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Can red pine logs be used for log cabins.

Started by jeryst, January 30, 2006, 12:25:42 AM

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jeryst

I have quite a bit of what I have been told is red pine on my property in western PA. They are probably 40 feet tall, and most are in the 8-10 inch range although I've seen some as big as 14 inches, and as small as 6 inches. They are proabably around 50 years old, and straight as arrows. Can these be used as building logs, or are they too small? Can they be used for anything else, like flooring? Does anyone know where I may be able to market them? A good number of them have to be cleared because I want to build a house there.

Minnesota_boy

Depending on how straight they are, how much they taper, and how many limbs they have, they may be useable for utility poles, or they could be sawn out for pole barn poles ready to dry and treat.  Smaller diameter trees will still make lumber but it may want to warp or twist more than older trees.
I eat a high-fiber diet.  Lots of sawdust!

barbender

   Most handcrafted log builders use logs that are 16" and bigger- yours are too small for that purpose, but if there are any companies that produce milled log homes they often use 8-10" wood. Also, the stud mill I sell pine to takes bolts down to a 6" top.  If I was cutting your wood that is what I would do with it, provided there is a local mill that takes it.
Too many irons in the fire

jeryst

The trees are perfectly straight, with no branches until the top quarter or so. They have a very gradual taper. When I measured some of them, I measured them at eye-height. I'm not good at estimating height, but they may even be 60 feet, because I had a building put up, which is probably 25 feet at the tip, and the trees look to be at least twice as high. How would I go about finding a stud mill? All of the mills that I am familiar with only deal in hardwoods.

barbender

  Talk to a local logger or forester to find out what markets there are in your area.
Too many irons in the fire

Camp Run Farm

Are you going to build a timber frame house?  I have a pretty good stand of Red Pine also and I was wondering what I could do with some of them, I am going to just thin them out.

Ed

kboilers

Red pine works great.  My logs are 10/9 inch butt and 7/8 inch tip, so it's going to take 12 or 13 rounds to get to an 8 foot wall height.  I agree with barbender on log size.  If I build again, I'll try to get larger logs.  Less logs/less work to get your wall height.  The nice thing about smaller logs is they're lighter.  I'm able to use a log arch to move the logs around and ramps and rope to get the logs up on the wall.  Not sure how I'm going to do the roof, but I've still got time to figure it out.


UNCLEBUCK

 This cabin was all red pine , the purlins are 70 foot long full length trees . I liked crooked logs and ugly logs because they ended up being the prettiest . I would gladly take any logs down to about 12 inches on the tip and make a cabin. The only factor I considered is about 1-R for every inch diameter so a 12 inch average gives a r-12 but even when a cabin with 8 inch average diameter has a woodstove chuggin it feels like florida inside and outside its 30 below zero. I would give anything to be in your shoes jeryst . Find a cheap old truck crane or a small track crane at a auction for setting logs . I paid 1,000$ for this one and no hydraulics to settle or worry about just good old mechanical and safe so you can dog it off and shut it off and come back next week and its exactly where you left it.. Can always get your money back when your cabin is done . If someone gave me a big whack of 8 inch red pine logs even 16 footers I would not bat a eye at starting building a cabin tomorrow with it .
This cabin is now over 20 years old and the wood is like iron if I drive a nail in it or try to pull the nail out . At log home building school the sauna was made of 6 inch red pine and it was always so hot we would run for our lives and dive into the snowbanks but never staying in the snowbank very long so nobody got bit by snowsnakes





UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

UNCLEBUCK

 I guess if you put a conventional roof on or trusses made of 8 inch average a crane is not necessary but its inexpensive peace of mind because when trusses are on the ground they dont look like much but stand them up in the wind and shut the crane off and get out and tie aircraft cables on and get the next truss and so on a cheap old crane really cant be beat . Boy have I got the log bug tonight or what !




UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

jpgreen

UncleBuck,

Do you have a closer picture of your crane?  What make and model is it.  Is it a truck crane or the track type?

Thanks,

JP
-95 Wood-Mizer LT40HD 27 Hp Kawasaki water cooled engine-

UNCLEBUCK

 I think I got some in my photo gallery jp , its a 25 ton bay city truck crane - diesels .  I paint it every now and then with a paint brush  :D
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

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