Giant Redwood is it worth much?

[Mick Dempsey]

So I felled a lot of big cedars and stuff for a client recently and we talked about a Giant Redwood he has at the top of his property, nothing really wrong with it but it’s location is a worry, he wants a price for its removal, as usual my saw mill guy, who never gives me any money for the wood, will be involved, I don’t mind as a general rule my money is in the work, so I’m just glad to move it.

 

Client however is saying he wants money for this tree, or at least something.

I know the sawmill guy will go off on one about oversized timber, he’s doing me a favour etc. So my question is, is it actually of any use? Is it actually worth anything?

 

7 or 8 ft diameter 30 meters tall, no visible faults.

 

TIA.

Mick

Edited November 27, 2018 by Mick Dempsey

[topchippyles]

All wood is worth money to the right person even as fire wood.Its great for outdoor use and hardly ever rots.

[Big J]

It's outstanding as a cladding material, but it needs to be big in order to be able to get a decent usable volume of heartwood (the sapwood band is usually wide). Then you get the issue of it being oversized for almost all European machinery. We're just not geared up for it. 

 

I did do a batch of redwood cladding for a customer, but I used a chainsaw mill to break it down into 150mm thick cants, and then stood it up on the band mill for resawing. The end result wasn't perfect as the chainsawmill doesn't give the cleanest edge. It was fine though. 

 

My point is, the processing is such a pain that I'd be very surprised if the sawmill owner offered anything for it. I got my logs for free, paying only haulage.

[Mick Dempsey]

Thanks J, sort of what I thought.

[spuddog0507]

Oh yes its worth money and i would say good money but your biggest problem is moving it, you would have to quarter saw it down length to get it in to managable lumps, i would get some proper dimensions and photos and addvertise it in as many places as you can and i am sure you will have a bidding battle for it,

[Mick Dempsey]

25 minutes ago, spuddog0507 said:

Oh yes its worth money and i would say good money but your biggest problem is moving it, you would have to quarter saw it down length to get it in to managable lumps, i would get some proper dimensions and photos and addvertise it in as many places as you can and i am sure you will have a bidding battle for it,

Not going to happen, but thanks anyway. I’m more of a in/out can I have a chèque please? Kind of outfit.

 

If the client wants to sell it himself all the better.

[rich crowther]

Whrs it at?

[Mick Dempsey]

Ecuras, France.

Edited November 27, 2018 by Mick Dempsey

[spuddog0507]

2 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Not going to happen, but thanks anyway. I’m more of a in/out can I have a chèque please? Kind of outfit.

 

If the client wants to sell it himself all the better.

letting the client sell it is proberbly the best rout for you, but its a timber you dont see for sale very often and i would think would be a easy sell, ?,

[Squaredy]

3 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

So I felled a lot of big cedars and stuff for a client recently and we talked about a Giant Redwood he has at the top of his property, nothing really wrong with it but it’s location is a worry, he wants a price for its removal, as usual my saw mill guy, who never gives me any money for the wood, will be involved, I don’t mind as a general rule my money is in the work, so I’m just glad to move it.

 

Client however is saying he wants money for this tree, or at least something.

I know the sawmill guy will go off on one about oversized timber, he’s doing me a favour etc. So my question is, is it actually of any use? Is it actually worth anything?

 

7 or 8 ft diameter 30 meters tall, no visible faults.

 

TIA.

Mick

Just to add another opinion, yes Sequoia has a value but not high.  Maybe £50 or so per cubic metre delivered to a mill.  So realistically the value of the timber will likely be less than transport cost, especially as the trunk is such large diameter, as a timber lorry crane would struggle with the first couple of lengths.

 

It is the same conundrum for almost all logs - unless it is a lorry load with direct road access cost of moving is very often too high to be viable.