Lightning damage

[bandmiller2]

I was doing a little timber crusing this afternoon,and was surprised at the number of struck pines.Some just show streaks down the bark outhers blown apart.I've tried to mill them in the past to little avail,now I don't even bother trying.It just seems to delaminate them around the growth rings.Have any of you had any luck milling them??  Frank C.

[Magicman]

I mill quite a few each year.  An old strike that has "healed" over will be pitchy.  Trees that were killed by the strike may experience damage as you described, especially toward the top.  I turn the logs so that the "streak" will be slabbed off.  Normally the rest will be OK.



This was a lightning killed SYP that produced 2781 bf of scaled lumber.  I don't turn them down... ;D

[Don K]

This may sound bad but I love lightning season. I go on the prowl after a bad storm looking for struck trees. That is 90% of my lumber. I have 2 to take down this week.

Don

[Magicman]

This may sound bad 

Don't sound bad......Sounds like money to me.......    

[kelLOGg]

Before I got my mill I felled a lightning damaged pine and a friend milled it for me. Only a strip of bark was blown off; the lumber was OK.

[sigidi]

A nice pair of logs there Magicman 8)

[bandmiller2]

Lightning is pretty unpredictable stuff,glad you guys have better luck than I,possibly white pine has more water than SYP.Older strikes seem to be full of carpenter ants.Frank C.

[pineywoods]

I have cut lots of lightening killed pine. Most of the time, the butt cut is hard as concrete, rest of the logs OK. Sometimes the lumber will have some beautiful red streaks. For decades, the accepted method locally for re-seeding clearcuts has been to leave a few big seed trees spaced out over the clearcut. Lightening usually gets them. Loggers don't want them for various reasons, so they can usually be obtained for free. Three big ones in my log yard now. Not a scrap of bark left, but sound as fresh cut pine.