Greetings from Alaska

[mics_54]

Hello all you loggers. Thought I would post and ask some questions about Logging from the mill perspective. I've worked in the woods a few times as the market dictated. I currently have a small chain mill that I am using to build my house here in alaska. I looked at a lot this evening that had a few good sized spruce trees 14-16" dia....maybe a couple of trailer loads. The rest were smaller 10"dia or less. The owner gave me the trees if I want them. Is it worth taking a 10" tree to saw? He is going to clear cut the 3 acre lot anyway for commercial use . Is it worth my fuel to saw trees this size? The lot is 15 miles from the yard. Easy access. He has another 10 acres 40 miles away.

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Welcome, Mcs-54.  It all =depends on your need for such small logs and what you might make from them for the building you want to build.   Ten inch for me is just about the lower limit to maximum production on my Mobile Dimension mill. 

[mics_54]

Most of the logs I am seeking now are in the 10"+ top at 10-12' length. I am building a piece on piece log house 8" on the flat and will use those for the stacked wall sections. I also will need some 1x6 and 2x4 and 2x6 but a  spruce log with a 10" butt will have an 8" top or smaller. I'm not much of a sawyer so I am wondering if live sawing rather than decision or cant sawing  would be advised. I dont have a band saw or a resaw unit. I don't know the best/most efficient way to saw this type of tree. I'm just wondering how you guys do it.

[joasis]

Welcome to the forum!

[Kirk Allen]

Welcome to the forum and dont cut to many of those trees down because I need some for my house when my wife and I move back!

I have cut about 5000 bf of spruce in the last few years and I keep everything that is 8" diameter or larger.  they make great 2x4 and 2x6 material.   

If you making 3 sided cants for the log on log walls I think you will be surprised how well those 10" logs work out.  You may consider those with the smaller tops that wont give you the 8" flat your looking for you can shorten the log to 8 foot, assuming supply of logs is available on the property your talking about.

If not, depending on your location in the Great State of Alaska, your entitled to 10,000 BF of Timber for personal use for FREE!    I know when my wife and I were in Haines looking for property that program was primarily available in the entire southeast portion of the state. 

We have since changed plans a bit and are looking to move to the Kenai Peninsula area and the timber program is not available in that area.

[mics_54]

Well I will save a spot for you. I live in Sterling on the Kenai Peninsula. There is alot of beetle killed spruce here. I found another 20 acres last night where the owner wants help logging it off. Standing dead works ok for the Log on Log. It isnt great for lumber though. Most of my log sections are 6' to 12' long between vertical posts. I built the floor on piers and beams with 2x decking that I sawed. Of course I use wood heat    I saw the occassional birch and cottonwood also. I planed some seasoned 1x cottonwood yesterday and was suprised how nice it looked. I will probably take as many smaller (8") trees as I can to fill out my trailer loads. I can always use it for firewood or log furniture or posts.

My wife wants to move back to Illinois! But I think she will settle for VISITING.

[Kirk Allen]

Your wife is nuts!   

My wife and I are dying to get back to what we call home!

We lived in Anchorage for 10 years or so while in the service and leaving was the hardest thing ever for us. 

Been looking at booking a moose hunt for next year and hope to lock down a piece of land during that trip.  We looked hard for two weeks a year or so ago and just couldn't find what we were looking for.  With the economy hitting the bottom now it might be a better time to buy.

[mics_54]

 Kirk,If I knew what type of property you were looking for I can keep an eye out. Somthing with trees on it I suspect.

[Kirk Allen]

I would like to find no less than 15 acres with trees preferably but would settle for waterfront provided a float plane can land on it.