54" and full comp?
- Thread starter flushcut
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FJR
Treehouser
I was at a flooring plant in North Carolina and they send all of there logs over seas to get processed, and then they get sent back over here to sell.
flushcut
TreeHouser
FJR
Treehouser
You working with Matt?
F
forestryworks
Guest
You ever been to Mexico?
Lots of Mexican Douglas-fir there.
They also have more species of pine and oak species than anywhere else in the world.
flushcut
TreeHouser
FJR
Treehouser
Let me know where you guys go, I'll pm you my cell phone number and either you or Matt can give me a call. I have to look at work Monday evening, but if I can make it I will.
Burnham
Woods walker
Labor cost differential, Rajan. That more than makes up for the shipping costs. It's pretty basic economics.
HolmenTree
Banned
Yes up to about 2 yrs ago 90% of Canadian produced lumber goes into the US. I spent 13 years grading lumber at our local mill up until 2004.Especially when we are importing Canadian lumber
Since the US economy has hit bottom our mill has been shutdown for over 3 years now. But rumors are flying that it may start up again possibly next year. The company is said to be lining up a contract with the Chinese to sell them rough lumber.
With a 3 year shutdown the mills union can be disolved and the rehired workers will go from a base rate of $25 hr to what I predict about $14 hr.
We have a beautiful old sawmill, planer mill and kilns all under one roof covering over 11 acres. Built in 1969 with all Douglas fir and red cedar construction, 30 foot high ceiling. Rafters are laminated 2x10 doug fir stacked 20 high. Complete 11 acre roof is covered with red cedar tongue & groove. All machinery was upgraded in 2002 with the lastest technology. The sawmill was averaging 500,000 bf per day with 2- 8 hr shifts, at the planer we were processing 100,000 pieces of 16 ft 2x4 per day with 2 -8 hr shifts.
To build this building today it would probably cost a billion $.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
Tree Reb
TreeHouser
Also some really bad illegal logging.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...crime-mafias/2011/07/03/gIQAUApL0H_story.html
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
The Chinese are buying US grown Walnut logs like crazy, importing, then often selling the lumber to other countries. I've used some of it. When they say 8/4 or two inch they mean exactly that, not a shade over, which is less than convenient when planed flat 2 inch is required. Their milling standards were poor, but have gotten much better, probably along with their equipment. I know that they have at least one milling operation on US soil.Their kiln operation is the kind that really cooks the stuff quickly, so it ends up loosing a lot of the meaningful color of Walnut, but they aren't the only ones that do that. Bloody shame. Air dried is prettier by far, or slow kiln dried isn't too bad, but the profits go down with the time involved. Money money money......
gf beranek
Old Schooler
Doug fir price took a slight jump here for export to china. Sad though the price raise pretty much just covers the trucking costs to the ports. Logging price is still down to what it was in the early 80's. Pretty sad.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
On the consumer end of things such as myself you really don't see any price decrease on lumber prices .Although I must admit with home building being somwhat stagnated the prices aren't going through the roof as they once were just several years back .
HolmenTree
Banned
Stig, I always take off the slabs and cant up my logs [and even a few red cedar utility poles] with the full chisel chain on my 090 Alaskan mill. Cuts the fastest for production. Then I rip the lumber off the cants with my Stihl 066 on a small homemade Alaskan mill with the little semi chisel Picco chain. The Picco makes a real nice smooth cut. While milling I wear a leather carpenters apron with claw hammer, double headed 4" nails, torpedo level, 1/2" box end to adjust the width of the slabbing rails, 3/4" boxend to loosen / tighten the lock nut on the carriage bolt levellers and a 2 ft square. All the tools needed to make straight square cants with my aluminum slabbing rails. I have been using the 395 Husky lately with the Picco but its really hard on it, kinks up the links and sometimes breaks.
Years back a good logging buddy of mine helped me mill up some 2"x6" x16'. On the weekend we dropped some big spruce in the bush, limbed and bucked them up. While I was ripping the logs into cants with the 090, he was ripping lumber off the cants with the 066 mill with the Picco. On our best day we did a little over a 1000 board feet , about 65 pieces. At the end of the day we loaded the lumber onto a small trailer behind my pickup ,cut up the slabs into firewood length and left them for the next guy.
. I have to say some automated band mills have a tough time to cut 1000 BF in a day plus all the work loading logs etc.
Alaskan milling is another level of enjoyment cutting wood in the bush
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
I would venture to say that was in a long day and you worked your butts off too .....
HolmenTree
Banned
Actually Al, at the time we were still logging in the bush with saws and line skidders with about 20 years under our belts. In our 30s and in pretty good shape physically.
Endurance we just took for granted,the odd smoke break didn't bother our wind either.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
Age would play a factor for sure .
HolmenTree
Banned
Yes and also at the time 2x6- 16 lumber was like gold in value. Those 65 pieces of spruce would have fetched about $1000 plus at the lumber yard. Now today its worth less then half that.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
A 30-35 year old woods faller would be in damn good shape, and be able to do just about anything they set their mind to. Practically speaking.
It's a sure fine feeling and environment for an energetic young man to grow up in.
It's a sure fine feeling and environment for an energetic young man to grow up in.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
Well for that matter I was in damned good shape at that age too .Never was a feller but I worked construction for a long time .Come to think of it though at 30 I was doing a lot of cutting with the firewood biz .
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
So what did you do with the lumber ? Sticker it and let it air dry .
Jed
TreeHouser
Boys: If you've got the patience, I cld use a good hashing out on the Full Chisel vs. semi chis. deal.
Jerry seemed to think that the square-filed full chisel delivered the straightest, smoothest cuts, while Stig--if I understand him rightly--felt that semi went on better in the straight/smoothness department.
Anyone else care to opine? I've got a huge role of full-comp semi that came with my used 395 that I'm not all that anxious to use, but if the stuff cuts smoother: I wld gladly find an application or two for it.
Jerry seemed to think that the square-filed full chisel delivered the straightest, smoothest cuts, while Stig--if I understand him rightly--felt that semi went on better in the straight/smoothness department.
Anyone else care to opine? I've got a huge role of full-comp semi that came with my used 395 that I'm not all that anxious to use, but if the stuff cuts smoother: I wld gladly find an application or two for it.
