I finally gave up on the backhoe guy coming to dig these two trunks out. Are these worth anything? The first one is about 24" in diameter and about 5' long. The second one is 30" in dia in the skinny part and about 55" long. Neither have any rot showing. The smaller one was dead for about a month and the larger one was still alive when I removed them. Also do I need to cover them, or seal the ends, or anything like that?
Are these logs worth anything?
- Thread starter stehansen
- Start date
- Replies 54
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squisher
THE CALM ONE!!!!
Pretty short, but looks like there could be some cool figuring in there.
Those logs are worth whatever someone will pay for them.
Remember the one I sold not so long ago for 3g, although that included all of the larger limbs too.
If they were mine I'd raise them off the ground and seal the ends. If the bark's on I don't beleive covering them is a big deal or not. If you don't seal the ends they'll dry to fast and check. I just use paint if I'm trying to preserve a log but of course there's better commercial sealers available.
Those logs are worth whatever someone will pay for them.
Remember the one I sold not so long ago for 3g, although that included all of the larger limbs too.
If they were mine I'd raise them off the ground and seal the ends. If the bark's on I don't beleive covering them is a big deal or not. If you don't seal the ends they'll dry to fast and check. I just use paint if I'm trying to preserve a log but of course there's better commercial sealers available.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Chair parts, or a small table, etc,....definitely worth something. I've run across a lot of those that have some kind of metal marker(?) tags in them, numerous per tree. I don't have a clue what they were for, nor did the orchard owners remember, but they sure made milling a pita.
sotc
Dormant hero!!
Put them on craigslist under materials for 150 bucks, make some coffee money
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
End seal the bottom ends and put the logs in the shade. No point in cooking all the water out of them.
If you regularly have walnut logs for sale, it might be an idea to look at AAW's ( american association of woodturners) homepage and see if there is a professional woodturner in your area.
A woodturner would have use for even lesser grade logs, than those.
If you regularly have walnut logs for sale, it might be an idea to look at AAW's ( american association of woodturners) homepage and see if there is a professional woodturner in your area.
A woodturner would have use for even lesser grade logs, than those.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Steve, in your area, do you often see Walnut logs offered for sale?
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #9
No, WWB I have never seen any for sale. Stig I just sent a email to every AAW guy within a hundred miles of me, thanks. I'm not making anything directly off of this, I did this to get the job of removing these two trees and I told the woman I would try and market the trunks and then take whatever I got off the bill.
sotc
Dormant hero!!
so much for the coffee money
squisher
THE CALM ONE!!!!
Don't be doing extra work for free now.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #12
I delivered them about 30 miles for 50 bucks. Did it this morning. One of the guys on the AAW site wanted them. He makes all sorts of bowls, goblets, fancy dishes and stuff from wood. Thanks Stig.
sotc
Dormant hero!!
And had to discount the womans price 
Cobleskill
Treehouser
How much were they worth to the turnere?
Cobleskill
Treehouser
Better than nothin. You made a little hauling and the customer was probably happy.
Around here logs (except black walnut) are worth more for firewood than they are for logs. A guy around me is selling loads of logs for firewood for $600. He says it is 15 face cords but it is between 12-14. I think it is a shame to cut nice straight oak, ash, maple, etc. logs that are 12-18" dbh. In another 10 years they would make nice lumber. Even when the guy was logging he was cutting small trees. Gettin what he can I guess. Landowners aren't too bright either.
Around here logs (except black walnut) are worth more for firewood than they are for logs. A guy around me is selling loads of logs for firewood for $600. He says it is 15 face cords but it is between 12-14. I think it is a shame to cut nice straight oak, ash, maple, etc. logs that are 12-18" dbh. In another 10 years they would make nice lumber. Even when the guy was logging he was cutting small trees. Gettin what he can I guess. Landowners aren't too bright either.
NickfromWI
King of Splices
The bottom pic looks like a grafted trunk. If so, there could be some neat color-changing/pattern-changing stuff going on in the grain.
Wait- so you did this for free, or you did it for $50, or you did this for $200?
Wait- so you did this for free, or you did it for $50, or you did this for $200?
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #18
I did it for $50 of which I probbly spent half in gas. The problem with the logs as I understand it was they were too short for lumber and there was no burl for veneer which are the two high value uses. This is the first time I have gotten anything for any walnut logs. This was kind of an exploratory thing for me. I run into these walnut trees several times a year and I always thought there may be some use other than firewood for the trunks. I don't know, I'll try a few more times.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Both those logs are grafted...English Walnut on Claro rootstock. That was pretty much the standard way to raise Walnuts in the area.
The next time, if there is one, you might try running an add in the Bay Area Woodworker's association newsletter, or the Sonoma County association one.
http://www.bayareawoodworkers.org/
http://www.sonomawoodworkers.com/
The next time, if there is one, you might try running an add in the Bay Area Woodworker's association newsletter, or the Sonoma County association one.
http://www.bayareawoodworkers.org/
http://www.sonomawoodworkers.com/
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
That's pretty much the same around here .The local mills act like they are doing you a favor .
Amazing though once that stuff gets sawn and kiln dried how much the price jumps .
This is no kidding,the mills saw the fletch wood into firewood lengths and this more than pays for the price they paid for the log to begin with . They get like 350-400 for a big tandom axle dump truck full .
squisher
THE CALM ONE!!!!
Heh you're learning and making some connections. Now next time pocket the whole $200 and it would be a nice little bonus. I've sold logs a few times now and am always on the lookout for anything marketable.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
I've pretty much only been on the buying side of logs and not the selling.
When the tree is in log form, and hasn't been slabbed, it's the case that most woodworkers don't want to deal with it, even if it's a very good log. Once slabbed, it makes it more manageable for them, and they can better see what the figure is like, and other characteristics.
There were people out Steve's way who seemed to have a pretty good business going, moving Walnut, and probably still are. The closer you can get the material to readably usable form, up to the point of being slabbed and dried, your market increases progressively, but obviously the greater degree of time invested makes for a different situation.
If you guys were able to score a fair number of logs, I could hook you up with a Japanese buyer who is regularly over there wanting to purchase Walnut.
When the tree is in log form, and hasn't been slabbed, it's the case that most woodworkers don't want to deal with it, even if it's a very good log. Once slabbed, it makes it more manageable for them, and they can better see what the figure is like, and other characteristics.
There were people out Steve's way who seemed to have a pretty good business going, moving Walnut, and probably still are. The closer you can get the material to readably usable form, up to the point of being slabbed and dried, your market increases progressively, but obviously the greater degree of time invested makes for a different situation.
If you guys were able to score a fair number of logs, I could hook you up with a Japanese buyer who is regularly over there wanting to purchase Walnut.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
I've had several pics on the forum of a local log seller ,T and G Ellis .Surprisingly enough their biggest buyers are the Japanese .
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Wonder if the biggest buyers now are the Chinese. That's what I'm hearing...money to burn. Some of the Japanese buyers aren't going to the states to look for Walnut, they are going to China.
I've purchase the wood handled through China. They skimp at the sawmill, two inches is exactly on, instead of the quarter inch plus extra thickness which is so helpful for what I do.
I've purchase the wood handled through China. They skimp at the sawmill, two inches is exactly on, instead of the quarter inch plus extra thickness which is so helpful for what I do.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
China has no walnut that I know of .All the good black walnut comes from midwest US of A . Right smack dab in the cornfield ,exactly where I'm at .
