Maple - four straight tree sections - worthwhile?

[lspooz]

Occasional woodworker here in NW Greensboro with a recently cut front-yard maple (no nails/metal known): cut faces in photos.
Trunk measures 12-13" diameter, 22 feet long, already cut into 4 sections 4-6 fleet long (approx. 200 board feet, perhaps 140 usable board feet??) Is this worth having sawn by a portable mill? If so, anyone interested in cutting this up in return for keeping a majority of the wood since I tend to do small projects?

Thanks in advance/pardon my ignorance - I rarely post, too
Larry

 

[charlessenf]

Are you able to transport to sawmill?
If so, you should be able to sell the logs and buy what you need with the proceeds.
And, you avoid sticking it for . . . years?

 

[Rwe2156]

Not sure it's worth it monetarily. Maple isn't that expensive.

It would be ok for a benchtop. I'd have it sawn 6 or 8 quarter. Then you have to figure out how to dry it. Air dry & acclimation will take 2-3 years.

 

[Echd]

Looks like a good opportunity to learn to turn bowls.

 

[SabertoothBunny]

Yes, it would be worth it. This could make some nice 8/4 or larger boards or some great blanks for turning.

 

[Mountain City Bill]

As a sawmill owner, I would charge a $250 minimum plus $35 blade charge for any metal found.

For what it's worth, I don't even saw my own hardwood logs if they are less than 16" diameter.

 

[Westpacx3]

A guy on YouTube from Ukraine or that area sawed some timber and made a cabin roof by hand with a chainsaw using the tip of the chain.

I tried it and it came out reasonable for a first attempt on some spalted Chinese chestnut.

What you have has some ambrosia visible at the end so might be worth trying it yourself. It wore me out and I could have been straighter and ill never do it again but I did get some nice wood for my small projects.

 

[Craptastic]

Yard trees almost always have nails or spikes someplace in them.

 

[Echd]

A guy on YouTube from Ukraine or that area sawed some timber and made a cabin roof by hand with a chainsaw using the tip of the chain.

I tried it and it came out reasonable for a first attempt on some spalted Chinese chestnut.

What you have has some ambrosia visible at the end so might be worth trying it yourself. It wore me out and I could have been straighter and ill never do it again but I did get some nice wood for my small projects.

There is an inexpensive tool called a chainsaw mill (often called an Alaskan chainsaw mill) that makes this fsr easier. Yes, you do lose a lot of lumber as waste, but it's a lot cheaper than a true bandsaw mill!

 

[SabertoothBunny]

A guy on YouTube from Ukraine or that area sawed some timber and made a cabin roof by hand with a chainsaw using the tip of the chain.

I tried it and it came out reasonable for a first attempt on some spalted Chinese chestnut.

What you have has some ambrosia visible at the end so might be worth trying it yourself. It wore me out and I could have been straighter and ill never do it again but I did get some nice wood for my small projects.

That is nice looking wood, the big blocks would be perfect for turning. Have any turning blocks available? I've never turned chestnut.

 

[Westpacx3]

That is nice looking wood, the big blocks would be perfect for turning. Have any turning blocks available? I've never turned chestnut.

I milled a few of the small logs and gave the others to a guy who has not turned them yet to my knowledge. Looking at what I have, you are right. They would have been nice turned, lots of coloration and movement in them. Unfortunately at the time I was new and knew nothing. I should have grabbed all the small logs and passed them around..ignorance is bliss. I might have some thick enough for pens if you want to to see. If so I could cut them down and mail it to you for the shipping cost

 

[Westpacx3]

There is an inexpensive tool called a chainsaw mill (often called an Alaskan chainsaw mill) that makes this fsr easier. Yes, you do lose a lot of lumber as waste, but it's a lot cheaper than a true bandsaw mill!

Thanks, a friend has one of those but the son could not find it when I was messing with this. The process I used did wear me out.

 

[lspooz]

Great advice overall - I'll probably buy a chainsaw mill and cut some 8/4 boards this Fall, so only lose about an inch of maple. No worries about metal, since the tree grew in a heavily wooded lot and the only other property owner reported they only put nails/metal in two trees on the lot ( I've lived here >20 years )

Thanks for the information!

 

[areevesnc]

Please let us know what your experience with the chainsaw mill is like. I’ve been curious about one of these myself.

 

[Mountain City Bill]

Please let us know what your experience with the chainsaw mill is like. I’ve been curious about one of these myself.

I hired a guy with an alskan style mill to slab up some white oak ( before I had my sawmill) for me.

He had a big Husqvarne with a 30 " bar. I was surprised how clean it cut. I got plenty of 2 1/2" x 24 - 28" wide x 8 foot long slabs. It's a lot of work and it is slow going. And loud.

 

[HITCH-]

Those logs are the right size for a setup like this :

https://www.amazon.com/chainsaw-Portable-Chainsaw-stainless-Aluminum/dp/B07Q862MX4/ref=asc_df_B07Q862MX4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=343230804212&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8331093975174523404&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9009689&hvtargid=pla-749842702790&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=70737352762&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=343230804212&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8331093975174523404&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9009689&hvtargid=pla-749842702790

 

[zargon]

Yup! I have one of those "Alaskan Chain Saw Mills" and some many years ago it did me well slicing up some 12 ft Poplar logs into 8/4 boards... and I built a workbench out of them that I still use today.
If I was a bit closer to G'nsboro. ... I'd be jumping on this one.
I suspect that that wood/tree is a "Sugar Maple" as opposed to a "Hard Rock" Maple?
It also looks like some great spalting has occurred and would make great fodder for "Turning".
Good luck... have fun and make lots of shavings.

OH... BTW: I do still have the Mill stuff and yes, I also have a Husqvarne with a 30" bar. You do have to do a "Special" grind on the chainsaw blade for it work efficiently when using the mill. A standard off the shelf chain will not give desireable results.
I went to my local, at the time, "American Chain Saw" store just outside the perimeter -- 3531 Lawrenceville Hwy, Tucker, GA 30084... and they made me a "RIP" blade just for this purpose. If you have the tools you could make your own... but at the time it was much more affordable to just have them do it.