# Questions on buying walnut logs



## Tony (Sep 26, 2015)

I've got a chance to buy three black walnut logs from this guy that are about 27" diameter and 9, 10 and 12' long respectively. He is an arborist and says he has a guy who can mill it for me. I've never bought lumber in log form so I'm clueless on price. He hasn't given me any numbers so I don't know where to begin. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Tony


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## Mike1950 (Sep 26, 2015)

I would make him put a price on them. The millers here can tell you how much lumber you will get but remember if there was a lot of money in getting them sawn into boards why doesn't he have it done? It Will have to be stickered and dried for?? Time. PS- My ol back tells me wood is heavy but green wood is VERY heavy. Around here half the time everyone wants more for the log then the lumber you will get from it is worth.


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## Kevin (Sep 26, 2015)

You'll get 800 BF Doyle counting waste if fhe sawyer knows his stuff. If you buy it at .50 BF that's $400 but I wouldn't offer more than a quater a BF if I really wanted them badly. The sawyer is gonna charge you more than that to mill them probably.

Offer him $150 .... $200 max IMO and tree guys will often let you have them just for hauling them off.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Dennis Ford (Sep 26, 2015)

Don't offer any money until you see the logs and verify the measurements. Look for evidence of nails or hardware and expect 10 - 20 hidden nails for each one that you can see. Yard trees always have nails but mostly in the bottom log. Some sawyers will not mill yard trees, others will charge for blade damage from hardware. If the logs are straight and clear, they are fairly valuable but if they have knots or curves, you should only pay firewood price.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Kevin (Sep 26, 2015)

Good point Dennis - I assumed Tony has already seen the logs and did not think about them being yard trees. I never take yard trees myself.


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## Tony (Sep 26, 2015)

I have seen pics but not the actual logs yet. I'm going to look at them next week, I just wanted a little knowledge beforehand so I don't look totally stupid. @Kevin, you think $150-$200 for the logs? What do you think it will cost to mill them? I'm thinking 8/4 or 12/4 cut. Tony


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## Graybeard (Sep 27, 2015)

He probably was paid to remove the trees. The profit from the sale of them is icing on the cake I think. Could be wrong. The most I got from a logger was 1,600 for one tree but that was possibly a veneer log. The balance were 700 - 400 on the stump.


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