Selling red cedar trees off property

[Hogmauler]

Have any of y’all ever done this? I was thinking of possibly selling a few trees a year to sawmills. I have some that look to be at least 40’ and closet 5’ around, just a guesstimate. Thanks in advance

[bowhuntertx]

Are you going to cut and limb them yourself or are you looking for someone to come cut them. I had a very hard time finding someone to cut them. I was able to find someone once or twice, they didn't charge me to clear the cedar and I didn't charge them for the trees. I have a sawmill about 2 miles from me and they said they would buy the sawlogs from me if I brought them in, but only by the trailer load. They wouldn't take a few at a time. He also mentioned that its harder than it looks to judge the trees and see what is actually straight enough to use for lumber.

I hope this helps

[Gerald G]

When cedar trees get real big, a lot of times there will be lots of bad spots in them that won’t make lumber.

[friscopaint]

Locally you either pay to have removed or there is a mill in Tioga that will take them for free, they come and cut them and mill them. Or they may have moved here to Collinsville unless that's separate outfit. We've bought post's and live edge slabs from them. Cedar Depot is one in Tioga. Pretty sure that's the deal they make.

[friscopaint]

There are some properties around where they have trimmed them up 10-15 feet and they really look nice. I've cut down some for wedding arbor and it's amazing how many limbs there are to cut off of them, soft wood and chainsaw goes fast but it's still a chore

[BrandonH]

Where are you located? You're gong to have a tough time selling them. I have a sawmill & have several landowners that allow me to come get as many as I want for free. I do know one sawmill that goes halves on the cuts, but that's with you felling, limbing & bringing them a trailer load ready to mill. Even then you just get half the wood milled & would have to sell that to make any money. Another issue can be with the larger older cedars you can't tell how much rot if any is in the tree until you fell it & mill it.

[miket]

I have a lot of them on my AR place and have looked into this, basically ( up there ) they say they are only worth the labor to get them to the mill. You can't have someone log your place and make any money. I will likely buy or build a mill and mill them myself.

[ThisLadyHunts]

Not sure how far away from Cedar Creek, TX you are, but I’d suggest you call the folks at Berdoll Sawmill.

I worked with owner Brandon Berdoll years ago when developing furniture and other items from trees that grew on the historic grounds of the Texas Capitol (and came down under natural conditions).

Brandon specializes in native hardwoods and produces perfectly kilned slabs with both waney and finished edges preferred by custom furniture makers. And, as you would imagine, the older and larger the tree, the greater the character and the higher the yield of the wood. These are Brandon’s favorites.

Now, it may be that they have more red cedar than they can say Grace over or that you’re too far away, but when I first met them they were doing exactly what you’re looking for—removing old, large trees at no charge in return for the wood.

[Hogmauler]

Thanks Shaun. So,I could hire a person with a portable sawmill to come out, bring a tree down , and slab it out or cut it to the dimensions I want right there on the spot? I’m having a small barndo built and started thinking that it might be pretty cool to build the inside out with the cedar off the property

[Hogmauler]

There are some properties around where they have trimmed them up 10-15 feet and they really look nice. I've cut down some for wedding arbor and it's amazing how many limbs there are to cut off of them, soft wood and chainsaw goes fast but it's still a chore

My wife likes the cedar trees trimmed up as well.

[TX_Hoghunter]

I have a sawmill and I doubt you can find anyone to pay you for them. I would guess that if you could get anyone to come take them out for free you would be doing good.

-john

[ThisLadyHunts]

Thanks Shaun. So,I could hire a person with a portable sawmill to come out, bring a tree down , and slab it out or cut it to the dimensions I want right there on the spot? I’m having a small barndo built and started thinking that it might be pretty cool to build the inside out with the cedar off the property

Not quite. They’ll come out to your place, cut down the tree, remove it, haul it back to Cedar Creek, saw it into (2”?) slabs, stack it in a kiln to dry (this process takes weeks or months, depending). It’s after that that they further mill it to make it ready for its ultimate use (furniture, veneer, turning, etc.)

Does this help?

[andre3k]

Have you thought about keeping the trees and milling your own slabs to keep or sell?

[wickll]

When cedar trees get real big, a lot of times there will be lots of bad spots in them that won’t make lumber.

I have been cutting and giving some logs to a co-worker who is really into woodworking. We have discovered this as well. On one of the biggest we cut down, it had a lot of hollow and rotten spots inside.

I recently cut a fairly large one down. While it doesn't have any rot that I can tell, it does have a lot of white or sap wood mixed in. I also notice that on some that I have simply pushed over with a tractor, wood beatles seem to attact the sapwood fairly quickly.

[Hogmauler]

Not quite. They’ll come out to your place, cut down the tree, remove it, haul it back to Cedar Creek, saw it into (2”?) slabs, stack it in a kiln to dry (this process takes weeks or months, depending). It’s after that that they further mill it to make it ready for its ultimate use (furniture, veneer, turning, etc.)

Does this help?

Dang. Didn’t realize it was that labor intensive. Thank you