looking @ 2500 BF in the morning. Need input

[David Schmaus]

Here is the advertisement. I emailed with the lady that has it forsale. Its from her dads sawmill. (its now in his estate). I attached the only two pics that she sent.. $1300 What should I be looking for when I go check this out? What concerns?

Air dried hard lumber -

100 Bd Ft mixed Walnut & Cherry
794 Bd Ft Ash
126 Bd Ft 2" Oak
280 Bd Ft 2 1/2" poplar
83 Bd Ft 2" Poplar
245 Bd Ft Hard Maple
220 Bd Ft 1" Walnut
107 Bd Ft 1-2" Red Oak
441 Bd Ft 1" poplar

Selling all together

[Matthew Hills]

I'd look for signs of bugs or rot. And I'd be checking my phone list for friends who can help me load/unload.

Matt

[sean m. titmas]

awesome find. $.50 bf for assorted hardwoods is a great deal.
the photos show that the wood was stickerd properly and stored under a roof to protect it from the elements.
i would check for proper moisture content, termites or bugs, fungus and checking.
if nothing seems out of balance than snatch it up before anyone else does.

[Kendall Stokke]

if it is dryed correctly and laying straight without much splitting it sound like on heck of a deal. less that 75 cents a bd ft.

id bring my truck but i might get lost on the way to your shop and have to bring it to mine lol

just the walnut is worth 1200 in my neck of the woods

you can always make some real nice shop cabinets out of the stuff

good luck

kendall

[Charles Davis]

Congrats! that's awesome... Like others said look for end checking and bug damage/rot... sometimes it's hard to see... if the boards feel unusually light that's not good at all.

Given how much lumber that is, I'd be inclined to take a circ saw and crosscut a board or two... I think that's only fair.

Other than that, make sure you have plenty of hands to help and an 18 wheeler at your disposal... lol... seriously, hopefully you have the logistics of moving all that lumber planned out, including where you're gonna store it. Ohhh and buy a bottle of aleve for the day after... ;)

[David Schmaus]

That is great input. I have a cordless circular saw that I will take with me. I am taking my 14x7 enclosed trailer. I dont have help lined up but I will make some calls in the morning..

About checking. On a lets say 6 foot board is a inch or two of checking on each end ok?

I actually dont have anywhere to store it but if it turns out to be nice I will find a place to put it... Its could be a good day tomorrow. I will make sure I bring a camera and give updates.


Thank for all the input on a short notice!

[Charles Davis]

Given how much material is there it would take a LOT of checking for me to turn that stuff down... well beyond am inch or two. From the pics, the material looks great! I really don't think you're gonna have a problem with quality if the pics are a proper representation.

I think you're going to need to make multiple trips... 2500BF of lumber is a HUGE amount of lumber (in both size and weight). I think you might find yourself saying "we're gonna need a bigger boat" after you get a good look at it. Heh... maybe not... but the weight alone might force that. I'd probably want 3 other people as well for the lifting.

It might not be that easy to just stick it somewhere either...

For reference sake, I'm attaching a pic of 140BF of walnut I recently got off craigslist... imagine 18X this and that's what you'll be dealing with... a good problem to have tho! Good luck with everything.

[Mark Norman]

I'd jump on it Dave!

Unless there is a BUNCH of rot it looks like a killer deal!

[Julian Nicks]

What are you waiting for, go get it! Honestly, 6" end checking is acceptable. The lumber is properly stacked and stickered, so I will assume its air dried, which is a bonus. You won't have to worry about if someone messed up the drying cycle in a kiln, which leads to internal stress.

You aren't going to fit that in an enclosed trailer. You might need to take 2-3 trips to get that all home due to the weight. for an example that pile of 792 bf ft of ash weighs around 1700 pounds, so you are looking at quite a heavy load.

Here's a link that might help you figure out the total weight.
http://www.customsawing.com/Lumber%20Weight.htm

[Philip Johnson]

I bought about that much one time and used a neighbors horse trailer to haul it. It filled up a 4 horse trailer to the top and the poor truck would hardly pull it home. that was before the days of the diesel pickups.

[Todd Burch]

That's some old wood. Been outdoors a long time.

[Matt Ellis]

Given how much material is there it would take a LOT of checking for me to turn that stuff down... well beyond am inch or two. From the pics, the material looks great! I really don't think you're gonna have a problem with quality if the pics are a proper representation.

I think you're going to need to make multiple trips... 2500BF of lumber is a HUGE amount of lumber (in both size and weight). I think you might find yourself saying "we're gonna need a bigger boat" after you get a good look at it. Heh... maybe not... but the weight alone might force that. I'd probably want 3 other people as well for the lifting.

It might not be that easy to just stick it somewhere either...

For reference sake, I'm attaching a pic of 140BF of walnut I recently got
off craigslist... imagine 18X this and that's what you'll be dealing with... a good problem to have tho! Good luck with everything.


yep, that is going to be a pile for sure! definitely worse problems to have though! :p

a couple months back, i helped my dad cut down an oak at his place that had been hit by lightening. i got 2-10 foot logs from the butt, hauled them to a local guy, and came away with about 350 bd ft of lumber. it pretty much filled my 16'x6' trailer to a height of about 12" (it wasn't stacked very neatly). it was wet too, so very heavy. it turns out logging is hard work!

-matt

[Mike Parzych]

As you're unstacking it, evidence of powder post beetles would be apparent - little piles of "sawdust."

But that's the kind of deal you can't go wrong on. I'd do it in a minute. A little heavy on the poplar, but the maple, walnut oak makes it well worthwhile. Some end checking is unavaoidable.

[Chris Padilla]

I added up 2396 bf of mixed hardwood. At $1300 for all that, you are looking at 54 cents per board foot.

Even if half of it is garbage, it is likely still a good buy.

Rent a large truck for the day and fill it up!

I noticed you don't have your location posted...CHICKEN!!!!! ;) hahaha

[Thomas Syrotchen]

David,
There is a far greater concern than Insects, Rot or end checks, its where do you put that much wood and if you can't come up with a place I'm sure there are a few of us that would pay you $1.00 a BF to take some of it off your hands especially any walnut thats really wide. I know that stuff can be hard to store. I'd also be concerned about those of us that are frantically trying to search craigslist across the country to get such a deal.
On a more serious note, I bought a bunch of walnut a few years back from a sawmill that had a fire and there was a little bit of black soot on the top of the piles. After letting it sit for a year, I started using it. I was always worried about a smoke smell, but instead, I found myslef just smiling knowing I wasn't feeling the other $2.00 a board foot in my pocket I should have paid for that wood and I've never had anything built from it smell a bit.
I can't buy any of that wood in your list for less than $2.00 a bf in my area, so if 25% of the wood is good and its just the poplar your breaking even. If 75% of its good, your getting a heck of deal. I don't see how you could go wrong if you do a quick inspection of it.
Just remember if you need to offload that walnut for room I'm there for you.

[Todd Burch]

Back in 1996, I bought just as much wood, if not more, for $100 cash. 4 very large pickup loads to get it home.

Then, I spent $275 to fumigate it.

Then, I spent about $100 building a lumber rack for the garage.

Then, I rented a storage unit and paid some Mexicans to move it. That was about 1998.

I've been paying monthly rental now for 11 years, probably averaging $100/month. And I moved it once too, which cost about $200 in and of itself.

So, that $100 "steal of a deal - how can I pass it up?" has cost me close to $14,000.

Todd

[Matt Ellis]

Back in 1996, I bought just as much wood, if not more, for $100 cash. 4 very large pickup loads to get it home.

Then, I spent $275 to fumigate it.

Then, I spent about $100 building a lumber rack for the garage.

Then, I rented a storage unit and paid some Mexicans to move it. That was about 1998.

I've been paying monthly rental now for 11 years, probably averaging $100/month. And I moved it once too, which cost about $200 in and of itself.

So, that $100 "steal of a deal - how can I pass it up?" has cost me close to $14,000.

Todd

sounds more like a personal problem due to your circumstances than anything else. why rain on this guy's parade?

[Chris Padilla]

sounds more like a personal problem due to your circumstances than anything else. why rain on this guy's parade?

I think it is more of a BIG picture look at acquiring so much wood and the realities of storing it. Rain? You mean like a nice misting when it is 100 F out! ;)

[Jim Watts]

I added up 2396 bf of mixed hardwood. At $1300 for all that, you are looking at 54 cents per board foot.

Even if half of it is garbage, it is likely still a good buy.

Rent a large truck for the day and fill it up!

I noticed you don't have your location posted...CHICKEN!!!!! ;) hahaha

I'd guess he's in Columbia, SC or perhaps Elk River, MN ???

[Chris Padilla]

So, that $100 "steal of a deal - how can I pass it up?" has cost me close to $14,000.

Todd

Spread out over time, it is less painful to pay that much...like a MORTGAGE!! :D

[Charles Davis]

Then, I spent about $100 building a lumber rack for the garage.



Wait, spent $100 building a lumber rack? Didn't you have an enormous stock pile of lumber that you needed to do something with? heh...

Interesting story... sorry it has cost you so much over time.

It's a relevant anecdote given that I believe the original poster mentioned that he doesn't know where he's putting his stash yet. You have to realistically consider what rate you'll be using up this stockpile, especially if your paying for storage (or worse yet, storing improperly outside). Do the projections and sell off what you don't need or can't practically store. We all have a tendency to hoard given the circumstance but fight that urge... if you perhaps run out of lumber in 30 years, you will still have the option to purchase more. ;)

[David Schmaus]

Ok, the transaction has taken place. Here is a little bit before I go back for another load.

(Actually this turned out to be a long story)

So we email each other last night while I am posting to this forum asking questions. (up to about midnight). I figure the worse thing that could happen is I blo 1300 bucks. So I setup to meet her out at here dads farm 10am this morning.

I have a landscape company so I take the 3500 dump with the 14x7 enclosed trailer. Its about 30 minutes from the house each way. (Dayton, Ohio) Out in Gods country.

So I pull into a long gravel drive past a brick ranch to a couple barns behind the house. There is a mini van and a 70 ish lady gets out and says "Are you dave"? Yep its me. "She begins to tell me that this was her dads place and he passed about 6 months ago. The sawmill that he owned had sold but this was his personal wood he used for projects. So she opens the barn door and I was speechless. Not of the quality of the wood (Because truthfully I dont know what to look for) but the sure volume of wood.

I walked it off. 4 stacks that are about 10'wide and 5' deep and 4' high

2 stacks about 10-12 foot wide 4 deep and 6 feet tall

4 more stacks 10-12 wide and 4 or 5 feet tall

It was crazy. Each pile had a piece that was marked "cherry" "Walnut" and so on.

There is definately a bunch of poplar. I saw 9 or 10 boards that are 4 inches thick 12 to 14 wide and 10-16 long. and straight.

Anyways I didnt even negociate. Handed her 1300 and told her I would have it out by Sunday.

Loaded my first trailer with some cherry and walnut and headed home. On the way I started calling to look for a place to store it. I ended up renting another area where I keep my landscape equiptment.

12x40 covered and secured.

I took pics with my cell phone but I am going to take the camera with me and go back up for a load. I will post pics tonight. Thanks for everyones help.

[Julian Nicks]

Holy crap that's a score of a lifetime! Please take some pics of the score. I bet there's some really choice figured stuff hidden in there!

[Todd Burch]

sounds more like a personal problem due to your circumstances than anything else. why rain on this guy's parade?

Why, thank you Matt!

[Alan Schaffter]

Since it is a done deal I don't need to tell you what to look for, but why not-

At that price all you needed to look for was some of us with trailers getting there first or the Police-
What a steal!

That is a deal of a lifetime, and should last that long. Unless you get into making stuff from exotics, you should have enough to make all new kitchen cabinets, all new bedroom furniture, etc. etc. And if you do need other species of wood for something, you can always sell or trade some of your stock!

[David Schmaus]

Well just got back with load 2 of what looks like is going to be 5.

Here are the pics.

[David Schmaus]

I am going to take inventory of what I have and will have to sell some of it...

[Robert Reece]

David, that is such a sweet deal that you picked up there. But still, I'm glad it's you and not me. I'd have gone ahead and got the wood myself, then moved it 400 times over the next 30 years and probably only consume 5% of it.
Sweet deal though, congrats on that find.

[Mark Norman]

You suck:p

Man, I'd have to consider opening up a small storefront and start selling em to buy more machines..

Killer score Dave!

[Steve Rozmiarek]

WOW! I paid around $1,300 to get a load of lumber a couple months back, and it was about 4 boards high, and 8 wide. Thats one heck of a steal!

[Jon Prouty]

Congrats... that is one heck of a score. Can't wait to see the pics. Does your storage facility have insurance? hoping so... but seriously, good pics and plenty of them please.

[Jim Riseborough]

Here is 1300bf...1 ton truck, almost overloaded
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/<a href=