What do Timber merchants what?

[Wolfie]

I'd like to know what timber is worth keeping rather than cut up into logs.

On the occasions that I have offered trees to timber merchants its either the wrong sort, not worth the trip to collect from site, not straight enough, heart woods wrong - not central, too many branch collers on the trunk, etc, etc.

So what do they want? - species, length & diameter would be helpful in the future.

Thanks.

[Wolfie]

And one more question.

What sort of price would you expect to get. I know "length of a bit of string" comes to mind but is £50 for over a ton and half of 2ft diameter Elm reasonable?

 

Whats this piece worth.

A Walnut that I took down three days ago.

 

 

(other soft drink brands are available)

[John Hughes]

I can't speak for the big mills, but I believe they are not really interested unless they can collect a lorry load at a time.

Mobile millers , like myself, we are happy with anything reasonably straight with no branches, rot and hopefully no iron. We probably pay less than the static mills as we have to get our equipment to site, set it up and get the timber back to our yard. Often it is uneconomic but it is very satisfying.

£50 would be about right for your elm .

John

[Pat Ferrett]

Like you I have tried to sell butts to the mills but they seem to want it for free or give the impression that they will clear it free of charge to help you out:sneaky2:

 

I've bought an Alaskan mill and intend to plank a few bits but to be honest if 1.5 ton of elm is only worth £50 and you have to bust a gut to load large lenghts you better off selling it for fire wood

[MattyF]

I could be wrong here but that walnut in the last two pics looks like it has a nail in it ,in which case they won't touch it... Sounds reasonable with the elm no more than I got last time I sold a load ,try haggling if your not happy... Personally I would rather mill it my self as said before I find timber merchants very hard to do business with and have not had a positive experience yet!

[delabodge]

Like you I have tried to sell butts to the mills but they seem to want it for free or give the impression that they will clear it free of charge to help you out:sneaky2:

 

I've bought an Alaskan mill and intend to plank a few bits but to be honest if 1.5 ton of elm is only worth £50 and you have to bust a gut to load large lenghts you better off selling it for fire wood

 

or better still,mill it with your alaskan, store it, then make something and sell iit for more,,ie adding value to timber,,,

[gensetsteve]

Paul Goulden is your man. Goulden Hardwoods he has a blog on the net and plays with wood near Andover. Travels into London so may pop by or have a look at that pick.

[luftwaffe]

The reason most sawmils don't take small amounts of timber off people is it not worth their time to set up contracts for small quantities, coupled with that is the certification needed to source whether the timber has been certified or not, also throw in other concerns as nails in the timber, straightness, butt rot, knotty timber, and so on.....

 

Its a bit like turning up at tesco's with the produce from your garden... if you see what I mean.

[Pat Ferrett]

or better still,mill it with your alaskan, store it, then make something and sell iit for more,,ie adding value to timber,,,

 

Thats the plan I hate ringing up butts when timber is so expensive.

Even if I run it into sleepers its better than adding to an already large pile of logs, plus timber is an all year round thing rather than logs

[tommer9]

Good quality, shake free straight knot free logs delivered if a small amount, or they will collect if there is a lorry load.