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I purchased 10 acres near Lake Hawkins, which is about 90 miles east of Dallas, Texas. I got the land for a good price because Timber Pirates had cut down most of the trees before the Sheriff caught them. I now have stacks of trees sitting on the ground. The stacks are about 6 feet high and about 10-15 feet wide. The trees about 20-30 feet in length. What can I do with these downed trees???
The stacks have been on the ground about 3 years now. I am a city boy, just starting on the 'county life'. Does anyone know any of any sawmills or the like in the area? If they are not good enough to save, what else can I do? I will be doing most of the work myself, and money is definitely an issue. I am not living on the land yet. I live about 7 hours away. But I've got to start somewhere.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
I purchased 10 acres near Lake Hawkins, which is about 90 miles east of Dallas, Texas. I got the land for a good price because Timber Pirates had cut down most of the trees before the Sheriff caught them. I now have stacks of trees sitting on the ground. The stacks are about 6 feet high and about 10-15 feet wide. The trees about 20-30 feet in length. What can I do with these downed trees???
The stacks have been on the ground about 3 years now. I am a city boy, just starting on the 'county life'. Does anyone know any of any sawmills or the like in the area? If they are not good enough to save, what else can I do? I will be doing most of the work myself, and money is definitely an issue. I am not living on the land yet. I live about 7 hours away. But I've got to start somewhere.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
Cut the wood up and sell it by the cord. I cant imagine a sawmill wanting it due to the decay which could have taken place over the last several years.
if you live that far away, maybe you might want to just get the lot cleaned out and flip the lot.. If thats the case, maybe place an ad on craigslist, free wood in exchange for clearing it out..
Cut the wood up and sell it by the cord. I cant imagine a sawmill wanting it due to the decay which could have taken place over the last several years.
if you live that far away, maybe you might want to just get the lot cleaned out and flip the lot.. If thats the case, maybe place an ad on craigslist, free wood in exchange for clearing it out..
He said the trees were cut three years ago, the ones not touching the ground are probably ok...Cut trees are sometimes allowed a couple of years to dry before cutting into lumber..
And he has not said what kind of trees they are, that could make a difference as to if they have much value. Even yellow pine can add up in a hurry if you have more than one..
It sounds like there are a lot of trees stacked on the ground and he should not have a problem finding someone to buy them..
Find a pulp mill in your area-you didn't state what kind of trees they were...depending on the type, ie: hardwood, fir, cedar...there are a variety of uses for each.
Just guessing that they are probably pine, the likelihood that they are of any use after three years of ground contact is small. More like zero. If you whack a few with a hammer or drill into them, you will likely determine that the bugs and decay are well on the way to reducing them to compost. You will be able to dent them easily with a hammer, and drill shavings will be powdery and smell like mold instead of turpentine. If you look at the cut end, you will probably see that the springwood (thicker ring) looks "fuzzy" and is soft and pulpy. (It is easier for the organisms that attack wood to digest the springwood than the thinner, denser, slower growing summerwood rings.) Sometimes called "jumping ring rot." Fiber strength, and thus suitability for use for anything will be greatly reduced. The ones in direct ground contact will probably not even be usable for firewood, though some of those higher in the stack may be. Burning pine for heat will build up creosote in the flue faster than some other species, so might want to clean a little more often. It's a shame that they went to waste. There are some area commercial sawmills, and I have one for personal use. If we had caught them in time, we might have been able to work out a mutually advantageous solution, but I have little faith that there is anything salvageable. Generally with pine, the sooner they are cut for lumber the better. Back when, they were floated in a mill pond to keep them from going bad if they couldn't be milled on a timely basis. I am not far from Hawkins and pass through there occasionally. If you would like an opinion on the condition, I spent a decade inspecting wood for decay, so could probably give you an accurate appraisal....not looking for a fee, just being neighborly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bjkjack
I purchased 10 acres near Lake Hawkins, which is about 90 miles east of Dallas, Texas. I got the land for a good price because Timber Pirates had cut down most of the trees before the Sheriff caught them. I now have stacks of trees sitting on the ground. The stacks are about 6 feet high and about 10-15 feet wide. The trees about 20-30 feet in length. What can I do with these downed trees???
The stacks have been on the ground about 3 years now. I am a city boy, just starting on the 'county life'. Does anyone know any of any sawmills or the like in the area? If they are not good enough to save, what else can I do? I will be doing most of the work myself, and money is definitely an issue. I am not living on the land yet. I live about 7 hours away. But I've got to start somewhere.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
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Downed trees
