What do you do with logs that contain rot?

[066blaster]

I have noticed about 75% of the large trees I cut down contain some rot in the main trunk. I only use them for firewood, so it's a pain in the butt to work around but not a huge deal. But if these were cut for logs,What do you do with them? If you buy trees that are standing and when you cut them down they are no good, do you lose money on them? I'm talking hard woods. Would a smaller younger tree actually be worth more?

 

[northmanlogging]

Depends on how much rot and what species, cedar I'll send in with less then 25%, anything else I'll try to buck off as much as possible, usually end up losing 5-10' on hemlocks, Doug fir are pretty robust, maple is firewood unless its 24" or bigger and clean, Alder... a little stain is ok, but any rot and its firewood.

The cedars around here are pretty much going to have some rot, so its kind of a given that yer going to need to buck off the first 5' or so at times... though the last few cedar jobs I've done have been pretty good... I guess when the tops get blown out at a young age they harden up a bit?

As far as losing money, guess it depends on how you look at it. Most of my logging jobs are picking up the pieces from bad harvests 15-20 years ago, so a little rot is expected, and you lose some on the scale for defect. But if you pay attention and buck off the crusty bits and leave them behind it works out in the end, only take a few extra minutes to make a log look good to the scalers.

With a little experience and opening yer eyes a guy can learn to see the signs of witch trees are going to have rot, or other damage while cruizing a job, then its a matter of bidding accordingly, but in the end it still kinda sucks to fall a nice fatty only to have it be mostly rotten...

 

[treeslayer2003]

northy got it right, hard wood is the same way. you pretty much know with expeiriance if they good or not. small hole in a big tree don't hurt it now days but if its bad i'll block it off.

 

[066blaster]

And also for hardwoods what if you end up with a good log that is 6 or 7 foot long. Do you take it? Or leave it sit. Wasn't sure if they had to be 8 foot minimum.

 

[treeslayer2003]

i have seen 6' but not often and they were big and clean. smaller not so valuable would just be firewood.

 

[northmanlogging]

entirely depends on yer market and the mill yer taking the wood too, out here anything less than 16'10" will get you laughed at, unless its hardwood peelers then its 10' but we don't really have much hardwood...

 

[066blaster]

Just curious. I sell firewood and try to use every bit of the tree. And you guys mostly just have the trunk. I get pissed if I get a 4 foot section that is bad. Have had some where the center was bad most of the way up. Can't imagine how you feel when it happens.

 

[northmanlogging]

It sucks sure, but if and when it happens its expected and kind of rare, one crap log a day isn't so bad if the rest of what gets cut look decent, spend a day cutting garbage then I might start getting a little depressed...

 

[bnmc98]

most of the trees I get that are rotten buck out in the first 15 feet or less, rarely I get a real rotten one that's got it all the way through. Mill will take 2/3 sound but they don't like to. Some stuff isn't even good for firewood, but a lot of it can be sold for firewood.

 

[coltont]

if its a good clean log and decent diameter with over 60% good wood ill send it . if its a little questionable i get rid of it. the saw mills dont want to have to deal with any more waste wood than they already have too. o yea fire burnt timber sucks! it can be really hard to tell if it is fire burnt to begin with and the logs all seem to be hollow when its a burnt site .

 

[Gypo Logger]

Depending upon the extent of the rot and the species, rotten heart if uniform and less than 1/3 dia. can be desireable.
A veneer buyer once told me that the best grain figure was close to the rotten area.

 

[Gypo Logger]

So don't put those rotten heart logs in the cull pile. Even though heart rot is a down grade, most mills will flip your wood if your just another stupid logger.

 

[treeslayer2003]

So don't put those rotten heart logs in the cull pile. Even though heart rot is a down grade, most mills will flip your wood if your just another stupid logger.

lol, yup

 

[SliverPicker]

The most important thing to do with rotten trees when tripping them up is to run.

 

[1270d]

We can still make veneer if the hollow or rot is under 4 inches.

 

[chucker]

THIS IS WHAT A BAD TREE WILL LOOK LIKE WHEN PROCESSED AN FINDING A BAD CENTER WITHOUT KNOWING THE BEFORE HAND CONDITION... usually there will be conks, mushrooms or many larger broken limbs that have rotted off the main trunk for a picture of the inside! hollow spots in the feeder root of a bigger belled bottom will almost guarantee center rot...