Trees for milling - various

[spuddog0507]

Tend to agree with the 90% firewood, spruce will be US douglas might be ok ? pop firewood, oak probably ok, the 5 oaks you have just took down would of been far better done in Dec Jan or Feb you would not get the spliting on the end then as due to lower moisture content in the timber, and it would of milled up nicer with less waste,

[TuscanPhil]

Thanks all, so far.  To answer some questions and add more info:

13 hours ago, Squaredy said:

The freshly felled Oak will be fine of course.  They would give you a number of rustic beams or low grade planking.  This might be a better bet for your garden table, although there would be rather a lot of sapwood.

The American Oak (red oak?) I'm hoping (was hoping?) to make into a rustic table - doesn't have to last 20 years, I just wanted to use it for something other than firewood - but if the middle slices won't be up to much, then it will simply get ringed up etc.  The aim/hope would be to probably have it alaskan milled in situ, using the middle 2 slices as 'table tops', then the smaller piece sliced into 4, the middle 2 being used for the horizontal part of a bench seat and the smaller (rounder) bits as the vertical supports.

13 hours ago, topchippyles said:

I have the kit to mill that in place but looking from the photos you would need to put the cost of getting them milled against the cost of buying the same timber new as the age on those first few would suggest rot has started to set in.

Some of it (particularly the Doug Fir) is so that I can say our home is (part) built with something that grew in the garden.  I'm looking to put an 'Oak framed porch' on our home (replacing one that is falling apart and probably built around 1930-1940) but using the Doug Fir.  Something similar to this but only open on 2 sides, not 3.  The 'external doorway' will be filled using our existing wooden church style doors and the rest double glazed.  I guess the vertical (and visble) beams are probably only 4" sq, not 6-8?

12 hours ago, topchippyles said:

Tend to agree but 2 ways to look at it.If tuscan phill uses a saw him self and can cut a foot off the end of the longest stuff it will give an idea how bad the tree is and the 17 metre one i would split in 3 anyway.If he is cutting up the stuff for firewood or paying someone to do it also makes a difference.

I have a 15" husky that I use for all my ringing up, so can chop off the ends (more easily on the smaller stuff), but the only one I'm realistically interested in doing this to is the Doug Fir, the Pop and Spruce are what they are.  if I can use the Pop as cladding, I have a wooden clad garage that needs some work, so it would go to that, else - firewood!  I need around 20m3 a year so have a good requirement but know that Pop isn't a great firewood - but if it's wood and seasoned, it burns!  I'm BSL registered so don't buy in any fuel, it all comes from tree maintenance/work from within my 4 acres of woodland.

8 hours ago, spuddog0507 said:

Tend to agree with the 90% firewood, spruce will be US douglas might be ok ? pop firewood, oak probably ok, the 5 oaks you have just took down would of been far better done in Dec Jan or Feb you would not get the spliting on the end then as due to lower moisture content in the timber, and it would of milled up nicer with less waste,

 If it's firewood, not an issue.  Most of the trees on my land are TPO'd (sadly!) and I have permission requests in for another 5 oaks all of which I'm hoping to have dropped this autumn.  There are also another 10-15 or so trees (mostly oak) that will be coming down over the coming months, some of which can easily be winter into spring next year so thanks for that info.

 

I don't have a recent picture of my woodshed, but attached is one from about 4 years ago.  I've 'gone around' the shed about twice since then (ie filled from one end and cleared from the other in rotation) I think.  It's about 3m deep and 15m long.