I just picked up 400 board feet of hard maple lumber. I brought in a trailor load of 15 inch to 18 inch logs into the sawmill earlier this summer. I had about 250' sawed at 1" and 150" at 1-1/4". I will be using the thicker for work bench tops. All wood was kiln dried to 9%. I was disappointed by the 400 board feet, I thought I should of had alot more with the huge load of logs. The mill I used had a circular saw type blade. Upon investigation of some of the boards, I realized the blade was using up about 5/8" of wood per cut. I have alot more hard maple to cut when the leaves fall and I was wondering what would be the best type of setup that I would want to deliver my logs to recieve the footage per log? Any advice is welcome.
Hard Maple Boards
- Thread starter jimdeq
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Wow, 5/8 per cut is really wide. I would think a place with a bandsaw type of setup would have a thinner kerf. A few guys here have the "portable" bandsaw mills, something like that would be ideal. Especially if you were there, you could cut/roll the logs how you wanted to get the grain needed/wanted
smokinj
Minister of Fire
Even a chainsaw mil will be .063 of an inch, but band mill will yeild the best. 15-18 in. logs do not yeild much no matter what your using though.
400 bf will do alot of project's. If they plane and edge them as well your going to lose some bf there as well.
Log
Small
End LOG LENGTH IN FEET
d.i.b." 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
6 5 10 10 10 20 20 20
7 10 10 20 20 30 30 30
8 10 20 20 20 30 30 30
9 20 30 30 30 40 40 40
10 30 30 30 40 60 60 70
11 30 40 40 50 70 80 80
12 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
13 50 60 70 80 100 110 120
14 60 70 90 100 110 130 140
15 70 90 110 120 140 160 180
16 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
17 90 120 140 160 180 210 230
18 110 130 160 190 210 240 270
19 120 150 180 210 240 270 300
20 140 170 210 240 280 310 350
21 150 190 230 270 300 340 380
22 170 210 250 290 330 380 420
23 190 230 280 330 380 420 470
24 210 250 300 350 400 450 500
25 230 290 340 400 460 520 570
26 250 310 370 440 500 560 620
27 270 340 410 480 550 620 680
28 290 360 440 510 580 650 730
29 310 380 460 530 610 680 760
30 330 410 490 570 660 740 820
31 360 440 530 620 710 800 890
32 370 460 550 640 740 830 920
33 390 490 590 690 780 880 980
34 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
35 440 550 660 770 880 980 1090
36 460 580 690 810 920 1040 1150
400 bf will do alot of project's. If they plane and edge them as well your going to lose some bf there as well.
Log
Small
End LOG LENGTH IN FEET
d.i.b." 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
6 5 10 10 10 20 20 20
7 10 10 20 20 30 30 30
8 10 20 20 20 30 30 30
9 20 30 30 30 40 40 40
10 30 30 30 40 60 60 70
11 30 40 40 50 70 80 80
12 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
13 50 60 70 80 100 110 120
14 60 70 90 100 110 130 140
15 70 90 110 120 140 160 180
16 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
17 90 120 140 160 180 210 230
18 110 130 160 190 210 240 270
19 120 150 180 210 240 270 300
20 140 170 210 240 280 310 350
21 150 190 230 270 300 340 380
22 170 210 250 290 330 380 420
23 190 230 280 330 380 420 470
24 210 250 300 350 400 450 500
25 230 290 340 400 460 520 570
26 250 310 370 440 500 560 620
27 270 340 410 480 550 620 680
28 290 360 440 510 580 650 730
29 310 380 460 530 610 680 760
30 330 410 490 570 660 740 820
31 360 440 530 620 710 800 890
32 370 460 550 640 740 830 920
33 390 490 590 690 780 880 980
34 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
35 440 550 660 770 880 980 1090
36 460 580 690 810 920 1040 1150
I'm in the opposite corner of WI, around here the Amish have diesel bandsaw-mills that are similar to portable, but set up with everything they need. Some of them do a good job with the smallest kerf you can find, it won't double the amount of lumber you'll get though, maybe 25% more? Sometimes the narrow kerf is canceled out by the dull-forced-wandering blade.
You may find a bandsaw mill nearby.
You may find a bandsaw mill nearby.
welp...depends on the size of your load ,log length,and how high of quality the logs,i spent the last twenty years in the wood business,from running a sawmill to now purchasing lumber from mill for a wholesale operation,give me deets and i,ll do my best to satisfy your ponderings
rod
rod
Does anyone have exprience with hard maple boards? I have heard they are difficult to dry. Is 9% a adequate number for cabinetry or woodworking? I understand that it is not good to cut hard maple in summer due to staining. I have more trees to cut for boards.but maybe I should wait till winter?
smokinj
Minister of Fire
9 percent good, not sure when the best time for hard maple is...Seem it should be like anything else its easier iin the fall and winter.
9 % is ok for cabinets ,,6-8 % is what we strive for...you can process hard maple year round,but you you gotta take great care in the may till oct time frame.the logs and lumber will stain in ahurry if you aren,t aware of the proper way to process summer maple.if you are just a hoobyist,wait till it gets cold, then cut your trees and have at it.....i process 5 million bf of upper grade hard maple a year at my work,we are one of the largest maple producers in canada, so we got a lot of experience in this field and sometimes it gets the better of us. i will try to post sme pics of our operation someday
smokinj
Minister of Fire
i have about 1000 bf of maple , don't know what kind. It has been sticked in the barn since before I bought the house (6years). 14' long various widths up to 22" x 2". I would like to sell , any advise, or interest here?
smokinj
Minister of Fire
4acrefarm said:
i would have it graded first..you would,nt sell a car with-out knowing thegeneral value of it,would you
well,if i was closer(ottawa) id gladly do it for you...that not feasable i would start by contacting a hard wood wholesaler in you area,they MAY grade the lumber and then buy it from you ...give me your location and i,ll get you some names....i,ll give you the going market pricing for each grade if you give me a length and thickness breakdown...... i buy and sell hardwood for a living so i got the 411 as it were
rod
rod
smokinj
Minister of Fire
I live near Green Bay WI. The lumber is 1" thick. It was sawed into 4,6,8, and 10" widths. Some of the logs were knot free and others had many knots. Most boards are 8' long, but some are only 4'. Your help is deeply appreciated, I have alot more hard maple to cut this fall and want to have boards cut rather than just sell logs to the mill?
smokinjay said:
for 4/4 llumber fas 2400
1 com 1200
2acom 950 this is for green stock per thousand bf,well manufactured (edged ) truck load volume.....
for a hobbyist such as your self the money is in air drying and selling your self or con tact a walnut wholesaler in your area and have a chat.many are not interested in small amouts,but some are...you gotta do the legwork before you partake in any hardwood vending
jimdeq said:
ok as of now the price for hard maple green,sap and better in your are is approx this
sel btr 8 ft and longer 5 inch and wider(limeted 4 inch 1100 to 1200 mbf
1 com 4 ft and longer 4 inch and wider 750 to 850 mbf
2a com 600 mbf
3a com 500 mbf
the key is getting it fairly graded and understanding how to put the up(manufacture)efficiently...winter cut maple also is worth more than summer cut besides,you should avoid dealing with white woods in the warm weather periods unless you really know what you doing as stain can set in and leave your wood relatively worthless in a matter of days.....ask me anything you feel,if i can help i,ll be glad to pass along what i can
roddy said:
sorry misread your post....ido you want to have your lumber sawn for personal use,or for re-sale a latter date.....
smokinj
Minister of Fire
roddy said:
Just like to know whats it worth, selling is not hard around here someone is always looking for walnut. Quite a few some cabinet shops left in this area.
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