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Eastern Red Cedar Lumber: How do I detect Quality and Fair Market Price?

Started by seabass_22, January 09, 2015, 05:06:22 PM

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seabass_22

So I know an acquaintance who has some cedar wood for sale that I was interested in buying to build an outdoor shed out of. However, I do not know if the wood is that great of quality, I mean it looks good to me but i don't know much about lumber. Secondly, I want to know how much I should pay for what he has, as I do not want to get ripped off since it is just going to be used for an outdoor shed.

I have attached pictures that I took of the wood so you can see what I am considering.

Thanks, Sebastian

mesquite buckeye

Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

Sawmill Man

  The pictures in your gallery appear to be fencepost. Too small for lumber IMO.
"I could have sworn I went over that one with the metal detector".

thecfarm

seabass_22,welcome to the forum.
I want to add your picture for you.



 

Most logs are measured inside the bark. So a "usable" log is not much smaller than 8 inches measured straight across,inside the bark. But it all does vary and there is more to it than that,but in a nutshell,that will help you understand better.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

POSTON WIDEHEAD

If you have plans to build a shed out of Cedar.....that could get expensive if you buy good quality lumber saw logs.
The logs in the pic are not saw logs for lumber but do look like quality logs for post.
What part of your shed are your plans for Cedar?
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Cedarman

Cedar is normally measured outside bark to inside bark.  Cedar scale which is close to international scale is used to figure footage.  Tape measures are usually used not a log stick.  Cedar bark is only 1/8" plus thick so not like hardwood that can be an 1" or more.  I did not see any rot or much ingrown in the ends.  Those logs will saw fine lumber although not too wide.  Measure the small end.  A 6" log will give you 4" lumber, 7" -5 to 5 1/2", 8" log - 5 1/2 to 6", 9"  -   6 to 7", 10" log 7 to 8".  In quantity we sell 1" lumber for $1.40 to $1.50 per board foot.
  We pay 45 to 50 cents per foot on cedar scale.  After many years of price stability, cedar is going up both in price for logs and prices for lumber and posts.
Depending on your locality, prices will vary.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

Cedarman

I looked at the picture again.  The old log is looking rather bad, it will saw some bad boards.  Boards with some rot streaks will still make good shed siding.  You don't want a lot of it for shed boards.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

okmulch

Quote from: POSTONLT40HD on January 09, 2015, 09:06:45 PM
The logs in the pic are not saw logs for lumber but do look like quality logs for post.
Other then the old one in the middle that looks a little rotten, why are these not saw logs? ???
Rotochopper b66 track, #2 Rotochopper b66 track, woodmizer lt40, CAT 277b, CAT 268b, CAT 287c, CAT 277c, CAT299d2, CAT299d3, CAT 299d3, Volvo 70e,volvo70f, volvo90f

seabass_22

This is all great information! I was just planning on using the cedar for the main posts of the shed (the ones that i would actually nail the boards to), rather than cut these for boards. But thanks for all of your feedback! i will post pictures of everything once it is done!

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: okmulch on January 10, 2015, 12:43:29 PM
Quote from: POSTONLT40HD on January 09, 2015, 09:06:45 PM
The logs in the pic are not saw logs for lumber but do look like quality logs for post.
Other then the old one in the middle that looks a little rotten, why are these not saw logs? ???

Down here these logs aren't big enough to be considered saw logs. I buy saw logs a lot of times. I would have to pass on these if someone wanted me to buy them.
I see 6 of these logs that are good for just round post, there's 1 bad one you mentioned, 3 of these you might squeeze out a few 6x6's and the bigger one on the end is fluted pretty bad.
But this is just the way I look at them...everybody's different.

To me, good saw logs are getting 8 inch wide lumber out of each log. This is in my market though.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Cedarman

Average cedar logs for sawing are 7 to 8" diameter.  If you log cedar to the top you will have a lot of small logs.  You can't get 8" lumber out of an 8" log which is not in high demand anyway compared to 5 and 6" lumber.  Just took a PO for 8 containers to be shipped overseas.  Widest board is 6".  A 6" log bought for $4.95 saws out a 4x4 worth $14.00. And about $1.50 worth of mulch after running slabs through the wood hog. We can saw 90  per hour if the logs are just 6". Of course that is when everything runs perfect and we all know how often that happens.  Wish I had 100,000 of them. Have unlimited orders for 4x4x8'.  Truckload is about 1300 of them.
Have made a pretty good living sawing logs that most would leave in the woods and not fool with. 
Cedar sawlogs are like beauty,  all in the eye of the beholder. 
You know you are in the pink when you saw cedar.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

thecfarm

@seabass_22, I did forget to tell you how to post a picture in your post.  ::)
I like to go to whatever post or start a new topic first to include a picture.Go to your gallery,it will open in a new window.Click onto your album,then click onto whatever picture you want,it will get bigger,than scroll down a little to find,Insert Image In Post,click onto that,click Yes and that is it. Some have to copy/paste the link to work.I like to hit the enter key at least once or twice to move the picture down away from what I am typing. The enter key really helps to leave some white space if posting more than one picture. Use the preview button to see how it looks and modify it if needed.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

okmulch

To me when dealing with cedar a saw log is anything you can get a 4x4 out of and bigger. I can sell a lot of 6 inch lumber and a lot of 2x4's. I would much rather have 7,8, or 9 inch logs to saw then sawing logs that would make 8 inch wide lumber ( the minimum diameter being 12 inches to achieve that). Plus bigger cedar logs tend to have more defects.

Everybody has there preferences when it comes to log size but I respectfully have to disagree that generalizing that cedar logs are not saw logs simply because they won't make 8 inch wide lumber. ( this regarding cedar logs and not hardwood logs)
Rotochopper b66 track, #2 Rotochopper b66 track, woodmizer lt40, CAT 277b, CAT 268b, CAT 287c, CAT 277c, CAT299d2, CAT299d3, CAT 299d3, Volvo 70e,volvo70f, volvo90f

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: okmulch on January 10, 2015, 07:57:33 PM
To me when dealing with cedar a saw log is anything you can get a 4x4 out of and bigger. I can sell a lot of 6 inch lumber and a lot of 2x4's. I would much rather have 7,8, or 9 inch logs to saw then sawing logs that would make 8 inch wide lumber ( the minimum diameter being 12 inches to achieve that). Plus bigger cedar logs tend to have more defects.

Everybody has there preferences when it comes to log size but I respectfully have to disagree that generalizing that cedar logs are not saw logs simply because they won't make 8 inch wide lumber. ( this regarding cedar logs and not hardwood logs)

Good reply.  :) If we were all alike we'd all be goats.  :D
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

JB Griffin

Thank the good Lord were not all same, I couldn't imagine being a goat. :D :D
2000 LT40hyd remote 33hp Kubota with 6gpm hyd unit, 150 Prentice, WM bms250, Suffolk dual tooth setter

Over 3.5million bdft sawn with a Baker Dominator.

RayMO

I paid for my old 92 lt40HD in short order sawing mostly 6" - 10" ERC logs . Cut a lot of 4" random width cants and sold to a guy with a multihead resaw . Also sawed out a very nice two story Lodge that was all 1x6 board and 1/2 x 2" bats inside and out .....
Father & Son Logging and sawing operation .

Sixacresand

A load of wood went through an auction last night.  Two 8 x 8  x 8' cants were said to be cedar.  It looked like pine to me, not like red center cedar I am used to.  It had some major drying cracks from end to end, so I passed on bidding on them.  I think they sold for $20 each.
"Sometimes you can make more hay with less equipment if you just use your head."  Tom, Forestry Forum.  Tenth year with a LT40 Woodmizer,

Magicman

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

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