iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Ash qustion?

Started by Mt406, March 10, 2014, 12:36:01 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Mt406

Last summer the town I live in cut down many mature ash trees. and gave them away as fire wood.
I talked to a tree board member and asked did they ever think of turning them into lumber that could come back as something use full to the city. She said she would think about it and bring it up with the rest of the board.
I got a call this afternoon and the massage said they would like to here my ideas. The meeting is tomorrow  afternoon.
I am now looking for ideas FAST.
I just moved here 9 months ago so I am the new guy. I would like to help the town. But cant afford to give my time away.
I am thinking if I don't charge for my service or charge enough they will expect next time. and I know there will be trash metal.
I guess my question is what are good uses for these logs and what may be a fair way to charge for my services.

thanks for any ideas

Scott

PS  the six logs I looked at were nice 16-20 inch butts 10-14 ft  long.   

LeeB

Ask them what they plan to do with the lumber and go from there. You only intend to do the milling correct? Quote your normal milling fee. If they don't want to pay, then they may give you the logs. They were giving it away for firewood before.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Ianab

Well I think they are already giving them away (as firewood)

What's the local woodworking scene like? Put the best logs up for bidding, and hand out your card to get them sawn? A lot of woodworkers might like a pile of "log run" Ash, but have no practical way of getting it.

I guess the logistics is what you need to work out. Are the logs at a yard where they are being cut into firewood? Can you set up the mill there, and folks haul off rough sawn lumber instead of firewood?

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

xlogger

I've got a 6 ft ash logs that a logger gave me awhile back. Not sure what to do with it. Was thinking about cutting it into live edge 2" slabs. What you guys do with ash?
Timberking 2000, Turbo slabber Mill, 584 Case, Bobcat 773, solar kiln, Nyle L-53 DH kiln

Chuck White

Ash would make good, and strong slab benches and tables.

If they would be exposed to the weather you'd have to weather-proof it!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

terrifictimbersllc

A lot of Thomas Moser furniture is made of contrasting cherry and ash:   http://www.thosmoser.com/category/stools/product/1921/crescent_high_stool/
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

36 coupe

Quote from: Mt406 on March 10, 2014, 12:36:01 AM
Last summer the town I live in cut down many mature ash trees. and gave them away as fire wood.
I talked to a tree board member and asked did they ever think of turning them into lumber that could come back as something use full to the city. She said she would think about it and bring it up with the rest of the board.
I got a call this afternoon and the massage said they would like to here my ideas. The meeting is tomorrow  afternoon.
I am now looking for ideas FAST.
I just moved here 9 months ago so I am the new guy. I would like to help the town. But cant afford to give my time away.
I am thinking if I don't charge for my service or charge enough they will expect next time. and I know there will be trash metal.
I guess my question is what are good uses for these logs and what may be a fair way to charge for my services.

thanks for any ideas
Buy the logs.Finished oak lumber sells for 4.50 a board foot here.I made all the door and window and door trim for my daughter and son in laws house.Oak was 3.50 but he got kd rough ash for 1.00 a foot.You cant tell the difference between ash and oak when its finished.Its foolish to make firewood out of logs.My scale stick says a 14 foot log 18 in on the small end has 200 board feet in it.1/4 in saw kerf.
Scott.Price kd rough ash boards it you can find them.

PS  the six logs I looked at were nice 16-20 inch butts 10-14 ft  long.   

dboyt

The city probably won't want to part with any money.  If you have use for some of the lumber, see if you can mill on shares.  Might consider 50/50 if they bring the logs to you, 60/40 if you have to get them.  I'm trying to work out a similar arrangement.
Norwood MX34 Pro portable sawmill, 8N Ford, Lewis Winch

Ocklawahaboy

Do you have a community space, such as a civic center or heritage museum that might look nice with ash paneling?

Chuck White

I wouldn't think that the town would have a problem giving some of their take-downs to sawyers and some to those who need firewood!

A little for everyone!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Mt406

Thanks for the input I was thinking on the same lines.
Meeting is at 7 tonight I will let you know what happens.

Thanks

Scott

reride82

Maybe you could mill on shares, with their share going to the high school wood shop for projects to benefit the City. For example: book cases in the library, trophy cases for the schools, Benches for parks, Plaques for awards, etc. Maybe you should call the high school wood shop teacher and get his/her opinion on this as well. The only problem I see with this is the drying portion of this production. You could do this with all of the city's discarded wood. Or you could try to get it for free and offer your slabs as firewood from your sawing. I believe Dillon has a wood bank, is that who sawed it up for firewood before?

Levi
'Do it once, do it right'

'First we shape our buildings, then our buildings shape us'
Living life on the Continental Divide in Montana

Mt406

Update.
The tree board meeting went well the logs I looked at were spoken for, one of the members already gave them away without telling the others.
They never though of the value of what they were giving away or what could be made out of them.
The price we came up with was .50 a ft if I haul the logs and saw. (and dealing with trash metal)
They asked if I was interested in some big spruce and maple they would be cutting in spring.
I said yes. I don't discriminate I will saw almost any thing.  :)
All in all it was a good meeting. The board is looking for wood worker to use the wood and talking to the high school wood shop.
A better end than up in smoke as fire wood.

Thanks for ideas

Scott   

Ianab

Good that they have a positive attitude. Often it's that people just don't realise there are options for dealing with these logs.

Worth contacting the school directly and working with them? Maybe they could build a solar kiln as a "project". That way they would be able to dry wood in a sensible time frame, and have students taking material from a standing tree to a finished project in a few months? Cost savings on the wood should cover the cost of the kiln over maybe a year? Even if they don't work with you in the future, they can still buy green lumber from any local mill, and dry it, while teaching the students about wood drting as part of the course?

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

backwoods sawyer

The local high school wood shop uses the auto motive paint booth for drying wood, just kick on the fans and no heat, they had trouble with the wood drying to fast so only run the fans after school hours
Backwoods Custom Milling Inc.
100% portable. . Oregons largest portable sawmill service, serving all of Oregon, from our Backwoods to yours..sawing since 1991

hardtailjohn

Man, I'd love some ash..but you can't find it up here!  It's great for eveners and single trees for horse drawn stuff...and it makes great sleigh and carriage parts. 
John
I'm so far behind, I think I'm ahead!

36 coupe

Ash does not weather well.White oak is a better wood for buggy and sleigh parts.

petefrom bearswamp

Ash is used here for hay wagon racks and lasts many years.
Scott, stopped in Dillon several years ago on my way to Great falls and had a nice lunch.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

rimshot

You could get that nice Ash and send it to Michigan's U.P. where we still have 3 feet of snow on the ground.  Ash is what snow shoes are primarily made of and there is  small factory in  little town called Shingelton that makes hundreds of pairs of snowshoes yearly.

Ash trees up here are becoming few and far between.  In fact, transportation of Ash firewood has become against the law in order to protect the spread of the European Ash bore that found it's way to Michigan and some other states.  I don't think the transorting Ash firewood ban applies to lumber or maybe not pulp or saw logs.  I have some stricken ash on my property.  Enjoy it while it lasts.

rim
LT 10 with a 10 h.p. and a converted boat trailer to provide mobility for a once permanent mill.

hardtailjohn

Ash make wonderful sleigh and buggy parts! It's tough and we keep it coated, so no problems there. I've had an ash evener and singletrees that I've used the heck out of for years and they've seen some heavy loads and hard shocks and never a single problem. 
John
I'm so far behind, I think I'm ahead!

SwampDonkey

Up here there is no oak to speak of, very scarce, so oak was never an option for outdoor implements. Usually they used rock maple here on wagons and sleds, but ash could certainly work. My uncles used a lot of horse draw stuff for 40 years, no oak on any of it.

Now the sawmill in Kings Landing, the water wheel is white oak. They hauled the logs in from PA, and they were big'ns. Many of the planks had to be 14" and 16" wide. ;D
"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)))

36 coupe

I used white ash to make seats for my boat about 6 years ago .Two out of 3 are badly rotted.I have some white oak to make new seats.There is some white oak here but not in my woods.I see a few as yard trees.

Magicman

"Heart" White Oak will hold up, but sapwood is more susceptible to rot.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Thank You Sponsors!