Portable Sawmill Lumber or buy?

[crowbar032]

I'm not sure exactly which forum this should go, so I'll start here. Mods reclass/move as necessary. Please and thank you.

I recently had a 42x56 pole barn built. I'm adding in a partial loft to store square bales of hay (and junk). Underneath the loft will be stalls for various critters. Now to my question/dilema. On the back of the property, there are many poplar trees growing. I'm pondering having my neighbor coming over with his portable saw mill and cutting the trees up instead of buying lumber. Some of the trees have had the tops blown out by various storms and some are showing die back in the upper branches. These will be cut regardless of size, but I don't think they will produce as much lumber as I will need. The remaining "good" trees are in the 18-24 inch diameter range. What size diamater trees should I consider cutting? Is there a standard size that loggers use?

 

[20 20]

I use anything 5-6 inch to 36" diameter and what ever length I need up to 18', that is what my mill will handle. Poplar is a decent lumber if it's not rotten.

 

[crowbar032]

I use anything 5-6 inch to 36" diameter and what ever length I need up to 18', that is what my mill will handle. Poplar is a decent lumber if it's not rotten.

I just didn't know if I would be "wasting" potential growth by cutting and using them now instead of selling them later. I don't know the average stump diameter loggers cut.

 

[kf4uda]

Around here (middle TN) select cutting is considered to be 15" diameter or greater.

 

[DJ54]

The wind damaged ones may be wind shook, which can literally pull the heart loose in the tree. Still lots of usable lumber around the center cant. There could also be some stress in the wood too, but you won't know, until it is sawn on the mill. I have seen a board literally rise off the cant, as Dad sawed on his portable Wood Miser. In fact one was so bad, he took it off the mill, and waited until I got home from work to show me.

If the branches have been broken off for a while, you could also see some spalting, in the upper part of the log. This is the first stage of decay. Actually, this is high dollar lumber, if it is in the spalt stage, and not rotten. Very pretty when used as trim, paneling, door facings, etc.

Around here, local mills prefer 24" to 30" logs. Old, and large enough to produce some nice lumber, young enough to tell if there is damage, and not be hollow in the centers.

 

[newbury]

Have you discussed this with your neighbor?
Does he charge and if so how much?
Do you have equipment, room and time to store the wood for a year or two while it dries?

Who is convincing the trees to lay down? You? your neighbor?

A selective cut is always beneficial and salvaging usable lumber from it is wise. However it is expensive to do it right without harming the other trees.

For instance a low impact operation, where you cut the trees in the fall and skid them over frozen ground leaves less impact than dragging them over other tree roots and tearing up the soil.

 

[crowbar032]

Have you discussed this with your neighbor?. Does he charge and if so how much?

Yep, he offered. He has more equipment than he knows what to do with and likes to use it. I've had him do stuff for me in the past and he's been pretty reasonable on price. Haven't gotten into specifics yet. He was sawing fence posts for $1 per post for another guy.

Do you have equipment, room and time to store the wood for a year or two while it dries?

I was planning on nailing it up green. It's not a big deal to me if it separates some along the joints.

Who is convincing the trees to lay down? You? your neighbor?

That would be me. I'm planning on cutting my notch and then cutting almost through. Then, I have a Cat 953 track loader that I would take and push it over where I want it to fall. I just have to get the weather to be not blazing hot and humid.

A selective cut is always beneficial and salvaging usable lumber from it is wise. However it is expensive to do it right without harming the other trees.

For instance a low impact operation, where you cut the trees in the fall and skid them over frozen ground leaves less impact than dragging them over other tree roots and tearing up the soil.

True, but location and weather makes a difference. I believe the valuable trees to be far enough apart that I won't cause damage and I'm not worried about the honey locust trees. Also it's powder dry right now and our Indiana clay is rock hard.

 

[crowbar032]

The wind damaged ones may be wind shook, which can literally pull the heart loose in the tree. Still lots of usable lumber around the center cant. There could also be some stress in the wood too, but you won't know, until it is sawn on the mill. I have seen a board literally rise off the cant, as Dad sawed on his portable Wood Miser. In fact one was so bad, he took it off the mill, and waited until I got home from work to show me.

If the branches have been broken off for a while, you could also see some spalting, in the upper part of the log. This is the first stage of decay. Actually, this is high dollar lumber, if it is in the spalt stage, and not rotten. Very pretty when used as trim, paneling, door facings, etc.

Around here, local mills prefer 24" to 30" logs. Old, and large enough to produce some nice lumber, young enough to tell if there is damage, and not be hollow in the centers.

Good to know the size. I have several in that range. I hadn't heard about the spalting before either.

 

[20 20]

I was planning on nailing it up green. It's not a big deal to me if it separates some along the joints.

If your using the lumber for frame work nailing green is fine infact I perfer it that way.

 

[smiley]

I sawed my own poplar and sided the barn (green) in the 70's and my father built a stockade style log cabin for my son. Both are still standing and the only problem I had was a couple boards twisting loose. Poplar is good lumber as long as you keep it dry and was the preferred wood for dance floor joists as it's very springy.

 

[Birdhunter1]

Poplar would be very ideal for what you are wanting to do. I can't answer on the future growth vs. cut now question you asked but I had a guy come mill some poplar for me and I built my shop 2 years ago with it and it was great. Cut easily, soft enough to drive a nail in yet stronger than pine. To build a loft with it is a great lumber. I am not crazy about the look of poplar finished and made into household things, the wood color just doesn't tickle my fancy so I framed with it.

I also had him cut a bunch of Oak and Ash. Ash was also great to work with but good luck driving a nail in it, made for some strong walls.

 

[case245]

Poplar would be very ideal for what you are wanting to do. I can't answer on the future growth vs. cut now question you asked but I had a guy come mill some poplar for me and I built my shop 2 years ago with it and it was great. Cut easily, soft enough to drive a nail in yet stronger than pine. To build a loft with it is a great lumber. I am not crazy about the look of poplar finished and made into household things, the wood color just doesn't tickle my fancy so I framed with it.

I also had him cut a bunch of Oak and Ash. Ash was also great to work with but good luck driving a nail in it, made for some strong walls.

I WOULD JUST CUTT THE POPLAR WOOD IF ITS DRY STANDING TIMBER THEN NO WAITING FOR IT TO DRY AN NO STORAGE SPACE WASTED IF ITS UNDER 12'' CUTT IT IF OVER 12'' IF GREEN LEAVE THEM STAND THEN LATER DOWN ROAD SELL THEM WAIT TILL THEY REACH 16'' IN DIAMETER TO DO SO ITS NOT WORTH BUYING THE LUMBER I BEEN AROUND WOOD PROCESSING OF ALL TYPES 25 YRS

 

[rswyan]

Yep, he offered. He has more equipment than he knows what to do with and likes to use it. I've had him do stuff for me in the past and he's been pretty reasonable on price. Haven't gotten into specifics yet. He was sawing fence posts for $1 per post for another guy.

Send him my way ....

I just figured out that in addition to the poplar we have growing on the property, what I thought were "junk trees", are actually black locust .... I think I just found the lumber to replace the piece of **** PT lumber deck we have ....

BTW, I'm in a similar situation - coming down the home stretch on finishing up the polebarn have a bunch of poplar I could mill or have milled for dimensional lumber for inside the barn ....

I believe the valuable trees to be far enough apart that I won't cause damage and I'm not worried about the honey locust trees.

The honey locust might be the more valuable of the two .... check it out

 

[crowbar032]

The honey locust might be the more valuable of the two .... check it out

There are three types of locust. Yellow locust, black locust, and honey locust. Yellow and black make excellent fence posts and will last 30 years. Once they season, they get hard as concrete. Honey locust isn't good for anything as far as I know. It rots really fast, but the worst part about them is the thorns. I've learned painful lessons to leave something alone that will grow 6 inch long thorns in clusters all along the trunk..

 

[crowbar032]

The honey locust might be the more valuable of the two .... check it out

There are three types of locust. Yellow locust, black locust, and honey locust. Yellow and black make excellent fence posts and will last 30 years. Once they season, they get hard as concrete. Honey locust isn't good for anything as far as I know. It rots really fast, but the worst part about them is the thorns. I've learned painful lessons to leave something alone that will grow 6 inch long thorns in clusters all along the trunk..

 

[DJ54]

I love working with Poplar. One of the easiest of the hardwoods to work with. Not sure if it is the minerals in the ground in E./SE Ohio that gives it the variable colors to the wood or what, but love the way it looks. Here are some stall doors I built last summer for my new horsebarn out of some of it.

 

[crowbar032]

Very nice. I like those. Mine won't be as fancy, but I hope to do something similar for my goats.

 

[crowbar032]

I WOULD JUST CUTT THE POPLAR WOOD IF ITS DRY STANDING TIMBER THEN NO WAITING FOR IT TO DRY AN NO STORAGE SPACE WASTED IF ITS UNDER 12'' CUTT IT IF OVER 12'' IF GREEN LEAVE THEM STAND THEN LATER DOWN ROAD SELL THEM WAIT TILL THEY REACH 16'' IN DIAMETER TO DO SO ITS NOT WORTH BUYING THE LUMBER I BEEN AROUND WOOD PROCESSING OF ALL TYPES 25 YRS

Thanks. I believe that I will have enough over 16" diamater to finish up what I want to do. It's just nice to have a few guidelines so I don't do something not too smart.

 

[DJ54]

Thanks... Here is another picture of the inside of one of the stalls. More Poplar, planed to 7/8", ship lapped, and screwed to walls. I put two coats of Thompson's waterseal on it, for a finish. Did this in my present barn almost 12 years ago, and holding up real well.

 

[rswyan]

There are three types of locust. Yellow locust, black locust, and honey locust.

Really ?

I think you are confused - black locust is sometimes (commonly) referred to as "yellow locust" ....

AFAIK, there is no separate and unique genus and species recognized as "yellow locust" ....

And I believe that both black locust and honey locust leaves can, and do, turn yellow under certain circumstances.

Yellow and black make excellent fence posts and will last 30 years. Once they season, they get hard as concrete. Honey locust isn't good for anything as far as I know. It rots really fast, but the worst part about them is the thorns.

Like I said, you may want to check into it ....

Scope out this paper from the US Department of Agriculture, US Forest Service for starters:

Gleditsia triacanthos

Part of the reference sourcing for the uses of honey locust for that paper come from the American Forestry Association.

From the above publication:

"Honey-locust wood is dense, hard, coarse-grained, strong, stiff, shock-resistant, takes a high polish, and is durable in contact with soil [11,14,16,22,42]. Honey-locust wood is used locally for posts, pallets, crates, general construction, furniture, interior finish, turnery, and firewood [8,36]. It is useful, but is too scarce to be of economic importance [8]."

I've learned painful lessons to leave something alone that will grow 6 inch long thorns in clusters all along the trunk..

Understandable .... but I promise that reading about it won't hurt .... :thumbsup: