Small scale loggers

[ucfireman]

They did say that "pulp wood" had to either be a load of pine or hardwood, not mixed.
Had to be 4 inches at the tip and be 16.6 ft long.
Seems stupid to me for those sizes if your going to chip it for pulpwood.
I assume they (the mill) take what you bring them, saw what they can, then use whatever is left for pulp and call it all pulp so they don't have to pay for "saw logs".
All these sweetgums would make good saw logs or railroad ties, timber frame etc. They are big and straight. I had actually thought about buying a sawmill and sawing into pole barn frames. But I doubt I ever would.

Anybody know first hand?

 

[jiminbogart]

I've got a sawmill and I've sawn sweet gums. I used some in my pole barn and you can't hardly drive a nail into it. The nail gun can't even do it. You have to finish gun nails by hand. It as bad as LSL's.

The knock on sweet gum is that it twists up when it dries. Mine didn't twist any more than pine.

 

[fishfryer]

I've got a sawmill and I've sawn sweet gums. I used some in my pole barn and you can't hardly drive a nail into it. The nail gun can't even do it. You have to finish gun nails by hand. It as bad as LSL's.

The knock on sweet gum is that it twists up when it dries. Mine didn't twist any more than pine.

Dip nails in diesel before driving. Sawmill owner told me that forty years ago. Bozie Faulk if your checking my story.

 

[tree cutter 08]

Gums good for pulpwood or pallet wood if sawlogs and that's about it.

 

[ucfireman]

I've got a sawmill and I've sawn sweet gums. I used some in my pole barn and you can't hardly drive a nail into it. The nail gun can't even do it. You have to finish gun nails by hand. It as bad as LSL's.

The knock on sweet gum is that it twists up when it dries. Mine didn't twist any more than pine.

What are "LSL"s?

I have heard you can girdle it to kill it and let it dry while standing and it doesn't twist as bad. But I don't know.

I did see an episode of "Barn wood builders" and they looked at a cabin that was made from sweetgum (or so they said) and those logs were like 8-10 inches thick and 20+ inches tall. I got a few that I could get a few logs out of like that.
Would make the walls of a cabin go up pretty quick.

Again would probably never do it but would hate to get rid of them and decide I wanted to. But I do want the areas cleared for some white oaks, and Dunstan chestnuts I have.

 

[jiminbogart]

What are "LSL"s?

Laminated strand lumber.

I prefer LVL's(laminated veneer lumber).

LSL(random internet pic):



LVL(From framing my house. That's actually the proper engineered fastener spacing. I've never seen anyone do it right. Usually framers just shoot it full of clavos with the pistola.):

 

[gawildlife]

Laminated strand lumber.

I prefer LVL's(laminated veneer lumber).

LSL(random internet pic):

View attachment 1094495

LVL(From framing my house. That's actually the proper engineered fastener spacing. I've never seen anyone do it right. Usually framers just shoot it full of clavos with the pistola.):

View attachment 1094496

That right there is killing the saw log market.

 

[gawildlife]

The mills are so automated these days they want set sizes to feed into the mill. To large, to small, crooked, etc requires to much handwork or resetting.
Gum is growing in favor for hardwood pulp. Latest recommendations from one consulting forester was to plant every fourth row in gum and take it out on the first thinning as pulp. I just don't think I could bring myself to purposely plant gum.

 

[GDAWG84]

They did say that "pulp wood" had to either be a load of pine or hardwood, not mixed.
Had to be 4 inches at the tip and be 16.6 ft long.
Seems stupid to me for those sizes if your going to chip it for pulpwood.
I assume they (the mill) take what you bring them, saw what they can, then use whatever is left for pulp and call it all pulp so they don't have to pay for "saw logs".
All these sweetgums would make good saw logs or railroad ties, timber frame etc. They are big and straight. I had actually thought about buying a sawmill and sawing into pole barn frames. But I doubt I ever would.

Anybody know first hand?

You would assume very wrong. All harvested timber doesn’t go to the same “mill” to cut whatever they can. Trees are merchandised on the ramp and sent to the respective mills depending on size and quality. Sawlogs go to the log mill, pulpwood goes to pulp mill, so on and so forth. And each mill has its own set of size and quality specs.
The size specs you mentioned have to do with making sure that the logs don’t get hung up in the debarking drum. Also 16.6’ ensures that the logs reach at least two bolsters on the log trailer.
Not every mill takes hardwood either. The ones that take both pine and hardwood (generally only pulp mills take both) want them separated so that they can manufacture their different paper formulations more easily. This is why pine and hardwood pulpwood are never mixed on a load. And pine saw mills never take hardwood logs. They go to the hardwood sawmill.

 

[ucfireman]

Very well put from someone who obviously knows.
Thanks.

 

[sleepr71]

Basically,if you are a smaller landowner…you have to PAY somebody to come in & clear it..or buy the Equipment to do it yourself. And it don’t sound like you are wanting to get out there & do it. I guess you could always drop the trees..drag the trunks out,sort them by Hardwood/Softwood…THEN get a smaller logger/Sawmill operator over to see what they’d be worth to him(?) He bring a Bobcat,or Grapple loader & load on the spot. Then…you get somebody in there with an Excavator,that has a Thumb on it & stack all the Debris up into piles. Let them dry out & burn them this Winter. Then plant whatever species of trees you want,where you want them. You are going to have to Hand spray all of the Stumps from the previous trees,when they start greening back up. It’s work man,and not just ONE step/process ?

 

[gawildlife]

A couple other uses for gum. Back in the day it was a preferred wood for ox yoke beams as the heavy twisted grain could handle the strain of a brace of oxen. Hickory for the bows.
Gum was also slashed for the sap much like pine.

 

[RedHills]

A couple other uses for gum. Back in the day it was a preferred wood for ox yoke beams as the heavy twisted grain could handle the strain of a brace of oxen. Hickory for the bows.
Gum was also slashed for the sap much like pine.

As a hobbiest wood worker....everytime i try and do anything with gum im reminded why I swore to never waiste any time again....the previous time. The redgum heart in it is just so tantalizing, but the interlocking grain is a curse! Got some to the stabilizing chamber, but lost probably 75% on the way.

 

[gawildlife]

I remember well a eight foot log about two foot in diameter laying out by the woodpile and my asking dad why he hadn't split it up for firewood yet.
Long story short, I must've beat on that thing for month before I called it quits. LOL

 

[Kev]

I did contact one and he never called me back. I found through google.
I did get a list of ones on GFC but have not contacted any of them yet.
If I can remember Ill call tomorrow.

Can you tell me what county your land is in?

 

[treemanjohn]

Girdle the trees and leave them standing for wildlife. There's no shortage of saw and pulp logs in the South. Mills can get what they want when they want ir

 

[ucfireman]

Can you tell me what county your land is in?

NW Coweta.

 

[TL60]

Maybe reach out to the Wood Mizer dealer in Newnan...?

You probably need to decide what you want to invest in the project, odds of getting what you want done for value of wood are pretty slim these days .
About 40 yrs ago cleared 3 thick acres of pine with my dad so he could build his shop. Borrowed a pulpwood truck and called the owner everytime we filled it up. he would haul it and we would split the $, I made almost half what my regular job paid, at 5 times the work, lol. . Learned a newfound respect for "pulp wooders" of old.

Try these guys too,
Mcgee And Sons Logging & Grinding, Inc

3812 Allie Road Greenville, GA 30222 (706) 672-3880