Need help milling workbench lumber from trunks in Columbus Ohio

[Andrew Nemeth]

Hello all,

This is my first post in quite some time. I have unfortunately been caring for sick and aging family members this year and have not had too much extra time to keep up with my woodworking. However, as this year winds down I hope I will have a more productive 2015. To start the year my brother and I will be renovating and adding on to a new home for my parents that is closer to me and my siblings, and will better accommodate their needs moving forward. To make room for the addition three trees must come down: one ash, one sugar maple, and one silver maple. I believe the smallest of these trees to be about 20" at waist height and one may be as large as 28" in diameter, enough for a few (or more) dream workbenches. I'd really hate to see them go to waste. Is anyone local to me with a bandsaw mill that would like to mill them up in exchange for some lumber? I don't know what would be fair, but 1/2 and 1/2 would be a good starting point. I would be more than happy to help come milling day. I should note, I will not have access to any heavy equipment or a tractor to load and unload the logs. The trees will be felled this Thursday (December 11th). If I have any interest in the next few days, I will just have them section the trucks and I will seal the ends to buy us some time. If there is no interest, we will probably have most of it hauled away.

Thanks,
Andrew Nemeth

Moderators, feel free to move this post to a more appropriate location if I have posted this in the wrong place.

[Chris Hachet]

If you find someone, let me know as I have access to several large trees I would like to cut up when I get them down.

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

Did you try the Wood Mizer directory (on the company's web site)?

[Jeff Heath]

I have an LT 40 hydraulic, which would have no problem loading those logs onto the milling deck. However, you're a little farther away than I care to haul my mill. You can check milling forums like Forestry Forum, and see if anyone in your area is willing to mill on shares. For the most part, I can tell you that unless the wood is really great, it's not a good deal for the sawyer, unless he gets a large volume of wood that he/she can put to use right away after drying. I won't mill logs on shares unless it's walnut or cherry; two species I use frequently in my furniture building business.

A typical split milling on shares would be 75/25, 75 going to the guy with the $30k mill. Gas, maintenance, and saw blades are expensive.

[Andrew Nemeth]

I just tried over at woodmizer but it appears the link to the "find a sawyer" is broken. I'm using my phone so that could be the problem. If anyone has a known good link, it would be great if you could post it (or PM it to me).

Also, if anyone in the area has a trailer that can handle 2-4 logs this size, and a way to handle them, I'd be up for splitting gas and sawing fees and dropping the logs off somewhere for processing.

[David Weaver]

If you're near columbus (or in it), I'm sure you'll find guys around there who will work lumber pretty cheaply.

I agree with Jeff's comment, the market value of slabbed green lumber is not too high and the guys who own the mills around here usually have a surplus of wood and need cash more.

Cost is not much, here. There's a local guy with the exact same mill as Jeff has (so you don't need to be able to do anything other than get your logs to the mill, the mill will lift them), and he charges $50 to set up and $50 an hour. In my mind, he's working awfully cheap and that's the route I'd go. Pay, do a decent job sealing the ends of your slabs and then sell the slabs yourself (or use them).

Your other option is to get one of the attach on chainsaw mills (the type you can use in the woods) and a large saw with a ripping chain - and they'd be tough to use slabbing a 28" tree.

At any rate, it wouldn't take a guy with a mill large enough to lift your logs too long to slab cut the wood through and through - presume you pay a hefty chunk of change if the mill finds metal.

[David Weaver]

search

"lumber mill"

On craigslist. I see at least one listing of a guy with a portable mill who will travel to your place.

(and if that guy doesn't work, call a tree service place or two and find out if they know of folks who have portable mills - they probably will).

[Chris Hachet]

I just tried over at woodmizer but it appears the link to the "find a sawyer" is broken. I'm using my phone so that could be the problem. If anyone has a known good link, it would be great if you could post it (or PM it to me).

Also, if anyone in the area has a trailer that can handle 2-4 logs this size, and a way to handle them, I'd be up for splitting gas and sawing fees and dropping the logs off somewhere for processing.

I might be able to come up with something. Keep me informed.

[Thomas Bennett]

Andrew, private message sent ...

[Sean Reilly]

I am also from Columbus. There is a saw mill in Johnstown https://asawmill.com/ they might be able to help out. they have good prices too.

[Andrew Nemeth]

Thanks everybody for the advice and leads. I'm heading over now to watch as the trees come down and make a final determination as to the value of the lumber and if it's worth the effort to save. I'll keep everyone posted.

[Chris Hachet]

Thanks everybody for the advice and leads. I'm heading over now to watch as the trees come down and make a final determination as to the value of the lumber and if it's worth the effort to save. I'll keep everyone posted.

Thanks. From a lumber standpoint not sure it is often worth it, but I have wanted to go from tree to finsihed piece of furniture for a long time now. It is on my bucket list, in fact.

[David Weaver]

Thanks everybody for the advice and leads. I'm heading over now to watch as the trees come down and make a final determination as to the value of the lumber and if it's worth the effort to save. I'll keep everyone posted.

If you end up cutting it for firewood, cut yourself a couple of rounds out of the sugar maple , split it into large pieces that you'd be able to get a quartered 5x5 out of (cut about 3 feet long) and seal the ends.

Down the road, you might want something like that for plane making (or handle making, or whatever else).

[Mark Kuzee]

Try this:http:
//www.woodfinder.com

[Chris Hachet]

If you end up cutting it for firewood, cut yourself a couple of rounds out of the sugar maple , split it into large pieces that you'd be able to get a quartered 5x5 out of (cut about 3 feet long) and seal the ends.

Down the road, you might want something like that for plane making (or handle making, or whatever else).

I am going to be cutting some ash....does ash work as well as maple for this? I know Nice Ash planes makes planes from Ash....