Accurate scaling of long logs---best method?

[beenthere]

cedarman
I think that was very well said, and applies to many questions asked on the Forum about price, and what others are getting (or paying) that is fair.

Good that you included the log sweep comment, as that will likely be quite an important factor.

[SwampDonkey]

2" sweep is usually the cut off here for most big outfits.

[beenthere]

2" sweep is usually the cut off here for most big outfits.

2" in 40' is not bad...2" in 8' is a bit much....

[Rocky_Ranger]

Tillaway and Ron both have it the way I'd do it, I used to scale Eastside/20'max mill deck but we could scale truck lengths too.  Scale rules still in effect and on-line somewhere.  It's fair to all, millions upon millions of board feet of timber been "settled" by that method.

[SwampDonkey]

2" in 40' is not bad...2" in 8' is a bit much....

24's as I recall. It's not that bad actually. Worst on small diameter stuff of course. I remember when cutting softwood logs we always tried to get 24's because it was better money. Some trees we could get two 24's and a 16'. Softwood veneer they always wanted 16'6" minimum and 2 foot increments there after with 14" top min. We never cut any that size here in my day. I only seen it a couple places and it was red spruce, some couldn't go because of shake or spiral grain. Trees were too old. Can't win for loosing.

What got me was the requirement of 4" trim on 4' pulp. It's just pulp, so they always got 8% free wood on every stick. And they use the bark to for the boilers, every morsel. That's another discussion.

[maineframer]

Cedarman--- how do you figure I am looking for "non-standard items"? We are not talking about a custom manufactured product here----just trees, pretty standard no frills. I belive it all boils down to the buyer and the woodcutters mutual deal satisfaction.

[SwampDonkey]

Like the time a customer wanted teepee poles. 22 foot long, 1" at the small end.

Had a guy from PA just this last summer, who was looking for just the same. He wanted black spruce, but no one has any nearby. Those are mostly east of here, the odd pocket around in swamps with cedar, but no one cutting.

As maineframer says, there is nothing out of the ordinary about long softwood logs. The problem might be in larger diameter long logs, those are a premium for sure. You either got them or not. 

[SwampDonkey]

Possibly not beenthere. We are talking tree length and the main factor to where it's bucked is top diameter and minimum length is usually 12 feet. Some mills specify 1, 2 or 4 foot increments above the 12', others it don't matter. Usually random length. I know there is probably a question to what you do with < 12' and under 3" stuff. But, actually no different than a pulp mill saying nothing under 3" top. What do ya do with the 2.5" stuff?

You can browse some specs here.

http://ysc.nb.ca/PRICELIST.html

[Furby]

We are not talking about a custom manufactured product here----just trees, pretty standard no frills.

You are buying logs, not trees.
Here are two definitions of "product" from wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn that I belive fit.

An artifact that has been created by someone or some process; "they improve their product every year"; "they export most of their agricultural production"

A consequence of someone's efforts or of a particular set of circumstances; "skill is the product of hours of practice"; "his reaction was the product of hunger and fatigue"

[SwampDonkey]

Just a matter of semantics really. But really, in the end tree length is a pretty standard product with many mills around here, even hemlock tree length. Sit down by the coffee shop in Smyrna Mills and watch the hemlock tree length role by.  In the end it's between the buyer and his logger to work it out. The real request here is to figure a fair way to scale.

[Cedarman]

 Maineframer, the reason that I said customized product is that you are asking the logger to cut to the lengths you specify.  When a customer calls me and asks for certain lengths, I am customizing the order to fit his needs.

The reason I said non-standard is that you said the logger wasn't certain how to measure the logs.  I figured if the logger didn't know how to do tree length, then it was not something done in your area.

Hope that explains the reasoning behind my answers.

[Dave Shepard]

SwampDonkey, what is the hemlock used for in your area? The only hemlock dimension lumber I've ever seen is in my garage, which was built around 1970. I think it is an underappreciated wood.


Dave

[SwampDonkey]

Pulpwood mostly. It was used in barns and homes years ago, but doesn't seem to hold up against rot as well as spruce. We have a lot of shake, so it's not often sawed for lumber. Although, I have seen Crabbe saw some out sometimes. But, it's kind of like oak around here in my location, very small quantities. But in other areas, there is all kinds and no market handy enough. They don't pay much for hemlock, you can go broke quick logging it if that's all you cut.

[BBTom]

I use the standing tree tables.  I will try to attach the one I use.  It isn't perfect, but I find it comes real close.  Just measure the diameter 4- 5' from the butt of the log, then measure how many 16' logs in length.  Use this chart to find Board Footage