Boards or Slabs?

Hi Gang. I have around 12 Black Walnut trees on my property i plan to harvest. I've never milled logs before so this is something new to me. They all average 51" around the base of the tree and around 80 feet tall. Should I mill the logs into boards or leave them as slabs? If I leave them as slabs, should I plane them down as well or leave them as rough cut? And one last question...How thick and how long is the most desired board/slab? Sorry for all the questions but I'm treading into unknown waters here.
Thanks!

Can you even move logs that large? If you can, do you have a mill large enough to slab them? If so, you will get the most money for slabs, especially if there are knots or other defects which would diminish the value of lumber. For slab 4 ft wide I think you'd want to make them at least 3" thick. I'm not sure because I've never dealt with anything that large. Drying time? At least a year per inch on something that thick unless you have access to a kiln.

Lumber is a lot easier to deal with. If the lumber is clear, as in no knots or other defects, you could sell it for $8 - 12/lb of after kiln drying, even more for 8/4, but you'd be fortunate to get half that for air dried unless someone is specifically looking for air dried lumber.

If you've never milled logs it might make more sense to have it done by someone who has. You have the chance to make a substantial profit if the logs are cut and dried well, and nearly nothing if it's not.

One more thing. If any of the logs are clear you should consider selling them as is. Veneer quality logs are worth $5/bf to companies looking for them. Pretty easy money for no work. They take down the tree. You get paid.

John

51" around the base is about 16" diameter, but at dbh (diameter breast height) ~4 feet above ground even less than 16" diameter. Your widest slabs would be through the heart, but that would contain the pith which is very undesirable. I'm not sure at what diameter they would be marketable for veneer, but here in northern Ohio, typically they would like at least 20" diameter at dbh.

Thanks for the info John. I'm still in the early stages of determining the initial investment cost in a mill and a forklift (for moving the logs). Last year I posted on FB and Instagram my desire to sell the trees. I even sent emails to over 25 lumber yards and mill-work shops. No one was interested in taking down the trees. And I do not have the equipment to haul the logs if I took them down myself. So I guess the journey continues on which course of action I should take.
Thanks!

Thanks Dale. I'm starting to see there's a lot more to Milling logs than I thought. I tried selling the trees and have the buyer take them down, but there were no takers. I'll keep digging.
Thanks!

You would probably get the most traction if you found a hobbyist sawyer who can move logs. If it were me I would say cut down the trees yourself and if I can get my equipment to the log (ie. not in the middle of the woods) I'll pick them up, mill them, and we can split the lumber 50/50 (some might go 60/40, it just depends). You'll still have to dry whatever you get, which you can either pay for or diy, but that is a whole process on its own. I would prefer only one or two logs at a time, but some hobbyists spend more time on their hobbies than me. Going that route it could take anywhere from a few months to a year just to get everything cut, then air dry vs kiln dry is another year or two vs weeks or months depending on your budget. Black walnut would be worth running through a kiln, solar kilns are relatively easy to set up, and its likely a local hobbyist has one already. I personally don't run a kiln but have a buddy that does I'll hire on occasion. Those trees are not terribly big, which is why no large mills are interested, so if you still want to try and make a little money off them just prepare to go slow and be patient. As far as the most value, I would probably cut 2" slabs, with a few 1" pieces from the narrow outer cuts. People will buy air dry slabs too, you should have no problem getting $5/bf all day for air dry, if you end up with some really high quality stuff it could go more. Kiln dry maybe $8-10, I'm not too sure, it also varies by region.

Good grief, I misread your original post. I read 51" diameter instead of 51" around. Completely different animal. Sorry. So instead of worrying about how you could handle a 51" diameter log, we're looking at pretty small logs for much yield with walnut, which likely is why you found no interest from commercial buyers. No one's going to take them down AND pay you money unless they are 20" and up, clear (no limb knobs), and have reasonable assurance there's no metal in them. I see ads like that on FB Marketplace all the time - for months with no takers. I think you'll have to think of another route if you want to harvest that lumber.

John

As a general suggestion, I would advise to never try to market timber on you own, unless it's just a couple trees you're trying to get rid of. A good Forrester can manage the whole process from bid to final clean up. It will cost a small fee, but you will be rewarded by the best price, and no surprises along the way. I sat through a local Forrester's woodlot management seminar several years ago, and it was eye opening to see the disparity between bids from the lowest to highest bid on an actual job. He also stated that veneer walnut trees should be at least 20" dbh, and that most veneer is sliced and not cut on a rotary mill, therefor a veneer tree can have defects on one face.

If the trees aren't in your way and you will continue to own the woods they will gain value as they grow.

I would never attempt to guess what sells the best, boards or slabs. 80' tall doesn't help either. What is it to the first branch? The idea of contacting a forester is right on the mark, unless you live in a region that has a state forester available to the general public. These guys know the market, know exactly what the trees will yield, and they know tree fellers.

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Originally Posted by Dale Stansbery

51" around the base is about 16" diameter, but at dbh (diameter breast height) ~4 feet above ground even less than 16" diameter. Your widest slabs would be through the heart, but that would contain the pith which is very undesirable. I'm not sure at what diameter they would be marketable for veneer, but here in northern Ohio, typically they would like at least 20" diameter at dbh.

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At what age is DBH taken?