[Carl Russell]

Hi Tim, I know John Hartland, and I live in Bethel also. Next time you have a few minutes suggest to him that you two stop by here…

I have been holding off on marking wood because of markets, but should have a project for consideration in the near future.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Never had one that was that bad. I’ve had one that coughed from time to time when eating hay, or after drinking water, but never had any problems working.

I would thinking it is like everything else, work her to find out how bad it is. Then work her according to her handicap.

Carl

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Carl Russell.

[Carl Russell]

Also, I have a hard time believing that Larch is worth more than $300/Mbf ($0.30/bf) on the landing, I’d say more like $250-$275….. plus trucking to get it home should be much less that $450/mbf…..($0.45/bf)

But it is out of my normal market range.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Hi Donn, I couldn’t resist a little time spent on this…

I came up with;
Tamarack/Larch
5- 22′ logs @ 12″min dia.(135bf/) = 675bf
3- 20′ logs @ 12″min dia (125bf/) = 375
8- 18′ @ 9″ (60bf/) = 480
24-16′ @14″ (135bf/) =3240
12-16′ @12″ ( 95bf/) =1140
48-16′ @9″ ( 50bf/) =2400
2- 14′ @12″ ( 85bf/) = 170
24-14′ @9″ ( 45bf/) =1080
37-12′ @12″ ( 70bf/) =2590
Total =12150

Owners Logs
16-16′ @14″ (135bf/) 10x10x15 =2160
17-16′ @14″ (135bf/) 1x10x16 =2295
Total =4455

I would suggest that you give this list to the logger…… or one like it. It is the way I would see it from the logging end…. number of logs, dia., and length.

I wasn’t sure about the 12.6′ long lumber for your floor joists, but if you need those cut 13′ long for extra trim then that scale may need to change, but the number of logs should stay the same.

I also converted your 15’ers into 16’ers so that they could be interchangeable in the log count…. carpenter can shorten at the site. If the logger is cool with cutting 15’ers, the 12″ logs scale 90bf and the 9″ logs scale basically scale the same. I personally would keep it simple for the logger.

You should ask for the logs to have 6″overlength… which does not add to scale. it is a common convention.

There will no doubt be 8″logs and 16″ logs, so the numbers could change, but using minimum dia gives the logger a basis to work from…… you will no doubt also get all of the other logs that do not meet your order, so the total scale will probably be greater still….. hard to tell without knowing the size of trees to be cut. However there are a lot of 9″, and a lot of 12″ logs, which will probably easily come out of the same tree, so it may be pretty efficient.

Have fun, Carl

[Carl Russell]

Thanks for asking Jared, I am just so busy right now, I don’t have enough time to make much of a post…… I am planning to at some point though.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

So a few more thoughts. One thing to remember is that the stick scale on a log, regardless of the Rule used (International 1/4″, Doyle, Scribner, or Vermont), will ALWAYS be 15%-20% under actual board tally. These Rules were developed to provide consistency in commerce, but are still used by buyers who will not benefit from under-scale, or even exact scale. The sawmiller must have a guaranteed overrun to deal with inconsistencies, defects, and production inefficiencies.

I have gotten as high as 30% over-run with my Woodmizer without trying very hard. Either way, that will not make an 8″ board come out of an 8″ tree…..

If you are looking for 2×6’s and 2×8’s, the most efficient logs to buy will make a cant that can be sawed into three 2×6’s, or 4 2×8’s or more. So the minimum TED, inside the slab, for 2×6’s would be the diagonal measurement across that cant, including kerf. 6 1/4″x 6″ = 9″ or 8 3/8″ x 8″= 11.5″ …..

It is time consuming for a logger to custom cut logs, but the truth is that if you don’t get what you need it will cost you more in the long run. If you tell him you will take woods run of everything it takes to make your minimum it will be much more acceptable to him I’m sure, especially with Larch. This is where the extra volume came from during my winter job. We had to cut a certain number of trees to get the 8×8’s, and there were a lot of extra logs that had to be harvested to make that work.

It will be well worth the effort to figure out in advance what he needs from you to get what you need from him…… your sawyer will be much happier too.

Of course this is what I do, so I get really detailed as I want to be as proficient as possible. You may be able to work with a more relaxed methodology.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

I will second what others have said.

The only caveat I will add is that the dimension of the desired product will also affect your needed scale. For example if you are cutting 8×8’s you will need to have logs 11″ top end or larger. Those logs will scale far more than the stack of 8×8’s because of the side boards.

This winter I cut 25 Mbf of logs to get 17mbf of 8×8 lumber. Of course there is a lot of extra lumber that is useful, just don’t think it is a straight figure. If you get a bunch of logs 8″ top end, and you are looking for 2×6’s, you won’t get many.

You really should custom order your logs from the stump to match your lumber list….. unless it is just a simple stack of 2×4’s you’re looking for.

If you want to share your lumber list with me I could give you a closer figure.

In fact share it here if that suits you.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Hi all, I will be marking, inventorying, and laying out the job during June. There may be some preliminary trail work that will need doing ahead of time, and it will need to be done during a dry season, so I’m looking at late Summer. I’ll try to keep you better informed.

On another note, I just returned from a trip to Sweden, which is a story in its self, but I spent time with several other Horseloggers from US and UK and this topic was batted around a lot. I think first on the list would be a comprehensive directory, including a map, list of services, area of operation, and potentially some way for individuals to interact with each other and prospective clients. More on that later.

Daylight’s burning, Carl

[Carl Russell]

Just pulling together the basis for a harvesting plan on two adjacent properties near my place. We may be looking for a minimum of four working units. I won’t have numbers for a while yet, but I will try to lay things out so that operators can produce $300-400 worth of material per day. I am looking for enough productive capacity to keep a forwarder moving all day on an average 1/2 mile tun distance.

Just though you would like to think about this….

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Carl Russell]

Great job Kevin, you are definitely doing some great work these days. I am pleased to see the way those steers have turned out. You were pretty discouraged a few times, and you just hung in there. It is also great that teamsters from DAP.com were able to be your long distance support system.

Keep it up man, Carl

[Carl Russell]

I will look in my stack and scan the article if I can find it.

[Carl Russell]

Scratches

[Carl Russell]

Yes, I also have one that I starting using last summer. I find it to work great. I have other JD mower parts that I can use for replacement and repair… a little goes a long way… you don’t need a bone yard.

I have been using a New Idea No.9 for the last 25+ years, and while it is similar to McD No.9, and parts are somewhat interchangeable, those machines are much less common than JD, so to me this is an upgrade.

Functionally I see very little different than any other make/model. It moves smoothly and I think with the steel wheels it has a bit more cutting power in heavy grass than my old machine.

I think you take what you can get. If it runs well, and has no major wear, you should be able to get many years of use with minimal maintenance, so replacement parts are not as necessary as for more modern equipment that falls apart more each season.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Yes that’s right. I have found that it is pretty easy work clipping pastures with a HD sickle mower. I have used the DR for filed renovation, and heavy growth left after grazing. I like to mulch down the crop so it incorporates easily, as I will occasionally cut a second hay crop off early pasture.

The DR is a loud thing, but runs smoothly. I have found it works fest behind a steady team. It does throw projectiles from time to time, so the Barden cart with its solid back is another asset. It is also costly, and requires fuel, but it has been a boon in our pasture reclamation..

Carl

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Carl Russell.

[Carl Russell]

Jared, I have no problem with nylon as a material. I am sure that the straps themselves would be entirely rugged enough. The problem I have had with nylon straps is that they tend to be cheapened, and the buckles are shit. I had a set of nylon harnesses with front side straps where the buckles were not a continuous piece of steel on the front cross piece. It is difficult to tell because this piece has a steel roller around it, but any buckle under load should be a continuous piece. Just under normal conditions with the harness fitted tight the tang collapsed the roll of light steel and came completely undone…. useless.

As far as Conways, I also use them on jack saddle straps and britchen straps, but I would not use them on a strap under the load such as the front side strap.

Carl

[Author]

Posts