DIY logging – or working hard to throw money away.

[maineframer]

I didn't Know loggers "manufactured" logs!?

[beenthere]

I didn't Know loggers "manufactured" logs!?

Yep, pretty accurate description of what they do...some better than others.

[Cedarman]

And when we get tree length logs at the mill we merchandize them.

[ID4ster]

Well loggers are supposed to manufacture logs. More money is lost at the landing by the poor bucking (manufacturing) of logs than in any other part of the operation. Too often a logger will put his most inexperienced man on the landing and expect them to trim, measure and buck the logs for the maximum scale and grade. The mill wants and expects a certain quality log for the price it pays. A log that comes into the mill yard that has a snipe on one end, pig ears along the entire length or on one side, a slant buck on the other end and an under trimmed length is going to cost more for the mill to manufacture or will lessen the amount that they can recover from the log. Crook, excessive sweep or crotches left in the log are also signs of poor manufacture and of the professionalism of the logger. The mills out here have even run classes on the importance and how to manufacture a good log. I insist on quality manufacturing from the loggers on the sales that I administer since the quality will be reflected in the price that the landowner receives for the logs. If the logger can't or won't manufacture a good quality log than he'll be off my sale forever. Its part of what they are supposed to do and if they can't do it than they should get out of the business and the way of those that can.

[Woodhog]

How to sell inferior logs:

Sell by weight as they dont pay much attention to scaling methods, usually they have laid off most of the scalers.

When bucking leave porcupine scars in the middle so the ends still look
good when they are loaded on the truck.

Pile on landing so that the trucker can put the rotted butts end up against the headboard.

If its winter try to put large pieces of ice etc in the load.

Try to get the trucker to deliver after dark when the light is bad and they are getting ready to go home for the day, or early in the morning before the main yard crew all all working.

Any logs that are cut a bit to short or have crooks try to put in the middle of the pile.

Leave a few pieces of some heavy species that they dont saw to throw up on top of the load.

Try to mix a few double top logs in with the load in the middle.

Dont trim the root swell off all your logs....

Always mix in a few undersized  on the small end logs in the middle of the load.

Be on very good terms with your trucker, preferably one who used to log or still logs
and is being paid on ton/miles....


 

[ARKANSAWYER]

  Never 'nowed any loggers to "manufacture" in these parts?  Seen a few butchers turn loggers by the way the logs are hacked up.
  They went to weight here about 8 years ago.  The mills put in scales and said measure the logs and mark each 9' 6" length on the log and leave a 10 inch top.  Then the KB loader just unloads and runs the logs through the slasher.  Faster and ther logger is paid a check when they leave the yard.  Do not have to wait for the load to be scaled and bucked for  the best cut.  They are bringing in some real crap now and mills are losing money.  I buy just better logs and scale the most part of them.  Last load was weighed and came in whole tree.  I wrote a check for $45 a ton for 28.9 ton.  I loaded up the junk when bucking off and took it to the scale up the road and it was 2.49 ton.  So I lost $112 on the load by weight.  But I scaled the load and paying the going scale rate it came to $1,617 which was $317 more then I paid for the whole load by weight plus I can sell the 2.49 ton of fire wood.  The Logger could have cleaned up the load and cut the junk out and got 3 more ton on the load and had me scale it and made more money for the effort.  So Yep! he got one over on me.

[SwampDonkey]

Because the quantities here are so small for hardwood logs, each stick is scaled and spread out to be looked at for quality. Softwood logs are sometimes scales or bought on weight here. Scalers are licensed here so there are scaling rules, most use NB log scale. Some prefer Bangor rule, better scale for the logger it seems. Some mills give choice, weight or scale rule. But, you see why most of the loggers here don't bother hardwood logs unless they are in some real good cutting, not enough log volume to cover costs. So they let the marketing board do the bucking and scaling for the best market. It has been mentioned before here, that it is hard to retain good cutters. They are about as loyal as welders, who movefrom one outfit to another on the circuit.

I don't have any troubles with my thinning crew and I end up thinning out the bad seed. The good ones stay and although I have advertized, most call me for a job through someone else. I ain't too hard on them, but I got standards and minimum production levels or it's time to find another career.