Is this Cherry log worth any $$?

Sure doesn't look it to me, it definitely not a veneer log and doesn't look like much of a sawlog due to defects. Probably good for pallets but unless there is market for odd ball cherry, I think you have some firewood or possible something good for smoking meat.

I think the defects combined with the fact that it's normally not worth it to take a single log to a mill makes it a firewood piece. That log would probably get put on a load going to the mill if there were an entire truckload, but for a single log? Cut it up into firewood.

Of course, if you do wood working you could always mill a bit of the log for yourself and the rest could go to firewood. This would allow you to work around the defects and not have to hassle with hauling the log as a whole.

I've gone through exactly the same thing. I had over 300 bf and sawmills within 20 min drive and no one interested. Now with the wind storm, I've got over 1000 bf and I am bringing in a local guy with a sawmill to cut it into slabs so I can make some furniture and the rest is for fencing for my son. It is a fair bit of work to bandsaw, then kiln dry the wood before it is useable.
Sad that black cherry is worth a lot when sold in the lumber yard but it's a lot of $$ to get it there from the bush.

If you want cash, you'll get more for firewood than for lumber. Not a commercial saw log due to limb/scars, wide sapwood, off center pith, rot at the top and probably sap streaking, not to mention possible F.O.D. being on the edge of a field. However, if you want to get it bandsawn (especially the butt to the first visible limb/scar) you could get some neat wood for your own use. I love doing this and have gotten at least 3K bd-ft from scrounge wood over the years, some low-ish quality character wood and some exquisitely beautiful and clear.

I agree with everyone who has said it isn't worth anything at a mill.

But if you are friends with any hobby woodworkers, give them a ring. I know I would come out in a heart beat if someone offered that tree. All kinds of things you could make out of it - small boxes, clocks, etc etc. See if they will throw in some free labor, beer, or scraps for kindling. But with all the defects, it isn't worth much from a financial standpoint. Lots of goodwill to a friend, however.

BlackGreyhounds said:

If you want cash, you'll get more for firewood than for lumber. Not a commercial saw log due to limb/scars, wide sapwood, off center pith, rot at the top and probably sap streaking, not to mention possible F.O.D. being on the edge of a field. However, if you want to get it bandsawn (especially the butt to the first visible limb/scar) you could get some neat wood for your own use. I love doing this and have gotten at least 3K bd-ft from scrounge wood over the years, some low-ish quality character wood and some exquisitely beautiful and clear.

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Yes and the not so nice looking I've used for paint grade projects. Here we call this swamp cherry. I've made some really neat projects including a harvest table with benches. Had to pick through it and the rest like I said was paint grade. Lacking the resources to handle it, firewood is the best rendering.

It is worth it's weight in firewood!

A lot of white sap wood. Split it up. The red center would make a nice fireplace mantle

You can probably chunk it up and sell it as smoking wood for at least $1 per pound on ebay.

I thought I had a good one for sure, but the single log was the deal breaker. After I bucked it, there was a bunch of rot in the base, and later there was a round that just wouldn't split. Hmmm, why is this one round remarkably tough? I really lucked out with my saw and thank goodness it didn't go to a mill.

I blocked one into firewood today that I had second and third thoughts about. One of the nicest black cherry trees I have come across in 40 years of wood cutting here on the farm. 28" diameter at the butt, 18" at thirty feet, straight as an arrow. Only a bit more than an inch or so of sapwood and not a limb or imperfection the whole length. I have sawn, and built furniture from, many trees nowhere near as nice but as someone mentioned above, it is hardly worth it to fool around with one or two logs.

Soundchasm said:

I thought I had a good one for sure, but the single log was the deal breaker. After I bucked it, there was a bunch of rot in the base, and later there was a round that just wouldn't split. Hmmm, why is this one round remarkably tough? I really lucked out with my saw and thank goodness it didn't go to a mill.



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And that is the reason most places won't even touch a log that a random stranger brings in... instantly ruin a mill operator's day (and profits) with that...

jaoneill said:

I blocked one into firewood today that I had second and third thoughts about. One of the nicest black cherry trees I have come across in 40 years of wood cutting here on the farm. 28" diameter at the butt, 18" at thirty feet, straight as an arrow. Only a bit more than an inch or so of sapwood and not a limb or imperfection the whole length. I have sawn, and built furniture from, many trees nowhere near as nice but as someone mentioned above, it is hardly worth it to fool around with one or two logs.

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Sad. From the sounds of it, I would have gotten at least some of it milled into lumber. It doesn't cost much to hire someone with a portable bandsaw mill to slice it up and I have a good connection who does custom kilning for ~25 cent/bf. I usually wind up less than 50 cent/bf cut and kilned.

It's good for about half a cord of firewood.

BlackGreyhounds said:

Sad. From the sounds of it, I would have gotten at least some of it milled into lumber. It doesn't cost much to hire someone with a portable bandsaw mill to slice it up and I have a good connection who does custom kilning for ~25 cent/bf. I usually wind up less than 50 cent/bf cut and kilned.

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Is sad, like I said above, I had second & third thoughts about blocking it up. Time was the primary consideration; it was a mile back into the woodlot, over an almost impassible rock ridge. By the time I got it out and to the local mill I would have three hours into it. Another hour or two to fetch it and stack it. Like most everyone else I have too little spare time, and with what I bill my working time at, it would be very expensive wood.

That's why I got a Granberg mill for my saw. I can mill my own logs when I get a nice one. I just milled one up like that and plan to use a crooked piece for the top of a headboard.

How many minutes does it take you to cut through that piece?

With a sharp chain less than 2 minutes on the ends. The middle was about 18" and that took about 5-8 minutes per pass. I am guessing on the time and did not use a stopwatch.

I did about 2 cuts on a tank of gas on the Stihl MS461 in cherry. In pine I could do 3. An MS660 or 90cc saw would be better for this.

If the wood was clean I could get about 5 cuts on before sharpening. I hit nails on a pine log and did a lot of sharpening. Luckily they were perpendicular and did not wreck my chain.

The only advantages to this are setup cost and not having to move the logs out of the woods. Otherwise it is hard on the saw, the bar thickness wastes a lot of wood and makes a lot of sawdust, and it uses a lot of fuel. For me it is great for the occasional nice log I find.

I am making a headboard with the cherry and a sandbox with cover / bench for my son with the white pine. I have 2"x18"0x10' pieces of white pine stacked and drying. Next I want to mill some bur oak into fence posts.

Thanks for the info. 5 to 8 min is about what I expected. I've contacted a few guys with portable sawmills and I think it will be a better way to go for me. I've got too many to do and the guy is quoting only $50/hr. The chainsaw rig will end up costing almost the same as his cost so, I'd rather watch him work.