Cheap log opportunity?

[ramonajim]

I've got a chance to pick up these four cherry logs (9' long, "knee high" in diameter) for little more than the gas and time of a ~ 100 mile round trip. Felled 2 years ago, I assume laying in the same spot since.

 

What do you suppose the chances are that any of them aren't checked to the point they're little more than firewood?

 

Redefining normal daily

 

 

[treeslayer]

That’s a long way to drive for firewood IMO, I would expect rot from being on the ground, bugs and lots of cracks and checking

[Chestnut]

I had some small walnut logs that had been fallen many years previous that yielded some good wood. They were stored on a concrete surface and protected from rain.

I believe Cremona did a video on how long he's let logs sit before milling them and showed the results might want to check that out.

[Tom King]

Cheaper to buy lumber.   If it had been a standing, dead log, instead of laying on the ground, I might be more interested.

[wdwerker]

Expect cracking & spalting (rot/fungus) and possibly bugs.  Might not even make decent firewood due to rot & moisture and bugs.

[Brendon_t]

I would also pass unless you have a job in mind. I could see taking those and cutting them into 9"x 6" "cants" and drying them. The solid beam with weather and cracking is very much in fad right now and those would fetch a pretty penny to the "remodeling guru's" 

[wdwerker]

I forgot about the "rustic " crowd. But they get about as much respect around here as those "ironic hipsters "

[mat60]

I was thinking firewood but didn't want to say it first...Id pass also.  

[RichardA]

You can find way better wood laying in a neighbors yard.  Pass.

[Bankstick]

Make friends with a tree service.  Many times they will be cutting quality trees as walnut, cherry, maple, etc.  Call them periodically and ask what they have on the schedule.  I had a walnut log that was about 5 ft. long and 18 inches in diameter.  When I moved in 1982, I chunked it in the woods.

[Brendon_t]

4 minutes ago, Bankstick said:

Make friends with a tree service.  Many times they will be cutting quality trees as walnut, cherry, maple, etc.  Call them periodically and ask what they have on the schedule.  I had a walnut log that was about 5 ft. long and 18 inches in diameter.  When I moved in 1982, I chunked it in the woods.

People really should do this. Next time they are on your block, go talk to them.  I've got 2 municipal and 1 private service that have my list and actually call me when they have what I want.  Last week, I was delivered a big English walnut truck with the crotch intact and burl covering most of it.  It cost me an 18 pack and the service didn't have to pay the $150 disposal fee at the dump.

[Bankstick]

Brendon, it's a shame that good wood is dumped at the dump.  No pun intended.  18 pack?  Surely there was more than one on the crew.

[Brendon_t]

2 minutes ago, Bankstick said:

Brendon, it's a shame that good wood is dumped at the dump.  No pun intended.  18 pack?  Surely there was more than one on the crew.

I'm fairly sure my deal is specific to who is making the dump run.  I don't know if they are still charging for disposal, don't ask but it's only one of the younger guys on the private crew that calls me. And he's the one who was dropping.  

I came home once to two ten for long sycamore bases sitting in the patch next to my driveway where I always unload them to. Each was at least 3 feet across and a note that said "we lost your number, if you do not want these, give me a call and I'll send a truck to get them tomorrow" I called the number to say thank you and offer a hook up but they didn't want it.  That was a municipal crew.

[Pondhockey]

6 hours ago, Bankstick said:

Make friends with a tree service.  Many times they will be cutting quality trees as walnut, cherry, maple, etc.  Call them periodically and ask what they have on the schedule.  I had a walnut log that was about 5 ft. long and 18 inches in diameter.  When I moved in 1982, I chunked it in the woods.

THis works for me.  The local guy fells trees as a service, and has the account for the local park; he also has a mill and brings in logs from out of the area.  I get live edge (sorry, werker) and also stuff I can make dimensional boards from.

[wtnhighlander]

Do you guys have some sort of milling apparatus, or another 'friend' with a portable sawmill?

[ramonajim]

1. Thanks for all the inputs. Not yet decided if I'm going to grab these, and your thoughts add to my data set as I consider this (obviously very) subjective ROI call.

2. All y'all are making me seriously jealous with your tree service connections.

Redefining normal daily

[Pondhockey]

3 hours ago, wtnhighlander said:

Do you guys have some sort of milling apparatus, or another 'friend' with a portable sawmill?

My source has a fixed bandsaw mill.  His main business is felling trees and cutting beams and slabs.  He was willing to fetch a few logs that a friend had felled, and mill them into slabs for him.  As you are guessing, access to this sort of capability is pretty helpful.