Let Them Rot

[Magicman]

The below is just a few of the logs that Saturday's customer decided not to skid out for sawing.


 

Not sawing these very nice logs prompted me to take a look at my "upcoming job book" and calling some customers that have been there for several months.  Some of the logs were beetle killed SYP and some were fresh felled and the customer had a project in mind.  Some were skidded out and some not.  Money is sometimes tight, stuff happens, plans change, wife ran off with Mickey Mouse, or whatever and the logs turn into termite food.

That shoe also fits me.  I have probably ten 25"+ Red Oak trees on my farm that are standing dead.  Most are 40'+ to the first limb.  There is only so much that a person can do.   :-\

[drobertson]

Red oak degradation due to the blasted bores!!!  They will however most likely at the very least,,make grade firewood!

[fishfighter]

MM, a couple of the oaks that die this pass spring, went to saw and was a wasted time doing. Rot set in big time. :(

[Bert]

This is true. Plans do change. I do feel some awful when i see a tree go to waste though. I walked a job I cut a few years ago and saw a big hickory I cut that obviously missed skidding out. Man i felt bad for that old shagbark. smiley_cry

[flatrock58]

MM I know what you mean.  It seems like most of the beetle killed pine on my place are not great trees to begin with.  They either have a lot of limbs or cat face scars all over or they are not very straight.   I cut a pine last week that had been down for 5 months.  I had it stacked on other logs off the ground.  It has not rained for two months and this log was really wet and stinky.  I guess leaving the bark on didn't let it dry out.

[thecfarm]

I see firewood.  ;D 

[bkaimwood]

Around here, dead red oak lasts a LONG time...as for the pine?...until recently, it was a tough gig, getting good pine, or having more than one or two uses for blue bullet pine. I've recently acquired a new client, who puts in a repetitive/standing order for 500 bf of pine every 4 weeks...ain't much, but it all adds up. My client specified that the more holes, the more blue, the better. I told them I know just where to find those logs...

[Magicman]

I see firewood.  ;D

But here there is and abundance of Red Oak and no real market for firewood.  I am the only person on my entire street (probably 40 homes) that burns wood and I "may" burn two face cords a year.

[WDH]

There is only so much that a person can do.   :-\

The cobbler's children have no shoes  .

[thecfarm]

Lots of hardwood around here too. I went one winter without burning much hardwood. Mostly softwood keeps me warm. That is why I said firewood. The OWB does just fine with the softwood. I would like to see a truckload of pine dropped off outback for firewood for me.
Kinda like a low pitched roof around here. Don't see it much.  ;)

[scully]

Then there is the customers who want you to saw a pile of dead rotted worm infested junk .  One in paticular " I won't cut a live tree"  As I gaze through his huge very mature over grown forest .

[Magicman]

That is very correct.  I sawed some "logs" this year that would not have made good firewood. 

Many times I am able to shuffle logs from someone that does not want/need them to someone that is looking for logs.  The logs are not moved, and the only thing that changes is the cut list and who is paying.   ;D

[Ljohnsaw]

OK, please educate me.  A guy posted free pine logs 2/3 of the way to my cabin.  Pictures shows a lot of logs.  Presumably beetle killed and PG&E (power company) had them taken down.  How long can a beetle killed tree be standing before it is no longer viable to turn into lumber?

[ozarkgem]

Dead oak will last quite a while here also. I saw lots of it. I just can't keep up with the Oak dying on my place let alone anyone Else's. I see untold thousands of dollars rotting away. Makes me sick. I was logging Walnut on my place yesterday and saw several Red Oak 40" dia that just died. I have no way to handle them. What a waste.

[fishfighter]

What's the deal on these oaks dying? This is the first year for them to be dying around here. The more I look, the more I am seeing.

Not just red oak, but other oaks. :(

[Kbeitz]

If Trees Could Talk..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBYmu7t-KTQ

[customsawyer]

Make sure they are dying and not going dormant due to dry conditions.

[Magicman]

johnsaw, Our climates and Pines are different, but I like to get to them the first year and no more than the second year.  Standing is the best "storage" method, rather than bunched and stacked.  After ~2 years I may have to slab off ~3"-4" to get below the pencil sized sawyer worm holes.  By then I am also looking closely at every log and discarding any that are not structurally sound.

Our bark tends to loosen and fall starting toward the top of the tree and generally clings to the bottom few feet and becoming a haven for termites.  Jump butting the lower 4'-6' is common practice.

[Magicman]

Here are some mighty fine Red Oak trees that went to termites.


 
Two Cherrybark Oaks that were struck by lightening.


 
A Water Oak and a Cherrybark Oak that decided to part company.

All four of the above pictured Oak trees were 40"+ and were unharvested due to my not being able to skid the logs nor able to get the sawmill to them.   :-\


 
But I did finally get around to splitting these rounds that have been waiting for over a year.  (My splitter was at the farm and the rounds were here.)  Anyway the discarded white sapwood is seen in the background.


 
And it will be enough for next years firewood supply.   This years supply is stacked in the background.  ;D

[Magicman]

I sawed for a repeat customer today.  Not only are trees and logs left to rot, but I saw some rotten lumber today that I sawed in 2006.


 
Cherry stacked on top of Red Oak.  I think that he forgot about this stack.


 
Framing lumber, 2X4's, 2X6's & 2X8's.  This was from beetle killed SYP.  He simply sawed more than he needed.


 
More Cherry.  This was left over after he completed his building addition.   :-\ 

[Ljohnsaw]

I sawed for a repeat customer today.  Not only are trees and logs left to rot, but I saw some rotten lumber today that I sawed in 2006.

Well, certainly sad to see, but you still get/got paid! ;)

[thecfarm]

That last pile looks like mine. I had some left over from the Woman Cave. Thought I was going to build a small sugar shack.  :  Maybe next year. Than next year I'll be saying,maybe next year.