too much because a paycheck is a paycheck, and mine doesn't change with price fluctuations because government salary. Regardless, I gotta guess that the mills are paying more or the loggers wouldn't be. We all know Home Depot is charging up the wazoo, so that's that, I guess.
 

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