I have 5 large oak trees that need to come down. I would be a shame just to cut up the wood and haul it away vs being used in some productive way. I called a forester and he didn't think any logger would be interested. Anybody have any ideas for a tree cutter in the Randolph County area that could make use of the wood?
Large Oak Trees
- Thread starter Bonanza
- Start date
Agree with above. Even if the trees are desireable types and you hire a sawyer to saw them up you will need to have an area to stack, sticker, cover and dry.
Most trees in residential areas don't grow close enough together to get significant straight, branch free trunks to be desireable for lumber. Yours may but most trees we see that are beautiful, spreading, majestic specimens aren't the best for lumber.
Most trees in residential areas don't grow close enough together to get significant straight, branch free trunks to be desireable for lumber. Yours may but most trees we see that are beautiful, spreading, majestic specimens aren't the best for lumber.
Something else about residential trees that the sawyers I know speak to, is the metal content in them. There can be all sorts of things found deep in a tree from years gone by... sawyers tell me the don't like "yard trees" due to the metal and what it does to their bandsaws.
Sounds like an "urban sawmill" program/resource is a gap and would be nice to know if could be a decent business case for one wanting to create slabs/lumber for sale. I know Matt Cremona has built his business doing exactly this in MN but would be nice to have someone like this in our area.
I will be clearing my property (wooded not yard trees) in a couple years to build and have found it very difficult to figure out how to keep these nice white oaks, maples, etc from the burn pile. In the end material handling seems to be the toughest piece...how to get a several thousand pound log onto a trailer to be hauled somewhere and milled up then dried properly. Even if you hire a portable sawyer to come out to your property material handling is still an issue...finding someone to get said logs moved into a pile after being cut then moved from the pile onto the sawmill. Then even if you get them milled up it seems no one wants to help get them dried at all (at least in the Piedmont Triad area). However, I've heard about Scott of Whispering Pines Farm and need to talk to him as well.
I'm seriously considering building a free standing lean-to/wood storage shelter but getting all of the logs from quite a few nice lumber-worthy trees to a sawmill and then dried if what I've been researching. I've talked to many sawyers no one seems to fit the overall need that is common to situations as mine and the OP.
Oh and carbide blades are no match for metal in trees and while higher initial cost they are cheaper in the long run from what I've seen but the smaller portable sawyers & small local sawmills are not investing in them yet.
I will be clearing my property (wooded not yard trees) in a couple years to build and have found it very difficult to figure out how to keep these nice white oaks, maples, etc from the burn pile. In the end material handling seems to be the toughest piece...how to get a several thousand pound log onto a trailer to be hauled somewhere and milled up then dried properly. Even if you hire a portable sawyer to come out to your property material handling is still an issue...finding someone to get said logs moved into a pile after being cut then moved from the pile onto the sawmill. Then even if you get them milled up it seems no one wants to help get them dried at all (at least in the Piedmont Triad area). However, I've heard about Scott of Whispering Pines Farm and need to talk to him as well.
I'm seriously considering building a free standing lean-to/wood storage shelter but getting all of the logs from quite a few nice lumber-worthy trees to a sawmill and then dried if what I've been researching. I've talked to many sawyers no one seems to fit the overall need that is common to situations as mine and the OP.
Oh and carbide blades are no match for metal in trees and while higher initial cost they are cheaper in the long run from what I've seen but the smaller portable sawyers & small local sawmills are not investing in them yet.
David - I just got into portable sawmilling a month ago when my mill finally arrived. I've done a lot of research. I'm a little too far away to come mill your trees, but if you were closer, I would definitely do it. You should be able to find a portable sawyer to do it, but it may take a little searching. I have a Lucas swing blade mill and I only saw at the customer's site. (This is my niche, I hope) In my area, most all the bandsaw guys don't ever want to move their mills. I only know of one sawyer in my area that will and it has to be a big job for him to do it. With the bandsaw mills, most guys have built a nice shed to cover their mill and have all the auxiliary equipment at their fingertips. In Virginia, the other deterrent to moving a bandsaw mill is that you have to get it tagged and have a yearly safety inspection done. If you have a means to load and haul the logs, you'll have a much larger pool of sawyers to choose from.
If you do get someone to come on site to mill, most likely they will expect you to have the logs staged on a level site for them, where they can basically use a can't hook to roll them over to their mill. The two big reasons are: 1) It's tough to tow a bandmill and a skid steer/tractor in the same trip. 2) Insurance - I found out that the insurance people do not want you to log or cut down trees as a sawyer. Every agency that knew anything about sawmilling asked me first thing if I was going to be moving logs or cutting trees. I didn't ask, but I'm sure either one of those would have doubled or tripled my premiums assuming they would even insure me at all for those.
You can definitely dry that lumber at your property even without a shed. You can build a solid platform off the ground, weight or strap the lumber and cover that with a piece of metal roofing. It can also help to get some nursery shade netting to cover any of the stack that is directly exposed to the sun.
If you do get someone to come on site to mill, most likely they will expect you to have the logs staged on a level site for them, where they can basically use a can't hook to roll them over to their mill. The two big reasons are: 1) It's tough to tow a bandmill and a skid steer/tractor in the same trip. 2) Insurance - I found out that the insurance people do not want you to log or cut down trees as a sawyer. Every agency that knew anything about sawmilling asked me first thing if I was going to be moving logs or cutting trees. I didn't ask, but I'm sure either one of those would have doubled or tripled my premiums assuming they would even insure me at all for those.
You can definitely dry that lumber at your property even without a shed. You can build a solid platform off the ground, weight or strap the lumber and cover that with a piece of metal roofing. It can also help to get some nursery shade netting to cover any of the stack that is directly exposed to the sun.
We have this sawyer on our list:
JD Rich Logging and Sawmilling
Ramseuer, NC
(336) 465-5312
jdrich12345@gmail.com
JD Rich Logging and Sawmilling
Ramseuer, NC
(336) 465-5312
jdrich12345@gmail.com
I am enclosing a good resource for finding a local Sawyer. This is your best I option if you want to keep the lumber.
Find a Local Sawyer | Wood-Mizer USA
Find a Local Portable Sawmill Service And get your logs cut into lumber!
woodmizer.com
There is a list here on this forum also: NC Sawyers - Google My Maps
Hey, I'd chip in for the firewood! How many miles are you from Lenoir, NC?
I heat my home with a fireplace!
If the trees are close to a structure - a pro is needed. If far enough away and a decent lean, a Husky 555 will likely do. Cleanup is a bear if you can't burn on site.
But, managed, you should be able to trade the good size 'fire wood' for cleanup!
Last year I did the same for some ash and oak, using a sawyer with a portable bandsaw here in the Winston Salem area, and it was done on my property. Clean up was a bear, as was stickering/stacking, which is not part of the service provided. Nice guy, works with his son who runs the loader to move the logs/lumber around. I don't know how far he is willing to go, but you could ask:
Ken Elliott
w 3362519998
c 3367490706
kenelliott@triad.rr.com
Ken Elliott
w 3362519998
c 3367490706
kenelliott@triad.rr.com
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