Big tree went down….sell the wood?

[AJMD429]

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An 80 tall bur oak had enough limbs come down during a storm a couple weeks ago that it left the tree unstable and the rest was leaning over our house, so we had it professionally taken down.

My first thought was at least spending that money to have it taken down, would be sort of an expensive way to do it, but we would have almost a year’s worth of firewood for heating.

However, part of the end result is a 17 1/2 foot long main trunk section without any splits that ranges from 17 inches to 28 inches in diameter.

Of course, since there was a big storm a couple weeks ago local sawmills say they aren’t looking for anything and if I want to hang onto it for a potential sale later, they said I either need to put it under water or have a sprinkler on it at all times.

Is there any other way to reliably store a big chunk like that? Also, since we no longer have a bulldozer, there’s not really any way to move it from a fairly inconvenient spot in the driveway.

I also don’t know lumber values enough to know whether a chunk like that would be worth enough for the bother versus just using it for firewood, as I originally thought. The other option is I could put the ripping blade on my chainsaw with the long bar and I have a guide that one can use to make rough planks. However, if I did that, then I still have to square them up on a tablesaw in run them through a planer to do anything with them, and that takes a lot of time that I don’t have.

IMG_0772.jpeg

Anyway, I’d be interested in other peoples experience if they’ve ever cut and sold timber. Since it’s only one log it probably isn’t going to particularly interest a commercial buyer.

[ollogger]

Doc, cut & sold alot of logs in my life but the code of any saw mill was, no yard trees
they are for fire wood, the problem with yard trees is at some time some one put all sorts of iron in them
big spikes to small nails to giant lag screws for clothes lines & even concret to plug wood pecker holes
sorry my 2 cents worth is to cut it up for fire wood it will burn real nice




ollogger

[Griff]

I usually don't cut any of the blowdowns up, nor do I have a way to split any logs for firewood, too much work for an old man! I just wrap a chain around the trunk or limb end and drag 'm into on big "burn pile" in one of the pastures. I generally wait a year or two to accumulate a big enough pile, then burn the whole mess. After it's burnt to nothing but ash and embers, I disc up that section of ground and keep turning until they're well mixed in the top soil... always becomes a real nice grassy spot the next season... yes, I do mix in a little bermuda seed when I finish up!

[GunnyMack]

Do you have Amish in the area? They might want it for cutting boards or beams.
Or
Look around for someone with a portable sawmill that will come slab it on site.

Or
Just cut & split for the stove.

Hurricane Sandy was hard on trees here, I had a giant red oak come down, from roos to first branch was 27 feet, at the branch it was close to 30 inches across- BIG TREE. I tried to sell, heck give it to a sawyer but there were so many trees down the market was flooded.

Let's not forget bullets in trees, I once planed some black walnut for a guy and sure enough I fileted a 22lr bullet in one of the boards- lead doesn't leave tell tale black mineral streaks like in other trees.

[bcraig]

If it was Walnut I would say keep it but oak burn it except some small limbs I would make into a few walking canes and staffs.

[.45colt]

The Amish here would give You Top Dollar here , IF they Weren't All out fishing for Walleyes in Ohio....................................................... .

[Blaine]

Firewood.

[Pitchy]

It`s a nice log and be a hard decision if was laying in my yard, i use a metal detector and go over logs i`m going to saw into lumber but still a risk.
Guess if there wasn`t someone asking me for it i`d make firewood out of it.

[Bill in Oregon]

What Lenn said. Metal detectors became very important tools for the Oregon logging industry after the radical greenies started spiking trees within the boundaries of BLM and Forest Service timber sales.
If it were me, I would be tempted to cut the good section in half and paint the ends with latex paint, then get them under some shade and well off the ground. But I come from the land of softwood forests in the Pacific Northwest, and oak, walnut, maple and other hardwoods have always seemed like gold to me.

[jeepnik]

It’d be some work, but you could do it at your pace. But, I’d cut it in manageable rounds for firewood. You might know of some folks in your area that could use some free firewood for winter.

[stretch]

It`s a nice log and be a hard decision if was laying in my yard, i use a metal detector and go over logs i`m going to saw into lumber but still a risk.
Guess if there wasn`t someone asking me for it i`d make firewood out of it.

That's what I'd do. Shame to burn a nice oak log, as there's some good wood in it to make things, and oaks
do take awhile to grow. But if ya don't have the time, ya don't have the time.

I had some trees taken down 2 or 3 years ago - I still have 3-4 years of firewood cut and stacked.

Pricey way to buy firewood, but the trees had to come down and at least I'm gettin' some heat out of 'em.

-Strech

[Tycer]

I suppose it’s time to buy that sawmill you wanted a decade or so ago.