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Tree Selection:
Ironically my tree selection did not start in the forest but on the phone with the
custom sawmill operator I am contracting out to saw this lumber. It is important to
talk with this person so as to see what sort of logs would make his job easier.
While I am paying him a straight price of 18 cents a board foot, I still want to make
his job as easy as possable for future contracts. After talking with him, the ideal
size for a log would have a small end diameter between 8 inches and 20 inches
inside the bark, less than 18 feet long.
custom sawmill operator I am contracting out to saw this lumber. It is important to
talk with this person so as to see what sort of logs would make his job easier.
While I am paying him a straight price of 18 cents a board foot, I still want to make
his job as easy as possable for future contracts. After talking with him, the ideal
size for a log would have a small end diameter between 8 inches and 20 inches
inside the bark, less than 18 feet long.
This tree is far from ideal. If you look close, you can see where two trees started
out close together on the ground, branched off for a ways, then grew back together.
Since I can get a few logs out of this, I chose to take tree afterall. It required a lot
more work to get logs out of, but as this tree is rather unhealthy, mature and
should be removed from a forestry point of view, it was harvested.
out close together on the ground, branched off for a ways, then grew back together.
Since I can get a few logs out of this, I chose to take tree afterall. It required a lot
more work to get logs out of, but as this tree is rather unhealthy, mature and
should be removed from a forestry point of view, it was harvested.
This spruce is considered an ideal canidate. Large in diameter, tall and straight it
has the properties I am looking for in regards to getting quality boards out of it. It
had a slight lean to it opposite of the way I want it to go. In this picture, I wanted it to
fall to the left side. With wedges and a sledge hammer this can easily be
accomplished making twitching it out of the woods far easier. One more thing to
note about this tree. The crown is starting to look a little ragged. This tree looks
like it's health is wanning, but at this point that is just a guess.
has the properties I am looking for in regards to getting quality boards out of it. It
had a slight lean to it opposite of the way I want it to go. In this picture, I wanted it to
fall to the left side. With wedges and a sledge hammer this can easily be
accomplished making twitching it out of the woods far easier. One more thing to
note about this tree. The crown is starting to look a little ragged. This tree looks
like it's health is wanning, but at this point that is just a guess.
Sometimes my judgement is off. I figured since the tree I cut before this one was
rotted on the stump (the first few feet of this tree can be seen in the photo), I
figured this tree would have red heart as well. It was indeed sound by the solid
white end of this 80 year old tree!
rotted on the stump (the first few feet of this tree can be seen in the photo), I
figured this tree would have red heart as well. It was indeed sound by the solid
white end of this 80 year old tree!
