Two questions for those with saw mills

[TheLazyBFarm]

I have a fairly large walnut tree, about 24" in diameter and 8' long (I'll take exact measurements later today) that I would like to have sawed up into 2"-3" planks.

Question #1: Assuming a private sawmill vs a professional one, what would be the nominal cost of doing this? I would transport the wood there and back, but I would need something to lift the tree off the trailer at the sawmill.

Question #2: Are there any sawmillers in the Taft, Blanche or Ardmore, TN areas that would be able to and would like to saw mill this tree for me?

Thanks,

 

[JakeG]

Most sawmills have an efficient way to handle logs. There's no set/standard rate so you'd have to make some calls or stop by.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

IF somebody brought a log like that to my mill, and wanted me to spend a little extra time trying to get the best wood we could out of it, then I would charge them somewhere between $40 and $60 .

 

[Dave Boyt]

That calculates out to about 230 board ft (using International 1/4" scale + 15%). That will help you if a sawyer quotes a price per board ft. Based on VA Sawyer's middle charge of $50, you'd be paying about $.22 per bd ft, which is on the low side of what sawyers typically charge. If there is more wood than you can use, some sawyers will cut on shares. By the way, my sawmill is both private and professional. I would recommend you take your log to a band saw to get the best yield from it. They get about 15% more lumber than the circle mills do, which means that for every 7 boards a circle mill produces, a band mill will produce 8, due to the narrower kerf. Good luck. Looking forward to seeing photos!

 

[GrantD]

I'm in Madison County, AL (just southeast of you) and know there are quite a few fellas that have portable bandmills that would probably come to you. If I remember correctly, there was a feller in Ardmore or Elkmont advertising on Craigslist with a portable mill looking for work not too long ago.

Edit:

Here is the link to the Craigslist Ad for the guy in Elkmont (I have no connection or knowledge of this person or their service, just that I saw his ad) http://huntsville.craigslist.org/grd/4294039586.html

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Here's a good visual...

SR

 

[TheLazyBFarm]

Ok, I measured it and it came out to about 22" and just over 7' long. What does that measure in board feet?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Dave Boyt]

Do a google search for "board ft calculator" or "International 1/4 scale" When inputting the diameter, use diameter at the SMALL end, inside the bark. Then add 15%, for the thinner kerf of the band saw blade. Here is a web site: http://www.timberbuyer.net/sawlogbf.htm

20", 7' long gives 127 board ft. Add 15%, = 146 bd ft.

 

[TheLazyBFarm]

Thanks!

 

[TheLazyBFarm]

Ok, I got my walnut log sawed up last weekend, then got it stored in my shop's back room.

Pics:

 

[Pfin]

Nice! What are you going to do with it? What did you end up paying for it?

 

[Gumneck]

Most know better than I .... shouldn't he go ahead and remove that bark before too long to remove critters contained in it that may damage the wood?

 

[groundup]

Most know better than I .... shouldn't he go ahead and remove that bark before too long to remove critters contained in it that may damage the wood?

I dry all my lumber with bark on. I have even made coffee tables from walnut and the bark stays intact on the live edge well.

 

[Dave Boyt]

If the tree is cut while dormant, the bark tends to stay on better. Shouldn't be much problem with bugs, especially in walnut. The really nasty ones are powder post beetles, and they can be anywhere in the sapwood. I think the bigger concerns are sticker spacing and air circulation. For 1" thick lumber, I'd put the stickers about 20" apart, or the wood can sag. It appears that the logs are stacked against a wall, which will slow down the drying, unless you put some fans on the stack. Looks like a great job on the milling, and the grain is beautiful. Thanks for posting. Looks like a good example of treasure from trash!

 

[TheLazyBFarm]

Nice! What are you going to do with it? What did you end up paying for it?

I'm going to make a coffee table out of one piece, then I'm going to have our carpenter (Dan Zeth) make a dinner table out of the rest.

I paid $31 to have it cut as you see it. [The price was actually $30, but he only had $9 change for the two twenties I gave him]. The upside is that the for the extra $1 I got a lot of good history on my farm, well worth it, IMO.

If the tree is cut while dormant, the bark tends to stay on better. Shouldn't be much problem with bugs, especially in walnut. The really nasty ones are powder post beetles, and they can be anywhere in the sapwood. I think the bigger concerns are sticker spacing and air circulation. For 1" thick lumber, I'd put the stickers about 20" apart, or the wood can sag. It appears that the logs are stacked against a wall, which will slow down the drying, unless you put some fans on the stack. Looks like a great job on the milling, and the grain is beautiful. Thanks for posting. Looks like a good example of treasure from trash!

It's cut 2" thick and he gave me the stickers, he said three per log would be good enough. True for 7' long logs, Yes/No???

It's hard to see, but there is a 2"-3" air space between the logs and even more for the smaller ones. I'm going to keep it here for one year, then move it above the orgy bar where it is now up on the mezzanine level where it gets much hotter during the summer.

 

[Dave Boyt]

Sticker spacing is ok for 2" thick. Sorry to be an alarmist, but when you lose some good walnut due to wide spacing, you tend to get cautious about it. Waiting for the wood to dry will be the hardest part of all!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I think Daves right, it looks like it's not going to get enough air. I'd be watching for mold, and get a fan on it if you see any at all!

 

[showrguy]

then move it above the orgy bar :quote

please explain ??
got any pictures ??

 

[groundup]

Yeah I'm down for pics of an orgy bar

 

[TheLazyBFarm]

Sorry, no pics of the orgy bar, other than what you see above.

If I put a fan on it, will that cause the wood to dry too fast? That's my biggest fear, that and cracking.

Thanks,