# Walnut tree coming down- value?



## jeffbayne (Nov 13, 2007)

Howdy guys, I am a youth pastor at a church and we have a walnut tree behind the church. It has died in the last year and they want to cut it down. Its probably 20" in diameter- couldn't guess on the height. Apparently someone looked into the value of it and a saw mill would not want to mess with it because this is a residential area and they are worried about nails/fence... that could be buried in the wood. We have a fire circle back there now and are planning to make some benches with the larger parts- just half round, chainsaw only.

my question is, what can be done with some of the bigger pieces? are there saw mills that will plane it into usable pieces? Where do i even begin? I'm clueless on this stuff, so any input would be great.

fyi, it died because dirt was added around the base raising the grade a few inches, so it shouldn't have any rot inside, I think.

Thanks,
jeff


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Personally I would have it milled and use the lumber inside. Have a local craftsman make you something decorative/funtional for your church, something that will last for 100's years. Better use of a natural resource than benches around a fire pit. Or sell the lumber and buy wood for your benches (and still have money left over). Your profile does not say where you are from, but I'm sure there is a mill near you that will saw it. I think the mills did not want to _buy _it because of possible metal in the log, but that is all I sawmill yard trees. I don't like to buy them (but have given a little for good ones) but I mill them all day long for myself and others.
Since it is for a church I could even see it getting milled for free, since it is small (I know I would do it no charge, just pay for any blades I ruined if it was full of metal). I have milled a few freebies for churches and organizations like community clubs and parks etc., it's just good business (and maybe help me with the whole sinner thing )
I would cut it down, paint the ends really good with several coats of latex paint and see if you can't get someone to mill it for you. Just my $.02


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

I would second what the poster above said. Of course if we are talking serious wood rot or something, then I would just say cut the reasonably remaining pieces into chunk for a BBQ pit. But whatever can be saved to be milled do so. Walnut is some fairly high dollar wood... I would definately have it milled and either use it myself, or sell it and use the $$ to do something constructive for the church...


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## jeffbayne (Nov 13, 2007)

I'm from Fort Wayne, Indiana. What do i search for to find a mill?


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

jeffbayne said:


> I'm from Fort Wayne, Indiana. What do i search for to find a mill?


Here is a start http://yellowpages.aol.com/sawmills/in/http://yellowpages.aol.com/sawmills/in/fort-wayne/
Call Wood-Mizer http://www.woodmizer.com/us/index.aspx . They have a list of guys running their brand of mill and will give you contact info. 
Call your Dept of Natural Resources http://www.in.gov/dnr/ . They should have a forestry dept. I get alot of work from the local forester, people call him looking for a mill and he points them in my direction.

Hope that helps...that should be about 100 mills within 75 mile of you :laughing:


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

And one little old log be prepared to haul it to them, no biggy, surely someone has a car trailer in your congregation.


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## stuart (Jan 20, 2008)

or rent an U - haul for $19.95 for a whole day


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## jeffbayne (Nov 13, 2007)

well... no one wants to bother milling it. they're worried about metal in it. I measured it, and its 19" diameter, 5' circumference.

Any other suggestions?


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## sao95 (Feb 6, 2008)

I know a guy who has a portable milling rig for his saw, he might do it for ya, not sure what he would want. Private Message me your phone number and I'll pass it along.


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## crazeesouthpaw (Feb 6, 2008)

Before you sett the tree short i would get a metal detecter and scan it. You could find someone in your congregation who has one or u could rent one. It may worth your time.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

You won't find anyoine in the congregation who has a metal detector designed to penetrate nearly 10" of wet wood. Penetrating 10" of earth is one thing but it takes a detector with a transmit signal designed just for wet wood to do that.

I bet you can find someone who will mill it if you agree to pay the cost of a bandsaw blade if he hits metal.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

jeffbayne said:


> well... no one wants to bother milling it. they're worried about metal in it. I measured it, and its 19" diameter, 5' circumference.


Wow, talk about some finicky sawyers in you neck of the woods. If I did not saw a log I was afraid may have metal in it...I would never saw :blink:. My blades would not get ruined by nails...they would rust away to nothing hanging on the wall .

E-mail me that log, I'll mill some nice boards for you and e-mail it right back :laughing:. Wish I could do more to help.

I still say seal the ends good, you'll find someone who is willing to work. You probably only got contact info for bigger operations who can afford to be picky. I bet there is a guy just like me (not scared of running a sawmill) real close to you, you just don't know about him yet.


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## jeffbayne (Nov 13, 2007)

whats the cost of a bandsaw blade?


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Most sawyers will charge $15 - $25 per blade. I charge $20.


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## jeffbayne (Nov 13, 2007)

thats it??? geez, i thought it would be in the hundreds the way these guys talked! 

Whats the actual value of the wood?


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

TexasTimbers said:


> I charge $20.


Ditto. And one nail/piece of wire fence does not necessarily kill the blade. I have cut 3-4 small ones without even knowing it until I picked off the board and saw the little shiny dot of a fresh cut nail.

I just happen to have a picture of 2 nails I cut sawing a walnut log, there was another down the log aways. I hit them all on my very first cut:huh:. I sawed the whole log on the blade after I hit the nails...no problem. I never even charged him for the metal strike. The blade was not new to start with (I never open a log with a new blade, that guaranties a humongous blade killing bolt, starting with a brand new blade )


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

jeffbayne said:


> Whats the actual value of the wood?


How long it is to the first big limb ? $ wise that small in diameter it is not going to be worth a bunch. But something for inside the church made from a tree that grew on the grounds in my opinion would be priceless. I will go out on a limb here (no pun intended) and say a church is be one place people _should_ be interested in putting a gift from nature to a good use if possible.


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## jeffbayne (Nov 13, 2007)

14' with no taper in the trunk till well after that point.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

19"X14' comes to about 210 bft on my Doyle log scale. HUGE assumption here, if it is good wood (not rotted). Let's say average price for walnut in your area log run (mixed grades) is about $3 bft, I think that is about right. So sawed and kiln dried $600 or so.
If you have to have to pay to have it sawn. I charge $.35 bft, and am higher than most. It would cost about $75 to have it milled here + any blade killers. I think most sawyers in your area work for $.25 bft .
Or you could just sell the log. The price of walnut logs has went nuts. You may get $150 from the right guy who will have it milled himself. Some woodworkers do that, buy a log and have it milled. They pay more for a log than I would (and most mills will) but they come out in the end. They invest $200-$250 in the log and sawing for $600 worth of wood.

Disclaimer: Just about every # quoted is based on a good log, I have not seen it, so don't have a clue.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

jeffbayne said:


> thats it??? geez, i thought it would be in the hundreds the way these guys talked!


Could be you are talking to some circle saw guys. I have a couple circle sawmills (have never set them up and probably never will at this point) that have 56" diameter carbide tipped blades. You knock a tooth out (called a shank) and it's no big deal - $7 and 15 minutes down time while you swage one in. But, you can also wreck the blade if you hit substantial metal in a log and circle sawyers don't want to wreck a blade for two reasons: #1 they can become bombs when they disentegrate and #2 they cost around $2000 new. And you can also wreck one bad enough to have to get it hammered (balanced so to speak) if it isn't totaled. So it sounds like you have been talking to some circle dudes.

So like I said, I may never set either of mine up. :laughing:


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## jeffbayne (Nov 13, 2007)

HOORAY!

stopped in woodcraft, mentioned my situation to them, and they gave me a guy nearby that will cut anything... Contacted him, and he'll mill it, dry it, and give me my pick of whatever i want of it.

Thanks for all the help guys!
jeff


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Cool, that is good news.


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