Hoppus price

[Forest2Furniture]

I just know I'm going to regret this but what's the going hoppus rate these days for

Walnut?

And please, please no one post that bloody video! 

[billpierce]

Would you say it's highly valuable?

[Forest2Furniture]

35 minutes ago, billpierce said:

Would you say it's highly valuable?

Me? No

Client has down google research and is convinced it is, well done google!

[Squaredy]

As with all logs for milling it depends on the quality.  I pay usually around £4 per hoppus foot for an average tree, but if it was a really straight stem and over two foot diameter I might pay double this or even £10 per hoppus foot (less transport cost).  That would be for a rare quality tree however.  Most Walnuts I have been offered are not much more than a foot diameter, which means even the widest board will only have 6 inches of heartwood.

 

Also the problem is people see the value of Walnut timber per cubic foot and think  that they can use this figure to work out the value of a tree.  They forget about the time and cost of felling, transporting, milling, waiting for a couple of years whilst it dries, and then finding 50% is waste due to splits, nails, sapwood etc.  I am currently milling three walnut trees and there is some lovely timber, but nearly 50% sapwood, some bad rot and two lovely nails!

[Forest2Furniture]

The tree is 30" diameter and main trunk 16' long and straight, on the edge of a field with little or no easy access.

Agent for the land owner was hoping for £2002 - £3000 for it as that's what he's worked out via google search what the timber will sell for.

 

The look on his face was priceless when I told him what I'd offer and then pointed out most others will want to be

paid to take it away.

So much for google!

[Squaredy]

Well that is about 50 hoppus feet of timber.  It sounds like a good stem, though who knows until it is felled.  If it looked good once felled and if it were local to me and I thought I could extract it I might offer £500.

 

To be fair to the agent if he arranges to have it milled, transported and dried for a few years and then market it and find buyers he might get close to the sort of price he is expecting

[Rough Hewn]

Walnut sapwood is almost worthless, you wouldn't want to buy a 30" tree with only 10" of heartwood.
Can't value the wood until felled.
Even then...
And don't forget the price for kiln drying after you've seasoned it,with stickers, for 2 years.
Inside, in a properly ventilated store.
And transporting it to and from the kiln people.

[Forest2Furniture]

The tree fell over in the high winds we had a few weeks ago and it's done that because of some fungus rot in the roots, so I can't see there being much value in the root ball.

There's only the main stem left because some enterprising soul has liberated the bigger branches for firewood which is where the trunk will go if an agreement on price can't be reached, which would be a shame because to much of our hardwood trees end their lives by going up in smoke. 

As for sticking and drying in a ventilated barn, that's what I do with all my timber and as far as kiln drying goes I have one of those.

 

[Rough Hewn]

If you can cut the rootball off, you get a better idea of value.
Might be hollow.
If it is solid, with generous heartwood and good grain and colour then £5-£10 per hoppus foot is a fair price.

[Forest2Furniture]

Deal struck this morning!