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What to do with this tree?

Started by bmill, January 01, 2008, 08:49:17 AM

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bmill

 The oak tree pictured below is dead. To my very untrained eye, it looks solid and I assume it's been dead for a relatively short period of time. I'm guessing it holds two cords of firewood if I cut it up. Around here hardwood is going for about $150-$185 per cord. So let's say $300 value in firewood. Would I be wasting a sawyers time to have him come out and see if it's worth anything for milling. I hate it when people waste my time, so I thought I'd start here (probably wasting your time :) :)).

I have the ability to transport this to a mill. I'm guessing that even if it's "good" for milling, that it probably isn't worth $300. This is one of those general questions, so some general answers would be welcomed.

If this is a dumb question, let me know so I can delete the post before everybody wakes up!


Thanks

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Don K

This is my opinion from a first glance at the pic. Looks like to me that you might have a 8 foot maybe 10 foot log in that tree. I base that on the you sitting on the 4-wheeler next to it. It may have some good clear boards in it, but anything above that would be sketchy at best due to amount of limbs. If it were my tree and it was sound enough to saw down and I had a saw capable of handling the job, I would mill the first log and cut the rest into firewood. I'm not saying that is what you should do as I am not there to look at the tree and not a tree removal expert. Every situation is different just like you will get a lot of different answers to this post which is not a dumb post as the only dumb question to me is the one that is never asked.

I have a mill so cutting the log up would be a logical choice for me. If you want the boards for woodworking projects or such it might be worth the expense of the sawing.  I probably danced all around your question without telling you anything useful, but I just got up and my first cup of coffee is sitting here cooling enough to drink. I am not myself this moment. :D :D ;)

Don
Lucky to own a WM LT40HDD35, blessed to have a wife that encouraged me to buy it.     Now that\'s true love!
Massey Ferguson 1547 FWD with FEL  06 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4X4 Dozer Retriever Husky 359 20\" Bar  Man, life is getting good!

Gary_C

That looks like a Bur Oak and there is very little chance it is not still so hard that you will need a very sharp chain on your saw to cut it down. Assuming you have the knowledge to take that tree down safely, go ahead and cut it and save a log from that lower section to have sawed. Bur Oak is part of the white oak family and the wood is considered white oak.

I stress that you must know how to fell that tree safely and can preserve the log for sawing. An 8 or 10 foot log off that tree will be a load to pick up for all but the largest loaders.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

DWM II

Quote from: Don K on January 01, 2008, 09:30:38 AM

I probably danced all around your question without telling you anything useful, but I just got up and my first cup of coffee is sitting here cooling enough to drink. I am not myself this moment. :D :D ;)

Don

I think you did pretty good considerin the circumstances.  :D
I agree with Don and Gary. ;)
Donnie
Stewardship Counts!

bmill

 I appreciate the replies an will heed your inputs. I have a friend who will cut it down, this tree is out of my league to safely cut down. I'll read up on how to store the trunk and carve up the rest for firewood. There is pretty good access to this section of my land so getting in and out is relatively easy.

Thanks.

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Norm

You'll get plenty of firewood out of the top and one sawlog from the base. Bur oak is one of my favorite woods to build with even if it is hard as a rock. Q-sawn will show the ray flecks and you'll still get plenty of rift and flat sawn in the process. The tricky part is drying it. White oak is the worst wood to dry properly. My suggestion would be have the log milled, sticker it in an enclosed unheated shed. The cold weather will allow it to air dry slowly to minimize degrade. By the time warm weather comes along it'll be dry enough to handle the heat. By this fall you'll have it down to around 10% moisture level.

rebocardo

> Would I be wasting a sawyers time

Yes, get it on the ground first.

Then if you have a 9+ foot butt section that is good then bring the log to them. One thing that might have promise for something unusual is that bend about 25+ feet off the ground that goes to the right near the top. If you could make slabs from that, it might make an interesting bar top.

I would see about some wood from the first crotch on the left about 18 feet up.

If at all possible, knowing you want sawn wood from it, I would try to drop all the lower limbs first with a pole saw, especially that third one up one the right, and try to drop it the way it is leaning.

Just how I would do it to max. the wood if I wanted to work with it.


simonmeridew

Looks like firewood  to me , but whatever you do, watch out for hardware, staples, horseshoes, wire etc. in the lower log. If you fell it without limbing, I bet it'll end up horizontal but 8 feet in the air and lots of stresses and compression in the branches and lots of high weight in the logs. You're wise to be careful
simonmeridew
Kubota L4400, Farmi 351

woodmills1

yes one log

not a real good one

I am with you on there is probably metal, just looks like a good canditate for trash

lotta firewood above the log
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Ianab

Yup, I see a sawlog in there as well. (And a decent stack of firewood) Not a perfect log maybe, but if you have the means to get it down and sawn then it's probably worth it just for the experience.

You will learn a lot, about felling trees, dealing with the mess of limbs that sort of tree leaves you with, then seeing your own log sawn, drying it, then using it to make something.

If you just put a dollar value on it, then saw it up for firewood. But if you want to saw and use your own wood for a project, then go for it. You might be up for a bit of hard work and a few extra dollars for saw blades if you find metal in there, but thats about the worst that should happen ;)

I've sawn MUCH uglier logs  :D

Cheers

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Greg

Quote from: bmill on January 01, 2008, 08:49:17 AM
The oak tree pictured below is dead. To my very untrained eye, it looks solid and I assume it's been dead for a relatively short period of time. I'm guessing it holds two cords of firewood if I cut it up. Around here hardwood is going for about $150-$185 per cord. So let's say $300 value in firewood. Would I be wasting a sawyers time to have him come out and see if it's worth anything for milling. I hate it when people waste my time, so I thought I'd start here (probably wasting your time :) :)).

I have the ability to transport this to a mill. I'm guessing that even if it's "good" for milling, that it probably isn't worth $300. This is one of those general questions, so some general answers would be welcomed.

If this is a dumb question, let me know so I can delete the post before everybody wakes up!


Thanks



Ditto to the other posts, one sub par log for milling. Only worthwhile if you have a need/use for the lumber.

I would bet there is quite a bit more than 2 cords of firewood in there...

Greg

Furby

What is the horizontal line around the tree about halfway up?

mike_van

Furby, thats the "high stump cut line" for guys that hate to bend over   :D   SHould be a log there, if it's cut close to the ground - May be hollow too!  I've got this big white oak to start on Sat., twisted off in a storm this past summer - It looked good, but was hollow for 10' - 15' All firewood now.
I was the smartest 16 year old I ever knew.

bmill

 That is a piece of ribbon my wife wrapped around dead trees during the summer. I thought it was a waste of time, but it does help.
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Riles

Ah, I was wondering how you knew it was dead, as you sat there surrounded by snow.
Knowledge is good -- Faber College

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