I’ve been given the opportunity to buy some cherry logs that were recently harvested on the Penn. / NY Border. They range in size from 9 to 20 feet in length, and from 13 to 27 inches in diameter. I can estimate the number of board feet of lumber I might get with the Doyle Scale, but I have no idea what the going rate for logs is. The owner told me that a sawmill in the area would pay him about 90 cents per board foot if he delivered to their mill, but he isn’t interested in doing that because it would take him 4 trips to deliver with his truck and trailer. He simply can’t move that much weight at one time. The sawmill said they would pick up at his site, but told him to expect considerably less for the logs. I’m thinking of offering 40 cents per board foot for the lot, but I don’t know if that’s too low or too high? Any suggestions? Thanks for your help!
Don
Austin, TX
Edited 7/24/2003 11:25:20 AM ET by DKZIMM
Replies
Sounds a little low to me, maybe you'll get lucky. Scale out just the heart wood, and offer him a little more.
Here is some information you could throw into the decision making process.
Northeast Wood Products sells kiln dried #1 common cherry for 1.80 per board foot. FAS goes for 3.00. They are in Rome, PA, just southeast of Sayre.
Knowing that, how much are you willing to pay for the logs knowing you will have the cost of turning them into boards and transporting them. Plus, if you are going to air dry them you will have to wait a year or more before you can use them.
Good luck.
$3.00 brd ft. for FAS Cherry is a good $ its $4+ around hear and I don't see how they can call it FAS .
Depends on how good the logs are -how big- knots- length- how long have they been on the ground - and If you can get someone to cut it for you? Then Drying cost?
I would not pay much - I would call a local small saw mill and see what they are paying for logs.
Most saw mills hear will not cut logs for people unless its logs they have cut that they know have no nails or wire in them.
Have you ever moved logs? they are dam heavy
Edited 7/27/2003 11:48:47 AM ET by Ron
Oner other considereation you might have is the fact that the logs were wind damaged. Doesn't sound like it should be a problem but a timber buyer i know has reefused to buy cherry, walnuit, oak, etc that has been downed byu high and sustained winds. according to him there will frequently be wibnd stress in the log which will cause the value of the tree to be greatly diminished. For what it is worth.
Since the logs are already cut I'd suggest that you have someone go look at them. If the ends of the logs weren't sealed to prevent end checking, there could be a serious amount of degradation and quite a bit less usable wood. Cherry on the ground rots quickly the logs should be milled as soon as possible. Since you're in Texas I suppose you've factored in the cost of shipping the milled wood a 1,000 odd miles.
Second question to ask, were the trees growing in the woods or were they growing somewhere like a back yard or fence row, that they might have embedded hardware like hooks, fencing staples or nails? Many mills won't touch questionable logs and will charge you the cost of repairing blades damaged by hardware, potentially pushing the cost of the wood way up and leaving you stuck with logs they won't finish sawing.
John W.
Thanks for all of the responses from everybody....
Here's some additional information I didn't post. The logs were cut 5 days ago, they have been laid across 4x4 posts to keep them off of the ground. The ends have been sealed; they were growing on a 50 acre tract, not on any fence line. They were knocked over by a severe wind storm, then the logs were salvaged from the trees. He can't take the logs to the mill because he drives an import pickup truck.
He's not a woodworker, but he knew that someone would be interested in them, so he saved them from the grinder tub. My father lives in the area and has seen the logs. I've already factored in the fuel cost for me to go and get the logs. By the way, it's 1700 miles from Austin to the logs. Fuel will cost me .50 per board foot, I can get it milled here for .35 to .45 per board foot. Kiln drying here will run me $1.00 per board foot. If I offer him .40 and he takes it, I'll have $2.20 to 2.40 a board foot invested including fuel. That's much cheaper than I can buy cherry at the local supplier, he's getting around 4.75 a board foot for a lot of sapwood.
Since my dad lives nearby, I have the perfect excuse to go and get the logs......a family trip to see dad! I wonder if the wife will buy that????
If I was doing any better, I couldn't hardly stand it!
Sounds like a good deal. I'd still see if your dad could find someone with a portable sawmill to come to the site and cut the logs into boards for you. This would greatly reduce the amount of stuff you need to haul back. Or, haul it to a saw mill there and have them cut it before returning.
Haul it home and get it kiln dried.
Sounds like you have things figured out pretty well.
Only question is what are you gonna build out of it?
Be careful also about parasites. Cherry logs that have been cut and left to lie on the ground are subject to grubs and worms that enter mostly into the sap wood but also can go into the heart wood. If I was you I would go very low on an offer. If he doesn't want to take them to a mill there must be a reason and the one he gave you doesn't sound real good .
Philip
Some good cautions on here about the likely condition of the logs. If they do turn out to be in good condition, and you decide to buy them, I'd look for someone with a portable sawmill. Often it's cheaper to just pay someone to come to the site and cut the logs into planks right where they are.
The last suggestion of having it cut there would be the best idea I believe. Several reasons being, cut your first log and if all looks good then carry on. If the trees had pest already attacking them then you could make a judgment call at that time to finish or scrap the project. I had got a carder and walnut tree from a friends farm that came down in a storm and were mine for coming to get the trunks all ready to load on my trailer.
Well once I had them home and started to do some turning with the wood, found they both had "stress cracks" (I guess) all through the tree and the only thing it was good for was fire wood!! And it was very hard to see this untill it was cut or had turned it for a while. Don't think you would really want to haul fire wood all the way from Pen back to Austin! yea but I know it's hard to get cherry in Texas!
kk
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