Wanted - Value of hardwood trunks in central Texas. Any general rules
of thumb appreciated here - for several species.
A wood working neighbor has taken interest in my wood-mizer LT-15 (can
be seen from the street). His father owns a company that gets
contracts to clear land / hardwood forest for highway development here
around Austin Texas. After checking out my mill, he is going to bring
me in trailer loads of hardwood boles from his fathers contracts -
trees that he says would be burned on the site, and are from
undeveloped forest and so free of nails and other 'urban' issues. He
says he intends to bring mostly black walnut - but possibly also large
cedar (actaully Juniperus ashei), bald cypress, red and white oaks,
and black cherry.

I have relatively little experience on my new mill having only cut a
half dozen boles that nearly maxed out the saws capacity. He is
delivering the wood to my site - I cut it. We split the wood in some
as yet undecided shares. I have no idea what an equitable trade here
is 50/50 split of the rough cut lumber?? He is pushing to get more
wood than I...but seems to me to make it significantly harder to
divide if not equal parts.
With this much wood coming in, and no defined purpose yet known for
the lumber- what is the best cut thickness to make - simply slab it at
8/4 (2 inch?) slabs - or 4/4??
What is the crude value (per ft) of the various species I mentioned
above if cut into 2 inch slabs and dried (stacked / stickered on large
cement tennis court and covered in tarps)
I have done much reading about milling wood, but little actual
experience except to know i'st a lot more work than others realize
that never did it...I want to not waste my first few loads and
attempts at black walnut. Any info greatly appreciated here.

wrote:
Wanted - Value of hardwood trunks in central Texas. Any general rules
of thumb appreciated here - for several species.

Can't help you on prices, but I wish I still lived in Texas. Would
take a truck load of walnut and wild cherry for bowl making.


--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

There is no time like the pleasant.

On Sep 23, 12:20 pm, Gerald Ross wrote:
wrote:
Wanted - Value of hardwood trunks in central Texas. Any general rules
of thumb appreciated here - for several species.

Can't help you on prices, but I wish I still lived in Texas. Would
take a truck load of walnut and wild cherry for bowl making.

--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

There is no time like the pleasant.

Hi Gerald - I am a turner myself...suddenly find myself expanding into
the lumber cutting hooby as I bought a mill from an aquiantance losing
it to pawn shop..too good a deal to pass - and helped him out too...
And thought via mill I could get some exercise and do my part to
'green' the earth...as there is so much hardwood here - just taken to
the dump or burned - such a shame I think being a tree and wood
lover....trouble is - the wood coming and to be divided - just found
partner is also a wood turner..so I imagine we will fight over the
crotches...

On Sun, 23 Sep 2007 16:18:53 -0000, wrote:

Wanted - Value of hardwood trunks in central Texas. Any general rules
of thumb appreciated here - for several species.
A wood working neighbor has taken interest in my wood-mizer LT-15 (can
be seen from the street). His father owns a company that gets
contracts to clear land / hardwood forest for highway development here
around Austin Texas. After checking out my mill, he is going to bring
me in trailer loads of hardwood boles from his fathers contracts -
trees that he says would be burned on the site, and are from
undeveloped forest and so free of nails and other 'urban' issues. He
says he intends to bring mostly black walnut - but possibly also large
cedar (actaully Juniperus ashei), bald cypress, red and white oaks,
and black cherry.

I have relatively little experience on my new mill having only cut a
half dozen boles that nearly maxed out the saws capacity. He is
delivering the wood to my site - I cut it. We split the wood in some
as yet undecided shares. I have no idea what an equitable trade here
is 50/50 split of the rough cut lumber?? He is pushing to get more
wood than I...but seems to me to make it significantly harder to
divide if not equal parts.
With this much wood coming in, and no defined purpose yet known for
the lumber- what is the best cut thickness to make - simply slab it at
8/4 (2 inch?) slabs - or 4/4??
What is the crude value (per ft) of the various species I mentioned
above if cut into 2 inch slabs and dried (stacked / stickered on large
cement tennis court and covered in tarps)
I have done much reading about milling wood, but little actual
experience except to know i'st a lot more work than others realize
that never did it...I want to not waste my first few loads and
attempts at black walnut. Any info greatly appreciated here.

Ask over in rec.woodworking