iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

market for 2-6 DBH aspen poles

Started by Max sawdust, October 28, 2006, 02:41:11 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Max sawdust

Hello all,
I have a job this winter cleaning up a woodlot.  The owner wants all of the young Aspen removed.  I need to cut a couple thousand 2-6" DBH Aspen.  (On an hourly rate ;D)  He wants to release the young maple and white pine that form the under story.

Minimum size for pulp is 4" tops so much of this can not be sold for pulp.  I was wondering if any one heard of a market for aspen poles for the rustic furniture business?

If not I guess it all gets piled for burning :-[

max
True Timbers
Cedar Products-Log & Timber Frame Building-Milling-Positive Impact Forestscaping-Cut to Order Lumber

thecfarm

I can't help you with the market.but I would hate to burn all of that.I would just cut the limbs off and saw them one every 2-3 feet so they lay on the ground as much as posssible.I would do the same thing with the trees too.Aspen should rot fast.I cut my limbs up and what I don't want and it is well on it's way to being gone in even 3 years.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Max sawdust

If it were my land that's what I would do.  It would make the job easy for me too ;D  I could just brush the stuff up where it falls.  It will take some effort to talk the land owner into this though.  He wants the stuff out ???
max
True Timbers
Cedar Products-Log & Timber Frame Building-Milling-Positive Impact Forestscaping-Cut to Order Lumber

thecfarm

He's paying by the hour,as long as the money holds out,he can tell you to do it how ever he wants it done.I suppose you will be hauling every thing out to be burned?
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Max sawdust

 :D :D
No they have a plan on a big Bonn fire ;D  (I will even get free beer if I attend ;D)
max
True Timbers
Cedar Products-Log & Timber Frame Building-Milling-Positive Impact Forestscaping-Cut to Order Lumber

Furby

What about chipping them for hog fuel or mulch?

Ron Wenrich

I think I would opt for the free beer, and take some hot dogs.   smiley_beertoast  Your handling costs might be higher than the product value.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Gary_C

I would still cut it for pulp as most mills do not care if you go down to 2 inches. But it all depends on how many 8 ft sticks per tree. Also, aspen does not taper fast so most of the tree will be OK.

Even with the pulp markets down, you should be able to get $85 per cord.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Ron Scott

If the landowner wants the area "cleaned up', I would take out as much pulpwood as feasible and chip the rest. As Gary C said, there may be some small size pulpwood in the stand to market.
~Ron

Max sawdust

Thanks,
I will  try and sell as much of it as pulp as possible..(Land owner will pay by the hour so if I can sell a truck load or two that would be great.  What I can not brush up to meet the landowners needs I will skid to the burn pile.  (They like an annual winter fire to throw a party by ;D)

Apparently no one has found a market for rustic furniture makers :-[  Thought that would be a great outlet for the smaller aspen sticks.  (I guess they can cut all they need with a handsaw or cleaning up after the beavers :D)
max
True Timbers
Cedar Products-Log & Timber Frame Building-Milling-Positive Impact Forestscaping-Cut to Order Lumber

Coon

Why wouldn't you cut everything that will not go for pulp into firewood.  Aspen makes for some nice burning firewood.  We use alot of it in these parts for heating purposes.  Just make sure you split it in half if it is going for firewood and is bigger than about 4" diameter or it'll go punky on you.  Around here aspen sells for $100/ cord and up.  If you wait until it is frozen  it splits very nice.

Brad.

Hope you got it all figured out by now though
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

Sprucegum

I second the firewood motion.

Aspen makes a nice showy fire without getting too hot  :D

JimBuis

It's a shame you cannot create your own market.  Here in Japan there are many houses and other buildings that used round stock such as that for rafters.  I have even seen houses with tile roofs that are held up by those spindly poles.  They would seem to not be strong enough. However, when they are close together, they will hold a lot of weight.

Maybe you ought to start making rustic furniture.

Jim
Jim Buis                             Peterson 10" WPF swingmill

SwampDonkey

He's going to have one mighty pile of kindling wood.  ;D

It wouldn't be too bad in a kitchen stove, but in a furnace? It wouldn't even get hot enough to make the fan come on. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

thecfarm

Aspen,is that something like poplar?I cleaned up an old pasture and I burned that for at least half a winter in my wood boiler.Was about 6-8 inch stuff.Burned great,I would get a better burn from maple,but it burned and a few times I had to open the doors.Got a little too warm.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

OneWithWood

Aspen is in the same family as cottonwood, burns like paper if it is dry.  If it is punky it just creates a lot of foul smelling smoke.

Poplar is in the magnolia family, burns hot and fast.  Similar to sassafrass without the pleasant fragrance.
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

SwampDonkey

Up in Maine and the Maritimes though, aspen = poplar = popple. Can get cornfusing on the forum at times.  :-\
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Coon

You're not kidding Swamp.  It's the same around here.

Brad.
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

Max sawdust

Wow Thanks guys,
Ya Aspen (quaking and big tooth) are often called Poplar around here too.

Firewood, Hmmm interesting thought, never seen it for sale as fire wood around here.  We have soooo much Red Oak, people get spoiled with what they burn.  It does make real nice camp fire wood when dry ;)  Burns fast with lots of nice flame, so it would be nice in an open fireplace where heat is not the main intention.

My brother has made some temporary out buildings for storing firewood and lumber out of Aspen poles.  They seem to be holding up well. 

I think I will peel a few poles and try to find a market (or create it) with some of the rustic furniture people.

Thanks again for the input...
Max
True Timbers
Cedar Products-Log & Timber Frame Building-Milling-Positive Impact Forestscaping-Cut to Order Lumber

thecfarm

Someone down the road made a shed out of 8 inch poplar.They peeled it and chinched the cracks with something.Still standing tall today.The trees that I cut would of made nice building materials for someone.These were straight and tall.Now the ones that grow below the lower field look like a catus. They grow up 20-30 feet and the top breaks off and than they grow an arm out like a catus on top.Differant type of soil I guess.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

SwampDonkey

It has been my experience that the original 'seed crop' of aspen most often times is far more healthier than second growth from suckers. This isn't true 100 % of the time, but most of the time. I have aspen here by the house that never gets bigger than 8 inches before the canker diseases kill it off. Down at lower elevations, not far away, I measured some over 2 feet in diameter last winter and 77 feet tall.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

thecfarm

The orginal seed crop would of been at the lower end of the field.This has always been woods.The pasture that I cut off just came into poplar and is about 800 feet away uphill and across the road.This was a field where we use to keep the pigs in the cornor.The grape vines were so big I had to cut the vines to fall the trees.The vines would hold the trees up.I do have one now about 2 feet through just below the house.I want to use this for my wife's pantry.I did have some others up in the woods too.These were good size trees too.Kinda like balma gidden.My spelling may not be the best on the type it was.The bark looked a lot like red oak at a quick glance.This is an old type of tree.Like the pumpkin pine that grew around here at one time.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Coon

Watch those really big aspen trees.  They often tend to look like they would make really nice saw logs until you look at the wood inside.  Alot of times they will be punky as h&!! and won't even make very good firewood.  What you need to look for is ones that have kinda like a white chalk type film on the outside of the bark.  This tends to tell you that the tree is mature and in good health.

Brad.
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

SwampDonkey

balma gidden = balm-of-gilead    That's ok, I also hear balma giliard to ;)

The bark color varies Coon, as does the quality of the trees. The ones that are dying off here at 8 inches have that white bark here on the ridge. The healthy ones are a light green, or green with a pink hue if largetoothed, with white blotches here. When dad cut in '84 the popple was chalk white inside, now the remnants are full of conk and probably hollow, but they are over 90 years old now. The new suckers don't look very healthy, a lot of cankers after 10 years. Just when you think a few are going to be nice, you come back in three years to see a big canker girdling some of them.  :-\
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Max sawdust

Quote from: Coon on November 08, 2006, 09:55:02 PM
Watch those really big aspen trees.  They often tend to look like they would make really nice saw logs until you look at the wood inside.  Alot of times they will be punky as h&!! and won't even make very good firewood.  What you need to look for is ones that have kinda like a white chalk type film on the outside of the bark.  This tends to tell you that the tree is mature and in good health.
Brad.

Ya whether an Aspen is "solid" or not is a real craps shoot :D 
Around here it seems that 6 out of 10 will have a solid butt log or two and then have a section of rot before becoming solid again.

It is my understanding that the white/green (smooth) bark areas are more related to the tree's maturity.  I suppose you could relate that to good health since Aspen have shorter life spans so once mature their is a greater chance for rot. ???
(Correct me if I am wrong)

max
True Timbers
Cedar Products-Log & Timber Frame Building-Milling-Positive Impact Forestscaping-Cut to Order Lumber

Thank You Sponsors!